STAR On The Rise: Akino Clarke says uniqueness will make him stand out

Twenty-eight year old Norman Akino Clarke strongly believes his unique style and flow will separate him from the rest when he finally gets his big break in music.

Clarke, who goes by the stage name Akino Dirtfree, told STAR On The Rise that in an industry where everyone is competing to look and sound the same, he will seal his place by simply being different.

“Nuff people nah try do it for the music and for the genre. Nuff people a do it for the streets and a tun the music inna gimmicks. Me a go try steer it back to a better path and bring back music to weh money can make and dem thing deh,” he said. “It a go take a likkle time, but right now we have social media fi steer the attention weh we want it, so we just a go show the people dem the real side a things.”

Although Akino has only been seriously pursuing music for a little more than a year, he says music has always been his calling.

“You know honestly, me used to write music from me a bout 14 but me used to take it fi a joke like everybody else. Dem time deh, I guess me did just think it (a career in music) wouldn’t work. But as me grow and mature, me just say me a go do dis instead of just have it a way off, like it’s a hobby or supmn,” he said..

He pointed out that in a year, he has seen significant growth on his musical journey.

“Me start last year when me put out me EP and after dat me did do couple shows, some out here and a couple in Atlanta. The EP weh mi put out January 2018 really kick off things,” he said. “Den me shoot a video after that for the song Dancehall Queen and dat a gwaan well. It deh pan YouTube and get couple thousand views well. Den me drop a next single after dat called Life Good and dat do good pan the streaming platform. Me have a new single right now called Make Money and dat a gimme real push as well. Me woulda say a now me really a put in the work inna music. Me just ready fi di road.”

Akino says while music comes naturally to him, he has been hindered somewhat by the ‘politics’ of the industry.

He says that as an emerging artiste, it gets hard trying to garner the attention he needs to propel him to the next level.

And things have already begun to look up for the artiste as he recently joined forces with Solid Agency.

“It’s been going good. The engine a run smooth so thing supposed to pick up inna di year yah,” he said.

Musical Inspirations: I Wayne, Sasco, Junior Gong, Chronixx.

Dream Collaboration (s): “Right now, a di female dem me really have me eye pan fi collab wid innu. Me not even wah be specific and is not nuff a dem but people like Shenseea, a do her thing. We can’t hide it, she a do a whole heap a work and so she naturally come to mind.”

Releases so far: Life Good, Hardship, Carelessness Start and Dweet Fi Real.