In the international music business artistes are often celebrated for their success in closing colossal music deals and achieving millions of dollars in record sales. Much less attention is paid to the individuals who are working hard in the background, doing all the groundwork to get the music to the people – the radio personalities, DJs and MCs. Very few of them are recognised for their efforts and talents.
One such DJ/MC who stands head and shoulders above the rest is DJ Barrie Hype. In 2010 he was awarded Soca DJ of the Year at the second annual South Florida Dancehall Awards.
A patriotic Saint Lucian, DJ Barrie Hype prides himself on being one of the few internationally recognised DJs/MCs from Saint Lucia. Music has been Barrie’s inspiration and sanctuary from the tender age of seven.
He attended the then Sans Soucis Primary School and subsequently the Tapion School before moving to Barbados where he enrolled in Mapps College, and later Branson College in Montreal. He made a sound investment in his dream by enrolling in Full Sail University, one of the world’s premiere art, music and film schools. There he majored in show production, concert touring and recording arts. Barrie is now hailed as one of the few DJs/MCs to master the art of simultaneously DJ’ing and emceeing a show.
Although Barrie now resides in Miami, Florida, he is extremely elated to represent his homeland and promotes our culture, heritage and music at various events. He admits that sometimes he is the only one waving the Saint Lucian flag at some of those events and this, he says, is a surreal feeling; one that he is very proud of nonetheless.
He believes that Caribbean music is not far-reaching enough, simply because the records don’t cross over from the various islands. Barrie thinks music should be global, and it is out of this conviction he founded the company Topgunners. Barrie is also affiliated with 18th & Collins, created by ‘The Soul Rebel,’ DJ Crown Prince. 18th & Collins is a fraternity of DJs, producers and writers who share ideas, build remixes, produce collages and sometimes act as a bridge between artistes, which results in greater collaboration among them. Barrie also has affiliations with Team Black Shadow which produced the record “Gimme the Light,” for Sean Paul. He also collaborates with Team Soca and ‘Friday Bounce,’ a syndicated radio show, along with DJ Crown Prince which airs in five countries (Vibe 103 Bermuda, Blazin 99.3 St Lucia, Slam 101.1 Barbados, Slam 100.5 Trinidad, and Hot 104.1 in Cayman).
Ricky Castro from the group Soul Syndicate is responsible for giving him the name Barrie Hype. He has now become a household name and is known the world over. As an MC/DJ, Barrie has travelled the world which he believes is a great thing. Music has also allowed him to own his home. He attributes some of his success to his father, who has helped him in making some of his business and career decisions.
Being energetic and aggressive has enabled Barrie to develop a unique style and blend that sets him apart from other DJs. He has a chameleonic ability to adapt to situations, crowds and venues and this enables him to connect with his audience. He likes to make people laugh and sometimes incorporates spontaneous comedic breaks during his sets.
Barrie feels extremely humbled to have backed and hosted a concert called Rave during Miami carnival 2011, with over twelve thousand patrons. It rained throughout the concert and they were unable to use a live band. Barrie was allowed to back and host the show all by himself. Some of the show’s performers included Machel, Bunji, Fay Ann, Iwa, Benjai, Kes and Skinny Fabulous.
Barrie stresses the importance of keeping up-to-date with music. He listens to DJ Crown Prince’s radio show, checks out music blogs and follows artistes on twitter and other social networks. One of the easiest ways for him to stay connected to the music scene is to have music emailed to him.
Outside of music Barrie admits that he tries to catch up on sleep as much as possible. Notably, he tours with Rupee as his DJ. He hopes to branch off into other entrepreneurial ventures in the near future, taking a cue, he says, from his affiliates.
Barrie has some advice for aspiring DJs and MCs; “Study your craft. If this is what you want to do, you should dedicate at least some of your day to it. Be a student of your craft.” He says if you want to be successful, you need to be around successful people. He insists it is crucial to attend at least one of the six biggest carnivals in the world (Trinidad, New York, Miami, London, Toronto and Crop Over).
“If you don’t do this, then you are not surrounded by the right people and you are wasting your time. This is an investment in your career,” says Barrie.
As he celebrates his thirtieth birthday, Barrie says jokingly he hopes to retire in the next five years. He would like to branch off into other areas of music, including developing a career as an A&R. It involves talent scouting, overseeing an artiste’s development, developing beats and finding the right sound for recording artistes and songwriters. He is also developing his production skills as he would be well suited as a road manager.
Along with his passion for music, Barrie is deeply spiritual and he has strong faith in God. Dazzle Magazine wishes him success in all his endeavours and hopes he continues to give Caribbean music an international platform.
Barrie Hype’s photography courtesy Colin Subratie Islandbox.com
