Juudah seeking breakthrough

US-based dancehall artiste Juudah has his sights set on breaking into the local dancehall space with new music which, he is confident, will garner him the attention he needs to propel his career.

Born Brandon Moulton, the Glenmuir High School past student admitted that being away from Jamaica while trying to make his break in dancehall only poses a challenge in a physical sense, but he is confident that it won't derail his impact.

" There have been others in the field who have successfully done so while living abroad. It just means you have to work 10 times harder than a local artiste," he reasoned.

"I recently released a video for my most popular song, Phenomenal. It's a real smooth song for the ladies, and also for the men that can relate to it. The reception and love have been great so far. And there're lots more to come," Juudah explained.

When asked to describe his music, he said he does music from the heart.

"My music is full of emotion, content that you can really sing along and vibe to. It's a joy seeing and hearing reactions to my songs, because my listeners and supporters are of all ages," he said.

Juudah described his creativity as the best part of his music, and admitted that you never know how a session will go.

"I write 80 per cent of my songs. The others are made just by being in the studio or among friends, hearing a beat, and then allowing my brain to follow wherever the mood of that beat takes me, and the words will follow. My mother says it's a gift," he shared.

Despite his optimism for his music, he admitted that dancehall has been plagued by gimmicks which may overshadow other songs.

"In an industry that's honestly been riddled with gimmicks in recent times, it is hard when you truly put your all in your craft and take it seriously. At times, it seems if you don't add that (gimmicks) to every song or video, people are slow to react. But I rather let my music speak for itself and keep working hard," he said.

- S.W.