Da Professor
Jamaican singer-songwriter Da Professor has people all over the world talking about his hit single and video titled I Love Myself. It’s a fantastic, uplifting song. I just had to know more about the song’s back story. Da Professor told me: “This first single from Spiky Records was composed at a time in my life where I was reevaluating everything I had accomplished in my music career. I realized that I needed to embrace loving myself in order to reach the goals I set for myself. It was a turning point.” I Love Myself is the first song in a trilogy that will be released by Da Professor over the next six months.
Being from Jamaica, you can definitely hear island influences in Da Professor’s music. When I asked Da Professor about who he considers his major music influences, he gave me an thought-provoking answer: “I listened to a lot of artists growing up, not just Reggae. I think you should give every artist involved with music credit. I listen to both good music and music people say is not good, so I can hear what makes a song successful and hear the mistakes. I pick the goodness out of all of that. I always try to be myself and be original.”
There’s an interesting story behind how Da Professor got his artist name: “The name Da Professor was given to me as a nickname by my friends around age 17. I was very mature for my age and always took on leadership roles. I think the name suits me, so I work with it. Da Professor stands for a professor of life, not just music. You can get a lot of inspiration from me and my music.”
Da Professor moved to the United States in 2005 and his career took off in 2010. He toured as lead singer for the band Inner Circle. Why go solo? “Touring with Inner Circle was an amazing experience that I would not trade for anything else. However, I was singing Inner Circle songs, which tells their story and their message, their music to their fans. I have my own fans. A true artist must tell his own story in his own words and share his own message, to leave a legacy to the fan base.”
A lot has happened since Da Professor went solo and signed with Spiky Records. What did Da Professor look for in a record label? “Spiky, CEO of Spiky Records, is very creative. She has strong passion for the arts, and it fosters a creative and positive work environment for me. She’s one of the most loyal people I’ve ever met working in this music industry. When I first started working with Spiky, I was writing toplines for her publishing company and provide those services for DJ’s in Europe. It was out of that relationship that I was able to develop a nice chemistry with Spiky, so we can get this going. She believes in me and I believe in her.”
What advice does Da Professor have for other solo artists who are trying to make it in the music business? “First, it’s not called music. It’s the music business. Every artist must know enough about this business to be dangerous. If they do not take the time to learn, then odds are that they will financially be taken advantage of. They need to put the music business together in their minds.” Very sound advice Da Professor!
In addition, Da Professor advises: “Don’t let go of who you are as a person and as an artist. If the team you’re working with does not have the same vision for you that you are looking for or better, then run from that situation. It will only hurt your career.”
What’s up next for Da Professor? “We have so much that we are working on right now. We are raising awareness for the Stop the Abuse Foundation. We are taking it to the streets and getting other artists involved. We are finishing up the trilogy. After I Love Myself, the next single is called Anything is Possible. The third is Rock Star; you should be a rock star in whatever you’re doing. I’m working on an album, and then I plan on touring to spread the word of self-love and other important messages.”
I love Da Professor’s message. I can’t wait to hear his new songs!
Click on cover art to get your copy of I Love Myself on Amazon:
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