Kraff not afraid to be different

With his tracks OG Bobby Johnson and Sinna currently trending at numbers five and 17, respectively, on YouTube, dancehall newcomer Kraff credits this success to not being afraid to be different.

"[It's all about] breaking out the box, both literally and figuratively. Leaving weh yuh come from and leaving those thoughts behind. Weh you see the next man a do that work, take it in and make it inspire wah you do but make it different and stay real to yuhself," he told THE STAR.

Born Tevin Randall, Kraff said that despite his unruliness, he was an 'A' student in school when he was younger, and his dream was not necessarily always to become an artiste. However, he always knew he wanted to do something creative.

" In school I was always top of the class, but [I was] dark and tormented. Teachers never knew what to do with me. When I was younger, I didn't know where I'd end up but I always had a big imagination and knew I'd be in a space weh me can create," said Kraff.

With a love for hip-hop music and an interest in the dancehall genre, the young deejay realised that there was a space for him to fuse both, thus producing songs that are considered trap dancehall. According to Kraff, his lyrics are inspired by his thoughts, moods and past. However, with songs such as Scamming Me Love, Love E Scam and Banga Zone, which can be interpreted as promotion of that lifestyle, Kraff said there is always a deeper meaning behind his tunes.

"Listen to it again. Each of my songs have a message weh the small-minded nah go understand. Imagine a piece of art or painting, what you see is not exactly what the painter was thinking. It's an artistic interpretation and it means something different to everybody. Think deeper," he said when questioned about his tracks.

Nevertheless, as he is among a string of deejays who have been on the music industry's radar, Kraff has no intention to fall off anytime soon promising to follow up with hit after hit.

"Consistency. Building real connections with my fanbase. Remembering that everyone is a human being with different talents and staying one and creative," he said.

As the youngster who goes by the Instagram handle Kraff_1buduchop continues to craft his way in the music space, he said the biggest challenge to grapple with now is fame and being easily recognised. Still he remains positive and hopeful that "karma" will take him to exactly where he needs to be.