Dancehall artiste Jay Starr Di Boss is making waves with his latest single, 'Silent River', on the Dj Chigga label. Released a month ago, the song has been gaining traction in the streets in recent days.

According to the artiste, this is the first song that he has done which has gotten so much feedback in such a short period.

"The response to this song has been good so far, regular plays by Irie Fm's Dj Bryan and multiple request from sound systems for dubplates, has shown me that there are enormous potentials with this song." he said.

Born Jevaughn Newman on August 1, 1994, he grew up in a small district in Spaulding, Clarendon, where he attended the Mount Olivet Primary School. His love for music at an early age was clear and he knew that music was also a vehicle to overcome hardships, being from a single parent home. He eventually attended the Christiana High School, where he learnt how to write and deliver creative lyrics, often times deejaying to fellow classmates.

After leaving school, Jay Starr Di Boss recorded his first single in 2007 titled "OH OH OH OOOOOOH" released on Bvrban Beats Label. He later went on to record and release several songs including 'Dollar Bill', 'Hell Katt', 'Gyal Segment', 'Jiggle Jiggle', 'Distance' and many more. His ever-growing musical catalogue is available on all major digital download stores and streaming services.

Jay Starr Di Boss is preparing to make an indelible mark with more live performances schedule. Kicking off on Saturday, August 4 2018, he will be performing live at South Coast Rum Festival in Edge Water, Portmore St Catherine.

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jay.newman.71404

Fast-rising dancehall/reggae singjay Kashane Blaze aka KB is making huge strides in the music business as he continues to reach for greatness.

KB, who has been in the music business for a relatively short time, has seen measurable successes so far. To date, he has compiled an impressive catalogue of songs including 'Well Shampoo', 'Paper','Can't Satisfy' and 'They Don't Care For Us', which have garnered sizeable plays on Spotify and other streaming services. Though very grateful for the upward trend his career has taken, he is hungry for greater success.

"I have this deep drive inside for music it won't allow me to stop, always wanna sing and do better each time I sing. Now it's a blessing when I make a status update and see people have my song up on their status" stated KB.

KB is currently promoting his latest single 'Due', produced by Fireice Record/SooSoo Productions. The song released a few weeks ago, has gotten very strong support from several popular radio DJs locally including RJR 94 FM's Kemar Genius.

"My fans love the vibes I bring across on Due, this song is getting a lot of buzz on radio and in the streets now. From the look of things, Due is poised to become a very big tune, I can feel it. everywhere I go people are telling me they love it" he said.

KB set to release a brand new song and video titled "Easy Flow" very shortly, is making every effort to continue feeding the musical appetite of his fans. KB's music is available in digital stores worldwide, streaming platforms and on YouTube: KBDigreatVEVO .

International reggae artiste Bucky Ital is at it again with a just completed video for "Work Hard". The song was officially released in late 2016, produced by Michael Fairman for Vision House Records.

The video, shot on location in the bustling Coronation market in downtown Kingston and parts of St. Catherine, is produced by Bucky Ital Music.

Bucky details the daily routines of the average working man; leaving his house at the break of dawn, pushing a hand-cart selling CDs in busy streets while enduring scorching heat in the sun. Featured also are other people doing other forms of work, in a latter scene, Bucky is partying with friends enjoying the fruits of his labour.

"The music video is about people doing what they have to, so they can make ends meet, people such as the street vendors, bus drivers, police officers, nurses, farmers etc." he said.

The Brooklyn-based Westmoreland born reggae artiste has released a number of singles and was recently featured on the remake of the Peter Tosh classic anthem, "Legalise It" with a host of other stars.

Bucky Ital has done songs like "Do A Thing For The Poor", "Hustle Fi Da Food" "Ghetto Hussle" and insist on continuing to put out conscious music that can encourage and uplift.

Singer-songwriter Cappa Flex is once again giving thanks to his fans, this time for the renewed interest in his single entitled 'Holding On', produced by UMG Records.

Music fans have been particularly intrigued by Holding On, which appears to have struck a particular chord, creating a spike in plays on many social platforms and various internet radio stations.

"This song represents my every day struggle and the struggles of millions of people worldwide, but through determination and faith in God, we can all hold on, I know good music will always get a time to shine and I am grateful that the fans are pushing this songs again" stated Cappa Flexx.

'Holding On' was first released in 2016, debuting on Irie Fm 'Night Beat" programme with host Gary G and later getting rotation on several other radio stations locally and online.

Known for a string of positive music including I'm Anointed, Pray Dem A Pray, It's Your Love, and Pressue, Cappa Flex revealed that he has a lot more music on the way.

"Well, now, I'm putting all the focus on this song. I want to make sure it continues to reach more people, but I definitely have more music on the way." he said

Listen more of Cappa Flex music: https://soundcloud.com/45recordsltd/cappa-flex-mix-cd-anointed

Up-and-coming dancehall artiste Skippa Propa is steadily building his musical career using social media as his tool of choice. Skippa Propa who hails from the inner-city community of Maxfield Park, residing in the Lyndhurst Road area of Kingston started out as dancer and quickly developed a fan-base reaching as far as Europe.

"We have people from as far as Gibraltar in Spain coming to my inner-city community to meet me as an artist, learn new dances and experience the Jamaican dancehall vibes" stated Skippa in an interview with Bondi Beach Radio from Australia.

Though there are obstacles in the music industry locally in Jamaica, Skippa's focus is on breaking through internationally and social media as thus far allow him to connect with fans beyond many borders.

"Youths can avoid violence and escape poverty by using any natural talents dem have, not only singing or dancing. Di net can expose dem and gi dem a buss, dat a part of my plan to meet success" stated Skippa.

Skippa is currently promoting a new single titled Don't Go produced by Big Brother Records, available in all digital worldwide.

Guadeloupean Reggae/Dancehall artiste “Kassah” has now released his latest video titled “Free Up”, which is a single off his 2017 "Kassah Mixtape".

This song/video was inspired by the imprisonment of a few of Kassah's friends and the pressure he had endured while trying to make a living and surviving in the gritty streets. He implores the authorities and other elements to stop "preeing" him and allow him space, so he could earn his money and gain greater success.

The video produced by SnakeOne and Zentlix from "NextOneMusic" was shot in two locations in France, Argenteuil and Paris. Kassah 2017 mixtape, released on his own label "NextOneMusic" was considered by him to be an experimental street project, using only riddims obtained from youtube.

"I just came back in the music with another style, because I made my first album with another producer .. that album was only Roots Reggae music and I wanted to show a different level of versatility with this Kassah Mixtape" stated Kassah.

More of Kassah Music can be found on popular music platform soundcloud. http://www.soundcloud.com/kassah

Talented Reggae/Soul/RnB singer D'Franco is overjoyed about the tremendous response to his latest single & video , 'With You', produced by D'Franco Musiq.

The artiste, who has been searching for his break for over 4 years, believes this record could finally be the one, as the song is currently getting rotation on a number of FM radio stations.

"The feedback has been incredible so far; everyone has been very receptive to the sound and the emotional vibes portrayed in the video, with comments about the relatability of the song's lyrics." he said.

The video was shot in New York City, directed and edited by Andre Williamson of New Level Cinema and TD Music Productions.

D'Franco has recently form his own collective, known as the TD Band. Performing at several events locally, recently billed as the opening act for Grammy Winner Beenie Man at Kaluga Live, in St.Catherine.

Notable releases from D'Franco includes his debut EP Release titled "Journey",released in 2012. The Four (4) track EP was produced by Dean Fraser - Canon Productions, Romel Marshall - Marshal Arts Records, Andre Barnes & Dwayne Morris for Cahban Rekords and Leebert "Gibby" Morrison for Gibby Music. The EP is a collection of songs whose theme ranges from the socially conscious, to personal insights, pain and love, to simply partying and having a bit of fun.

D'Franco is optimistic about the future, currently in the studio finishing up some new projects and looking forward to winter a tour with the TD Band.

"Jamaica" is about the beautiful island of Jamaica and Hardio's affection for his homeland, showcasing the diverse and natural wonders of it's people and landscape.

Passionately powerful, the track is the perfect addition to Hardio’s impressive catalog of music, including hits “Live Mi Life”, “Love Tonight”, “Baby Girl” and “Nah Stop” off his 2016 debut EP “Dancehall Active”.

Filmed in several locations around the island and directed by Pete Beng, the emotionally driven music video showcases Jamaica's beauty, the warm and welcoming people, the spectacular scenery and the very small everyday things.

The song "Jamaica" was produced by Andew Cooke on his Pressure Dem Records label and distributed by Zojak World Wide, currently available in all major digital stores.

They fail almost all the time, because musicians often throw caution to the wind and have a mind that it’s a simple endeavor. I am here to tell you that it’s not. If you’re not taking your music seriously, and you’re in a cover band or you’re just playing with friends, then fill your boots my friend — more power to you. But if you intend on actually making money from your career as a musician and you intend on doing it with others, there are some things you need to know before even starting. This isn’t a comprehensive list, but here are some of the more important things to keep in mind on why bands fail.

Get to the know the people you’re with

Like I’ve always said “Joining a band is like marrying four or five people all at once.”

Get to know these people really, really well. You’re possibly going to spend months in a crappy van with these cats, and it’s important to have the right kind of people next to you in that situation. It’s very important that you avoid joining up with musicians who aren’t tolerant at all, who get in terrible moods because of the poor conditions and fly off the handle, taking out their frustration on everybody else. Keeping a band mate like that is an exercise in futility for your career; you’ll spend five  months on the road and then without warning your bandmate has either left mid-tour or afterwards, and you’ll have to end the tour prematurely wasting everyone’s time.

Or you’ll have to spend even more time looking for the replacement and teaching him when you get home. I don’t care how talented he is, I don’t care what he can offer, if you find yourself with that person then avoid them at all costs. Humor and a relaxed behavior is important here, because you’re going to fail a lot and – while that’s OK – some people overreact and they make a mountain out of a molehill, and it can kill the morale of everyone.

Drugs

Now, If you’re doing drugs and you’re not ruining your life, I don’t care and neither should anybody else. It’s not our business, some people can handle their drugs really well, they aren’t addicts, and they aren’t a problem. (Editor’s Note: SuperNerdLand does not condone drug use, but not all laws in the world conform to a single standard of prohibition. Drug use — and abuse — exists in the world, deal with it.) Putting aside heroin as choice drug for obvious reasons, I know people like this and they are fantastic people, but if you start to see a budding problem where some people in the band are irrational and violent because of this then it’s time to find another band.

That is a ticking time bomb, and you need to distance yourself before you’re caught in it’s blast radius. You might find yourself picking up their habits, and as far as crossing borders go, you’re going to find yourself on the seven O’clock news whether you were doing drugs with them or not. Sometimes a major — or even minor label — might not pick you up if you’re a bit of a flight risk. I’m not knocking drugs, just find someone who can handle their stuff and keep it at home, or in the very least not travel across borders with it.

Priority

If somebody has kids and a wife, house payments, a job they can’t take leave of, their schooling, or a girlfriend, then you’re most likely just setting yourself up for disappointment. These people have responsibilities beyond the band that will most likely conflict with your ability to tour, even sometimes with regular six hour practice sessions and studio time. You can rarely find somebody who can juggle these things with relative ease and if you’re really looking to make something of yourself as a musician, your career has to be in your top two.

My hat goes off to all those mothers and fathers who still pursue the dream, but if all of your band mates have overbearing girlfriends who require all their attention, or a job that simply can’t be left for a tour, then that’s an obstacle you can avoid by just not joining up with them. Sometimes it’s a little easier to take the safe path and avoid the possibility of the problem all together, especially when probability isn’t in your favor.

Safety & Maintenance

Before you hit the road, get all of the equipment checked out by a professional and fix any problems that arise. Save up money, and keep spare parts and extra patch cords/XLR cables at all times. When you lug electronics from place to place with alternating weather conditions, there’s going to be some wear and tear, and you’re going to have crippling problems.

Speaking of crippling problems, if somebody steals all your equipment out of your van while you’re sleeping in your hotel room, you are going to be fucked beyond all measure. Don’t bother with locks on the van, don’t bother with alarm systems, fuck that noise and bring your equipment into the hotel rooms. If you’re all going out to party, leave somebody behind to watch it. I don’t care if it doesn’t fit, I don’t care if you’re tired, I don’t even care if your bandmate is pouty about not joining the party, make it fit, put some elbow grease into it and tell him to bite the bullet or you are going to lose all of your equipment. Be absolutely firm on this issue and do not waver.
It’s an industry

The music industry is an industry; it’s not a club or a hobby. First and foremost you are selling a product. Major labels don’t pick people up because they’re talented, they pick people up because they can make money for the label. Part of understanding how to make money with your music is looking at how modern artists write their material, how they structure their songs in a condensed and palatable format. That’s something you’re going to need to conform to whether you like it or not, because while you might love twenty minute contrived as all hell solos or ten minutes of noise without structure, the largest demographic today does not.

They like monotonous crap that’s about as predictable as any horror movie today, and I get it. I don’t like it — I really don’t — but that’s where the money is and this is your job. I’m not telling you to make Pop music if you’re a metalhead, I’m saying use their structures and keep it simple and repetitive, so it’s catchy enough to stay in the listener’s head.

You might say that this is selling out, but I beg to differ, I call this “Investing in your Pursuit.” Spend ten years, do three or four albums like or whatever’s on your contract, and you’ll have enough money to start your own label. Then you can produce and create whatever sound you want, and you can tour and shill it all to your hearts content directly to your audience.

Remember, it’s an industry, so if all of these things aren’t at least something you consider and you aren’t serious — then relax — but heed some of my advice. It will  save you a heap of trouble in the future.

These days, there’s a lot of talk about how difficult it is to make money as a music artist. While there’s no disputing that it can be a challenge (which is why you need other reasons to do music than just making money), the fact remains that if you are the kind of person who is dedicated and resourceful, it is possible to earn income from your talent. The important thing is not to listen to the naysayers who are telling you the odds—you have a lot better shot at making money from your music if you focus on what you CAN do, rather than what you CAN’T do.

DIVERSIFYING IS KEY

Given the current state of the music business, one of the most important things you can do to make money as a music artist is to diversify. In other words—don’t just do one thing. Your musical talents can be put to good use in a variety of ways, and the songs you write can result in some good residual income if you get them into the right places. If you hone in on doing only one thing musically, it’s a lot less likely to support you financially—that’s just the way things are in the business right now, especially for those who don’t have Platinum record sales yet.

On the other hand, if you work on multiple angles where your music is concerned, you may find several streams of income that will do a better job of supporting you—plus, if one stream runs dry, you won’t go completely broke because you’ll have other streams to draw from. Most independent musicians today get money for their music by doing a combination of things.

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MAKE MONEY IN MUSIC

There are many ways in which your music can make you money, including some you might think of which are not on this list. But here are a few ideas to get you started—and remember, the key is not to do just one, but pick a few that you think you can do, and start there.

Play live gigs. If you like to perform live, work on scheduling gigs for yourself at local venues. House shows are also increasing in popularity, and you’d be surprised at how well you can do there. Weddings can also be a great source of income. If you have an album recorded (and you should), bring records to sell at every gig.

Be a musical “gun for hire.” If you’re a good instrumentalist or if you enjoy doing background vocals (BGVs), there’s no shame in hiring yourself out for music gigs, live shows, even studio session work. Say yes to anything you might qualify for. There are musicians who stay busy make a good living just because they are willing to take whatever gigs come their way.

Exploit your songs. This might seem like a bad way to put it, but all “exploit” means is that you can use your intellectual property to gain an income in any way you can. If you create original music, there are many ways to get it “out there,” not just recording and selling it on iTunes. For example, music supervisors are constantly looking for songs to license and sync to TV, film and commercials; the pay is instant, usually good, and sometimes residual.

You can also submit your songs to publishers to try and get recording artists to cut them. (A lot of successful artists today got their start by writing songs for others.) The point is, find as many ways as possible to use your original music to gain income. Artists who are particularly good at this can sometimes even live on the residual income and royalties after awhile.

Exploit the Internet. Social media doesn’t always directly lead to income (although it can), but what it does is make your name and brand known, and if that results in more fans, it can result in more record sales. Many of today’s music stars got their start, not from getting discovered by a label, but by getting discovered on YouTube. In fact, going “viral” on YouTube can also mean more income because when videos reach a certain number of views, YouTube starts sharing advertising dollars with those users. So make the most of this. Learn how to use social networking to your advantage.

Teach. It’s not the most glamorous thing to do, but for almost as long as music has been around, musicians have been supplementing their income by teaching others to play. It’s a common practice for musicians to give lessons during the day, followed by gigging, writing and recording at night, and many can live on music full-time by doing this.

Bottom line—don’t use the “state of the music business” to determine whether you’re going to make a living with your music. Yes, there are obstacles today, but there were different obstacles before now, and different obstacles before that. There will always be reasons why people say you can’t do it, but the ones who succeed are the ones who look for (and exploit) the ways they CAN do it.

It’s not up to the “state of the music business” to decide for you whether you can make money as a music artist. It never has been. It’s always been up to you. And it still is.