Devin Di Dakta aims to tap into the international market5 min read

Following news that Grammy-nominated artiste Devin Di Dakta has been signed to the New York-based independent label, Downtown Records, questions about whether or not the entertainer will completely abandon hard-core dancehall music have arisen.

Having won the local talent competition, Magnum King and Queens of Dancehall, back in 2015, the entertainer was named as one to lookout for in the dancehall. But, since his win, the man, who many dubbed as ‘lyrically’ capable of ‘running’ dancehall, has for the most parts taken a different direction.

In an interview with THE Jamaica STAR, the artiste explained that it was a strategic decision taken by him and his team not to go ‘full-fledged’ dancehall.

Devin Di Dakta said he has always envisioned himself as an international artist and with this new deal, he will be focused on achieving just that.

With that said, he now has a team on the international scene  that will get his music in the right places where it can reach a wider audience as he aims to appeal more to the masses.

When questioned on whether the latter meant that he believed dancehall music could not appeal to aninternational market, the entertainer said no, but he is willing to venture into something outside of his comfort zone. His aim is to drop a few hard-core dancehall tracks every now and then to maintain his presence with his Jamaican audience but there’s limit where the music takes him.

As a Downtown Records artiste, Devin Di Dakta joins the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Major Lazer and ElectricGuest, with whom Devin Di Dakta collaborated a few months ago.

That collaboration earned him his first spot on the Billboard charts and this Billboard achievement was a follow up on his Grammy nomination from last year. The entertainer, along with colleague JL, became the youngest artistes to ever be nominated for a Grammy in the Best Reggae category.