Reggae artiste Pressure Buss Pipe nominated for soca award

Earlier this year, reggae artiste Pressure Buss Pipe decided to switch things up musically when he released a soca song.

With versatility being high on his list of characteristics, he cast aside his reservations to produce the song, Do It & Done.

His gamble has seemingly paid off, as the song has earned him his first nomination for a soca award.

The entertainer has been nominated, among the likes of soca giants such as Farmer Nappy and Kes, in the category Groovy Soca of the Year (Male) at this year's International Soca Awards.

Speaking with THE WEEKEND STAR about the nomination, the artiste could not contain his excitement.

Pointing out that he grew up on soca music because of his father's love for the genre, the US Virgin Island native said he was taken aback by the nomination.

"It's a great honour, because it's a song I never even think I woulda even record. It was one of those situations where my producer was working with some soca artistes in the past, and he had this rhythm. He played that one (the rhythm the song is on), and it was just comical in the studio. He said: 'I bet yuh can't do nothing like dat', and I just took on the challenge," he said.

"Mostly, what made me finish it is that my father really would have loved to see me do soca. He really loved the soca music, and he would have really loved me doing it. I finished it in honour of my dad, and it just became something great. I'm humbled by everything."

The entertainer admitted that at one point, he didn't even want to release the song.

"I was kinda frantic about what my fans would think and just worried about what everybody would think. The people around me were just like: ' don't worry about people, release the song'. I did, and it has way surpassed my expectations," he said.

"If you're going to sell music to the world, you have to be well-rounded, and for quite some time, we tend to box ourselves into the things we love as artistes, when, right outside the box, there is success as well just waiting. We can't be afraid to touch beyond the horizon."

The entertainer, who is gearing up to release an album, said that he will still be doing reggae music, but he plans to tackle other genres.

"Once it feels good to me, it will be great music, so I'm not afraid to reggae, dancehall, soca, anything. I know whatever I do, once it feels right, I will be successful," Pressure said.

The International Soca Awards is set for Thursday, October 10, at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center in Florida.

This year, the awards will honour Winston Peters, more popularly known as Gypsy, with the President's Award, while Alison Hinds will be bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award.