Compass finding his way in the dancehall space

Fast-rising dancehall artiste Compass has drawn comparisons from fans to fellow dancehall artistes Rytikal and Skillibeng following a live TikTok freestyle that has gone viral.

Like the aforementioned stars, the deejay, whose given name is Rahieme Copeland, also hails from St Thomas and was a contestant in season 10 of The Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall in 2017. Compass said he is aware of the comparison his delivery evokes, but argued that similar sounds are nothing new in music and assured his growing fan base that he is not a copycat.

"People say that, but if you listen me from Magnum, you will see that mi sound no change ... and if you look inna the comment, you will see people a say a long time mi sound so. But mi have a different sound when mi record. You know like how you would have like a blueprint, that a the sound mi have when mi a freestyle fi get lyrics offa the top offa mi head faster," he said.

He noted that he has collaborations with Rytikal as they were both in the same group at one point, and were even schoolmates at St Thomas Technical High School.

"A nuh one artiste build no style, 'cause if 10 a we deh one place and we a hear we one annada every day and we build song, we a go have a similar sound, 'cause you a go eventually draw tha sound deh subconsciously," he reasoned. " So a man will get the break first and people say a you have fi him sound; but anno so, a just that him bus before you."

Compass also revealed that he does live freestyles regularly, but he is surprised at how far his most recent effort has reached.

"A smaddy screen record it and post it, but me never a pay it much mind still, until mi see it start get traction," he said. Social media users kept adding words to the live as he freestyled, and he was then tasked with using those words to complete bars and rhyme schemes off the top of his head.

"It's not a song mi build, mi just drop a rhyme based pon dem comments and words, and mi just fit it in off a the top," he said.

Compass is promoting his EP Craven A Crazy, which features tracks such as Tears and Don A Road.