Billiblade is sharpening his recording skills

Florida-based recording artiste Billiblade has been honing his musical skills since entering Miami's popular Coast 2 Coast event in the summer of 2015.

As the only reggae artiste featured in the competition, he finished third and moved on to record and release his debut EP.

"My bread and butter is reggae/dancehall with a bit of R&B, hip hop. But I've always seen myself first as just an artiste with no boundaries as in genre. So you will hear a little bit of everything in my music," he told THE STAR, noting that it was evident in the EP which was titled RRDH, a mixture of reggae, rap, dancehall and hip hop.

Billiblade continued: "So, at some point you may listen to a song and not recognise is me because I'm using a total different style and flow. I don't really like to box myself in as an artiste."

He expressed that each studio session or visit to a place of music is a class. The up-and-coming artiste said that he appreciates constructive criticism.

"Every time I record a song, I am sure that I learn something new. When I listen to the playback after recording, I'm always scrutinising myself. Also, any other feedback I may receive from the engineer or producer over the years, I use it to sharpen my recordings skills and I'm still evolving and learning," he said.

Billiblade has worked on multiple productions including 20 to Life on the Good Vibes rhythm, Get You Down on the Raindrops rhythm and Inna Dancehall on the Bird Flu rhythm, in addition to his own projects, like the recently released Yah Man single.

He released the track under Orcamusic Entertainment, the name of the label Billiblade established as a way to secure and widen his reach.

"I write songs based on either my experiences and on what is happening in and around in society, not just in Jamaica but globally. I was inspired to do Yah Man to express my frustration on everything that's happening now, from the corrupt government and its broken policies, to social injustice, poverty and the lynching of black people in America. All these things and more is what the song is about. It's a cry using a uniquely Jamaican expression that echoes frustration and other feelings in the same thought," Billiblade explained.

He said that the feedback has been tremendous and fellow music professionals think it is his best song yet. He believes that the single will help him to carve out a path on the local dancehall scene once it gets a fair share of radio play.

"I want to make music people can relate to, dance to, music that can make people feel good and help in expressing their emotions one way or the other. At the end of the day, I want my music to be played for years and decades to come," Billiblade said of his ultimate goal.