STAR on the rise: Bussweh drops out of university to follow music dreams

Having played a significant role in the careers of rising stars Blvk Hero and Matthew Blake, contributing to individual music and video productions, 27-year-old Bussweh has already made waves in the entertainment industry.

The artiste, who once went by the name 'El Capone', says he is ready to follow his childhood dream of becoming a mega entertainment star.

"I have always carried the dream of becoming a recording artiste," said Bussweh, whose given name is Leon-Pierre Answer.

He told The STAR that he was distracted by factors such as "the need to survive, to complete a traditional goal, such as going to university to get a degree, and to get a stable paying job."

The past student of Jamaica College and Oberlin High School dropped out of The University of the West Indies, Mona, where he was pursuing a degree in computer science.

Bussweh said he had made up his mind to take on music full-time, and he was no longer prepared to be distracted.

"That's when I started to invest in building a studio," he said. "My mother nearly killed me, but she understood that I recognised that it [computer science] was not what I really wanted to do."

PRODUCTION HOUSE

In addition to being a singer, Bussweh is also in the business side of entertainment. He has established a production house known as Bussweh Visuals.

"It has never prevented me from producing my own self or creating my own music, which I like to call 'world music'. I don't want to limit myself, so anywhere the inspiration takes me; if it's a pan a knock and I feel it, then I record some lyrics over it," he said.

Bussweh's singles are smooth mixes of soul music, R&B, dancehall and rap.

He said his newest single Eyes Open, released last month, "comes from a dark place." He said he created the beat at a time in his life when he had hate in his heart.

"Now, I am more understanding of the world I live in, and I realise the perspective is that life is a game and [it] is just how you play it. The world may have its dark spots, but once you acknowledge that, you do not have to become part of the darkness, and you can win," he said.