‘I feel very appreciated’ - Dane Ray overwhelmed at Prime Minister Youth Award nomination
Published:Saturday | December 12, 2020 | 12:07 AMShereita Grizzle/Staff Reporter
Fast-rising artiste and producer, Dane Ray, will tell you that a realignment with his long-term goals is what has solidified his path to greatness. Though he was already on the road to success, having worked on Rygin King’s breakout hit Tuff, Dane Ray told The Gleaner that he knew he was capable of so much more.
Keen on making an even bigger dent in the music industry – especially on the international circuit — the creative, born Waldane Hampton, said he did some serious introspection and realised he had to make some adjustments to the work he was producing. The latter paid dividends when he teamed up with the Grammy Kid Koffee earlier this year to create the megahit Lockdown.
Since then, Dane Ray’s career has been on a steady rise, so much so that his work has now captured the attention of the prime minister. Earlier this week, it was announced that the producer was one of seven persons nominated for the 2020 Prime Minister Youth Award, in the category of arts and culture.
“Getting into the music, me always used to focus more on the streets, trap, dancehall etc. It was like a garrison thing, but, over the years, I realised the strength of diversifying the music, and so I decided to fix up the thing internally. And when mi say fix up, mi mean mix things up some more to include songs that will appeal to the overseas market. It’s an overwhelming feeling to know that the changes are being acknowledged, and that the effort we made to connect with all kinds of people is recognised,” he said.
“Starting off with Rygin King, when him just come out and producing this kind of underground music, me never know say me woulda get to the place where the prime minister of Jamaica would acknowledge my work. But now we a produce Grammy-winning artiste and the Government of Jamaica a take note. It’s really a step up for me. I feel very appreciated.”
Dane Ray said the news that he had been shortlisted for recognition by the prime minister is just beginning to soak in, as he never expected that he would be recognised on this magnitude.
“Music is such a weird thing that you never know what success it will bring. I knew the decision I made in terms of the direction of my music was the right one, but I never knew it would take me here,” he said.
“I was just working with genuine love for the music, not expecting to get singled out for any award or anything like that, and so this comes as a surprise. But I am really happy to know that the Government love weh we a do and weh we stand for in music.”
The producer expressed that, although the Koffee alignment really put him over the top in terms of recognition, he has always been putting in work, and the latter is what ultimately led to his success.
“My music, my productions are becoming a major brand, and me being the producer and playing a part in the video had a lot to contribute to my success right now. But I have to point out that the success that came from the Koffee project was made possible because of my preparation and strategy,” he said.
“I have been putting in the work over the years, trying to stand out and be different from the rest. I have been doing music for over 10 years, and the success I have had in the last two years is because of the work I put in, in the past decade. When someone hears the name Dane Ray, they should know that I have built my career from the ground up and deserve every bit of recognition I am getting now.”
The virtual staging of the ‘Prime Minister’s National Youth Awards for Excellence’ will be aired on Television Jamaica (TVJ) on Sunday, December 13, 2020, at 5:05 p.m. Sixty-eight nominees have been shortlisted in 12 categories. This year’s award ceremony is being celebrated under the theme: ‘Youth: Resilient Through Entrepreneurship, Training, Hope, Innovation, Networking and Knowledge (RETHINK)’.