Selector’s Choice: DJ Captain John (St. Vincent)

Words by Captain John

This week, Selector’s Choice heads to St. Vincent & the Grenadines, where the Vincy Mas season is in full swing ahead of its climax this coming Monday and Tuesday. The soca coming out of SVG has been getting stronger every year, and 2016 has been no exception. Here, DJ Captain John (of Hot 97 SVG) puts us up on the anthems that are getting the Vincy massive moving this season.

Whats up Large Up Family! I’m Captain John, a young established DJ/producer hailing from the islands of St. Vincent & the Grenadines. Here in St. Vincent I hold down two weekend radio slots on the island’s No. 1 radio station, Hot 97 SVG. When I’m not on radio, I’m playing at parties both locally and in the region, like Limerz Cruise and Liquid Halloween in Barbados, Epiphany in St. Lucia, Boyaka Smash in Trinidad and, most recently, H2O and Dirty Sexy Soca in SVG. I’m here to bring you the major tracks from Vincy Mas, which is, by far, one of the hypest carnivals in the region. Vincy Mas is raw, untouched carnival fueled by our own brand of Power and Ragga Soca. These are, in my humble opinion, the top tracks for the season! Check out my mixes at www.soundcloud.com/djcaptainjohn for my personal interpretation of these tracks.

Mason – Dem Vincy
Last year saw an explosion of new talent onto the Vincy Soca scene, with one of the top newcomers being the multi-talented artist, Mason, who stepped into the spotlight with  “In Yuh,” a song he not only sang, but also produced, mixed and mastered. In 2016, Mason has showed continued promise, with the release of one of the biggest songs for the season, “Dem Vincy.” The song features the catchy unorthodox instrumentation and connotative lyrics that Mason is known for and also depicts the strength within the Vincy culture through lyrics such as “Dem Vincy doh back down from nobody.” This track is definite fire and never fails to get the reaction from the crowd when played!

Hypa 4000 – No Behaviour
“Do the right thing,” a phrase from this song, is THE motto and catchphrase of the day here in Vincy. The DJ-turned-artist Hypa 4000 has grasped the attention of the entire country with his new hit song, “No Behavior.” Vincy Mas is in full swing right now in St.Vincent and, by my observations, if five vehicles pass blasting music, four will be playing this song. As the competition weekend approaches, Hypa 4000 – also the reigning Roadmarch king — is a top contender for this year’s Soca Monarch and Roadmarch crown. This song has gone so far as to be quoted in valedictorian speeches. This is definitely a top track for Vincy Mas 2016.

Skinny Fabulous – Solid as a Rock
Though he stepped away from his normal aggressive style, Skinny Fabulous has managed to produce another hit, a people’s anthem. With award-winning producer Kubiyashi leading the production, and Skinny delivering lyrical vocals aimed at uplifting those living in hardship throughout the island, this is truly an emotion-provoking song. After seeing this song performed with everyone in attendance singing it word for word, I can easily dub this as one of the anthems and most impactful songs of Vincy Mas 2016.

Wetty Beatz – Under Dey
Wetty Beats has established himself as one of the leading soca producers both locally and regionally. This year, he took the bold step to become an artist and made waves with his first release, “Under Dey.” The afro-soca track seems to trigger the movement of waistlines, and its catchy lyrics and solid production have lead it to being one of the top tracks for Vincy Mas 2016.

Problem Child – Rum Jumbie
No carnival is complete without an official rum song, and this song takes that crown for Vincy Mas 2016. Problem Child’s ever-hyped vocals deliver an electrifying message that can be summarized with the line, “Just bring the rum.” This song cannot be played without someone running for a bottle of rum, and some bad behavior occurring.

Naphtali – Fencing Pole
Well, this song’s title and lyrics are pretty self-explanatory. Naphtali, another newcomer to the soca arena, took the season by storm with this ladies’ anthem. He not only pairs his music with energetic performances, but has been one of the only artists to feature a music video, roadmix and merchandise for his song.

Mad Skull – Nasty Habit
This track is very Vincentian in style and delivery. Mad Skull lays everything out in this one, including the fact that every time he drinks, he vomits. The energetic young artist features on this amazing production from Wetty Beats that has been a late bloomer but has definitely taken the season by storm. This is another contender for the Soca Monarch and Roadmarch crown!

Kev – Throwback Thursday
When it comes to well written songs, nothing tops this one for Vincy Mas 2016. With the production expertise of Kubiyashi behind him, Kev lays down some amazing, and trend-current, lyrics that leave you in awe. He is definitely an artist to keep your eye on, and this is definitely a track that will keep growing.

Hance – Zone
This is my personal favorite track for Vincy Mas 2016. Why? It’s the most musical and well-put together track for the season. With live guitars, live drums and production that will remind you where the heart of soca is, Kubiyashi goes all out to ensure that Hance’s amazing concept and vocal performance does not go unnoticed. This is one of the top picks for the Ragga Soca Monarch and is a track that warms my heart every time I hear it play.

Rebel Panda Project (Edit)
Although this is a project that I was involved in as a producer, I can impartially say that it was one of the most prominent riddims for Vincy Mas 2016. A collaboration held between Kubiyashi, regional fashion sensation Peta Odini, the legendary Scratch Master and myself, it was something very new to St.Vincent with not only a musical component, but also a fashion component. Tian Winter, Hance, Problem Child, Skinny Fabulous and newcomer Reka are all featured on the album with several of the tracks being held among the top tracks for Carnival here. With two music videos and more merchandise on the way, this project seems to be one of the top ones for Vincy Mas 2016.