DJ Trapycal aiming for bigger buzz

For aspiring artiste DJ Trapycal, watching his beloved uncle Jack create melodies and craft lyrics birthed an undeniable love for music.

From the age of six, DJ Trapycal was so hooked on entertainment that he knew exactly what he wanted to be. With zero doubt in his mind that music was his calling, the St Thomas native set things in motion to fulfil his date with destiny.

“I have been around music my entire life. My uncle was an artiste, he would write and perform songs, and I would watch him in action all the time as a child. I was only six years old, but watching him made me want to do what he did,” he said. “Him never make it far in the music, but I got drawn into music because of him and from there, I just developed a love for music that I couldn’t shake. I just couldn’t choose a next career. This is my calling.”

The entertainer recalled his first leap into music as a professional. The year was 2006 and he had entered the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s Popular Song Contest. DJ Trapycal made it to the semi-finals that year, a feat that definitely boosted his confidence. Since then, the entertainer, given name Yulando Bentley Mitchell, has been making steady moves on the local entertainment scene, hoping to find a strong footing in the highly competitive dancehall industry. In 2019, the entertainer released a nine-track EP titled Evolve, and last year he dropped the track Jah Nah Sleep. He told STAR on the Rise that both projects received some attention, but hoped for more buzz.

Most challenging part

“The Evolve EP came out in 2019 and because of COVID-19, it didn’t get the promotion it deserved. I am still promoting that project and hoping it can still get people’s attention,” he said. “The most challenging part of my career so far is really to get my music played on the radio on a consistent level. That’s most young artistes’ downfall. It’s hard for us to get our music out there the way we would want it, because of all the politics in music. But I just have to continue pushing as best as I can. I know my time is coming if I keep at it.”

DJ Trapycal shared that he has a slew of new music that he is currently pushing. “I have a new single out now titled If Me Did Know, as well as one called Ghetto Cry and another called My Heart that’s getting a lot of good response all over. Those three songs are doing well and they are the ones now that I am focusing on,” he said. “I would describe my sound as ‘pain music’. I sing with a lot of emotion because I want my songs to touch people. There is a lot of feeling in my voice when I sing, and my biggest goal in music is to connect with people. If I can do that, I would be very satisfied.”

Fact Box