By Sadeke Brooks—-
Already charting in Europe and Africa, young singer Chronixx is just starting to get real recognition in Jamaica.
Chronixx, real name Jamar McNaughton, says his song Behind Curtains charted in Kenya and did well in South Africa, while another track They Don’t Know is a hit in Sweden. He said he has also been getting calls from promoters in some of these countries and has also done tracks with producers there.
Although it took some time before the Jamaican market caught on to his music, Chronixx said his hard work has been paying off.
“It’s just time. What I have been doing is I create music and work tirelessly to create good music that will last,” he told The Gleaner.
“Jamaica is different from a lot of the other markets. I never set a promotional plan for Jamaica. We use the Internet, so we don’t know which country is going to tek on to it.”
He noted that while parts of Europe and Africa accepted and appreciated his music as early as last year, Jamaica and California have just started to follow.
increased airplay
Chronixx explained that the Jamaican music industry is highly dependent on airplay and in recent times he has been getting quite a bit of that with his songs playing as much as 10 to 15 times daily.
This is quite different from earlier in his relatively short career where he was doing many live shows, but receiving no airplay.
He also stressed that “it is shows that give you shows”. He explained that Tony Rebel saw him performing at Plug N Play and asked him to perform at Rebel Salute. That show, he said, led to other gigs. He said his live performances have also helped him to gain popularity and more airplay.
Despite his many live shows locally, Chronixx is yet to do a show on foreign soil. However, that will change soon, as he has shows lined up for South America, Europe and California, starting this month.
“It is a great feeling,” said the 20-year-old singer about the progress of his career.
“It is something that I have been anticipating. I’ve just been making good music and waiting. I feel honoured to know that I am part of the rejuvenation of the music.”
Already, Chronixx has songs like Beat & A Mic, Warrior, Rain Musicand the recently released Odd Ras.
Also a producer of his own music with Zinc Fence Records, he has been doing a bit of work with other producers like Lifeline Music, Jordan McClure, Liv Up Records and Notice Productions.
The self-taught musician released an EP called Hooked On Chronixx last November and is currently working on an album, mixtape and EP. However, he said it is unlikely that they will be released this year.
But with his music, Chronixx says his aim is to enlighten people.
“Music is a good thing. It is like medicine. It is a tool, a weapon, and with every weapon comes responsibility. You can use it to uplift or oppress. Make sure you use music for the right purposes and it will pay off,” he said.
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