Devin Di Dakta says Grammys are ‘all about marketing’

Despite backlash, Devin Di Dakta has doubled down on his belief that the Recording Academy got it right when Bob Marley: One Love - Music inspired by the film (Deluxe) won Best Reggae Album at the recent Grammys.

Following the announcement at the 67th Grammy Awards on February 2, Jamaicans, both local and abroad, aired their grouses on social media that other artistes may have been more deserving. They mentioned Vybz Kartel ( Party With Me), who returned to the US after 20 years and was at the awards show, and Shenseea ( Never Gets Late Here), who has been making waves internationally.

But Devin Di Dakta, who was nominated for the Reggae Grammy in 2016 for his contribution to Sly & Robbie Presents... Reggae for Her, stressed that the "quality of the song itself is the most important thing".

"That includes songwriting/content and the delivery of the artiste on the track. Everything else comes after, which is marketing. Because you can have the most perfect song, but without proper marketing it can only go so far," he said. The other nominees for this year were Take It Easy - Collie Buddz; and Evolution - The Wailers. Last year, Marley's son, Julian, and his collaborator, Alex Antaeus, won the Reggae Grammy for Colors of Royal.

Devin Di Dakta highlighted a recurrent element in the success of dancehall legends like Shaggy, Beenie Man, and Sean Paul, as well as the worldwide supremacy of the Marley legacy.

"They are all properly marketed and promoted, and they had songs; these made them stand out from the rest," he stated. Devin Di Dakta said he is proud and clear about his accomplishment of becoming one of the youngest dancehall artistes to receive a Grammy nomination.

"To be nominated, it's a 'who knows who' game. It's not a popularity contest. It's not a music sales contest. It's not a fan-favourite award. We need to try our best to meet and build relationships with people who know people. Links run this!" he said, while advising Jamaican musicians to concentrate not only on their music.

When asked about the potential benefits of reggae and dancehall having separate categories, he said the problem is "the way dancehall is being produced and marketed". He further stated that not many artistes are spending the time to produce albums, and that more good songs are needed in the mainstream space.

"Once we start having enough good songs in the mainstream space, we'll have more than just a Grammy category. But without enough good music, it makes no sense even thinking about us," he said. For his fans, Devin Di Dakta said he is coming big for 2025.

"I am working on my first full-length project. That's something to look out for. But whether you look out for it or not, you'll see the news when I start releasing tracks from it," he asserted.