Dexta Daps focused on being an international brand

Dexta Daps is numbered among the elite dancehall artistes and that is not by chance.

The Shabba Madda Pot artiste has been intentional in investing in his own career and ensuring that his brand is on international level, because he was "tired of not looking like a superstar" and chose to do something about it.

In a one-on-one interview with THE WEEKEND STAR, Dexta Daps took the time to explain that with his career "the more mi mek is the more mi invest". His 'Trilogy' tour, which has already passed through parts of the UK, US and Canada, and is set for stops in Jamaica on December 1, 2 and 3, is one such example.

"When yuh see [my career] reach certain levels sometimes, is just we curate some of the things, so yuh know it's costly. Even with these shows here, mi did haffi step out and seh we a go bring the Trilogy tour here," he shared.

He added, "When I first started out doing these shows, it was more of me saying to myself 'I am tired of not looking like a superstar. I am tired of being booked by certain promoters' ... not every promoter, big up to the promoters who actually look out for the artiste dem brand... who never understand seh the artiste brand is important too in order to keep fi him thing valuable."

Dexta Daps mentioned, for example, that at some stage shows, when it was time for him to perform, he is the one who would have to ask the promoter to clear the stage.

"Mi will see all 50 people deh pon the stage. But when I am watching anybody else who is international, I am not seeing all of that. So I know that it is professionalism that is lacking. If me waan reach that level, me can't see myself doing the same thing over and over again. I have to mek a change and it might cost a change, but still it a go bring a change," the lyricist said.

Having recognised and embraced the importance of branding, the Call me if singer said he embarked on a path to make his brand "exceptional", and with good reason. And it is paying dividends for him.

"I cannot go down with the ship. Me haffi mek sure seh dancehall stay up and my career stay up, so mi haffi represent it on a different level. So mi start invest with that purpose. So now, mi no longer have a stick with a piece of cloth with my name on it behind mi. Now mi have a big screen ... just like how the big artiste dem have it and a so mi feel like the levels mi suppose to have. We suppose to present ourselves the way we want to be treated ... that's how you create value," Dexta Daps said, sounding like a real marketer.

The trio of shows for the local leg of the Trilogy tour will take place at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in St Andrew (December 1); Pearly Beach in Ocho Rios, St Ann (December 2) and at Wavz Beach in Negril, Westmoreland, (December 3).