18-year-old Paul’s Avenue artiste seeks record deal

Local recording artiste Akeem “Ruffy Dan” Dopwell is of the view that limited opportunities in the music industry here are preventing his music career from going forward.{{more}}

The 18-year-old Paul’s Avenue resident told SEARCHLIGHT that since entering the music industry five years ago, he realizes that he has a gift for music and it is now time for him to progress to a higher level in his chosen career.

Ruffy Dan says he is in the process of gaining a record deal which, according to him, will further his career.

“My favorite hobby is writing music, but I am not getting the opportunity to showcase my skills. I am interested in publicizing the material I have, but then again, the opportunity is limited, because I am unsigned.”

The young artiste says he wants to be recognized by an international record label, which would allow him to have his music properly published and distributed.

“I’ve been around a number of local producers, but the opportunities offered are kept on a local basis and the talent I have, I believe goes beyond just SVG. The outside exposure is what I am seeking for,” Ruffy Dan said.

His music is not played on the local radio stations, but Ruffy Dan claims that his fan base is generated via music sites such as Youtube and Reverbnation.

Social media, Facebook, Twitter and Myspace also contribute to his exposure, Dopwell disclosed.

Dopwell also says he is not limiting himself to one genre of music, because he is versatile enough to explore the different genres.

“I can do dancehall, hip hop, soca and even sing. Some of the artistes that inspire me are guys like Ice Cube, Eazy E, Tupac, Super Cat, Aidonia, Bounty Killer, just to name a few.”

The Paul’s Avenue resident has also had the opportunity to grace the stage at a number of major events held here. His most recent was the Dance Hall Fest 2K12, where he had the opportunity to perform on stage with Jamaican Dance hall artistes, Popcaan and Tommy Lee.

“My performance at this event was somewhat different to how I would normally do a show. This time I was asked to do a sound clash with another artiste and it was my first time performing such act.”

He explained that his performance did not play out as well as he intended, due to technical difficulties on the part of the DJ.

“The DJ didn’t play the instrumental that I requested and the entire planned performance did not go as I planned. The other artiste won, but I know I would have won if it wasn’t for the mishap.

“I battled the artiste before the show and I won him.”

Nevertheless, Ruffy Dan says he received great compliments from the Jamaican artistes.

Most recently, Ruffy Dan said he released several songs which include “I Love” and “Dedication,” a song he explained was done in memory of Shanika Small.

“I have a lot of material. I have books upon books, with songs I have written and I also have a number of songs recorded and now I am seeking a record deal.”