Rvssian goes Spanish - new releases top 500 million YouTube views

Tarik 'Rvssian' Johnston has already earned two platinum records, establishing himself as a formidable dancehall and rap producer.

More recently, the Jamaican has crossed over into more international spaces, particularly targeting Spanish-speaking audiences.

In August, Rvssian stepped into the limelight by releasing two singles of his own.

First, the producer/artiste dropped the music video for Si Tu Lo Dejas featuring Bad Bunny, Farruko, Nicky Jam and King Kosa on his HeadConcussion TV YouTube channel.

To date, the video had approximately 204 million views. The following day, Rvssian released a collaboration with Farruko and Bad Bunny called Krippy Kush. That video currently has amassed more than 370 million views.

"I would say that popular Spanish music started from dancehall and reggae, so it's only natural that they like the source," Rvssian told THE STAR.

Highlighting that Spanish, by some estimates, is the third most spoken language in the world (behind English and Mandarin), Rvssian noted this year's record-breaking hit Despacito.

Rvssian suggested that the success of his recent bilingual releases exemplify how local artistes and producers may cross over themselves.

"Music has reached a level where people might not fully understand the lyrics, but once the vibe is right, they like it, like Gangnam Style. No one knew what they were saying but the vibe was right. The most important thing is that we capture the vibe," he said. "It feels good that I'm accepted in both the local and international scenes. It goes to show the sky is the limit and that they accept the Jamaican culture."

Despite his growing international acclaim, the producer said he's not forgetting Jamaica and dancehall. Recently, Rvssian was photographed in studio with Puerto Rican reggaeton artiste Ozuna and Billboard record-breaking rapper Cardi B.

"We shooting the video with Cardi B and Ozuna in Jamaica, so we bringing the culture to Jamaica. And the song is a dancehall song. On the dancehall scene, I have two new juggling rhythms dropping in the next two weeks," he said.

Rvssian also announced upcoming work with Offset, a member of rap group Migos, which will likely be available next month.

When asked to advise young Jamaicans on how to cross over as successfully as he has, Rvssian said: "I bring the culture from where I'm from ... bringing my culture. And the key thing is working and networking. A lot of people haven't been successful because they sit at home or in their comfort zone. A lot of the stuff takes networking and actually getting out there."