Dominique Bonnett is his name, music is his game and his dream is to become the best hip hop artiste in Barbados.
Bonnett, a 17-year-old upper fifth form student at St Leonard’s Boys’ School, is already making his mark on the local scene and securing his spot in the music industry.
The budding musician told the WEEKEND NATION he started writing music two years ago, but it was just for fun.
“Right now, I am pursuing being a hip hop artiste. When I first started out it was a lot of fun, a great experience doing a lot of sporty songs for friends and family. But sometime last year, I sat down and decided to do some more serious songs and try to get a message across.
“I try to encourage people to do things they like.
I write hip hop and R&B songs. Hip hop is my favourite because I am better at that and I get to record them myself.
“When I say something, I get it across much better because I know exactly what it is I want to say,” said Bonnett, who goes by the stage name Scotty.
He said some of his inspiration for writing and recording songs came from hearing one of his older brothers “rapping and free-styling around the house”.
“My inspiration comes also from listening to music and hearing people talk about certain situations that everybody faces daily.
“Then there are a few artistes I like but I try not to . . . end up sounding like them. I listen to Kanye West and Big Sean (Sean Michael Leonard Anderson). I like to listen to singers such as Adele (Adele Laurie Blue Adkins) and Mr Hudson (Benjamin Hudson McIldowie),” said the former St Ambrose Primary School student.
He said one of his major challenges, though, was dealing with criticism from the public.
“Some people say hip hop is not a local thing and it is nothing I should be doing. In the society we live in today most people seem to want to jump on dub music and we get cried down for doing hip hop,” said the King William Street, St Michael resident.
However, that did not stop him from writing more than three dozen songs and recording a dozen.
Bonnett, who performed at last year’s St Leonard’s and Springer Memorial pageant, Bump ‘N’ Wine, and at the Frank Collymore Hall, among other places, has recorded two originals and done more than 20 songs as collaborations with other artistes.
Bonnett plans to attend the Barbados Community College and obtain a degree in fine arts while pursuing his music career.
He said writing music had never interfered with his school work and he encourages young people interested in pursuing their dream to “just be yourself and be passionate about it”.
His talents do not stop at writing songs and singing. Bonnett was awarded a bronze medal last year in the category of photography in NIFCA. His hobbies include cinematography, photography, playing the piano and skateboarding.
Bonnett already has a manager, Toni Stewart, who is a former teacher and fellow musician.
Stewart said when Scotty approached her last year and asked her to be his manager she immediately said yes.
Music teacher and choir director Pernell Farley said he was very proud of Scotty and was prepared to help him and keep him on the right path.
“Within the next decade we will have a full-blown music industry occurring with all these people.
We will be creating a new dispensation of musicians, singers, artistes, managers, and business people.
And these young people will be spearheading that dispensation. I can only facilitate this growth,” Farley said.
