Demarco
Bio
Demarco was born Collin Demar Edwards in Portmore St. Catherine in 1982. He attended the Ardenne High School in St Andrew, where all his interest and skills were born and took shape. He was originally a member of a school based sound system called the Future Disco. Spinning the hits and mixing them, increased his love for it, and inevitably, he graduated to performing on the sound system. Before long, just like the original founding fathers of dancehall who toasted their way to stardom on sound systems,
Demarco became a constant fixture on the Sound System, riding with the team and performing all across Portmore as he played. Dancehall insiders recall him performing at the legendary Cactus Night Club as early as age 15. Eventually he had to leave his colleagues when he migrated to New York in 1998. However, with the musical seeds firmly embedded inside him, Demarco made sure he moved in musical circles while there. He ended up in Baltimore where a close friend coached him in the various elements of making music. He learnt how to mix, use the keyboard, sequence rhythms and use drum machines to build Rap, R&B, and Dancehall rhythms. He lapped up this information hungrily, and his skills multiplied rapidly, but he had no funds to buy his own production equipment. As if determined to fulfill an undeclared destiny, he plunged himself into the work force, and worked multiple jobs so he could get the funds he needed. He managed to get them a piece at a time, and inch by inch he set about building up his home studio. The more electronics he bought, the more he practiced after work hours.
Demarco recalls days when shuffling between jobs and building tracks at home, he pushed on without sleep or food, all with the dream of creating that ground breaking sizzling track. With the buzzing Jamaican dancehall community as vibrant as it is in New York, it wasnt long before one of his rhythms was bought. He made himself known to the insiders, and before long, he was earning hard cash from some of them. The word also spread quickly about his skills, and by then artist managers and sound system operators began to approach him to build rhythms for them. Through a mutual friend, he was introduced to Star Kutt Music. They reviewed his material and immediately signed him up as a part of the team. With Star Kutt, his work load, his talent, and his reputation exploded, landing him jobs with some of Hip Hops leading players. He created tracks for rapper Styles P, and Free from BETs 106 & Park.
Demarco has also been behind some of Jamaica’s most notable hits. The rhythms include Side Walk University, which was considered his first hit rhythm, for noted producer Jam Two. This rhythm featured memorable tracks like Vybz Kartel’s Beyonce Whine, in addition to tracks from Tony Matterhorn, Sean Paul and Collie Buddz. He also built the Virus rhythm for the SSMG Label, which featured Kartel’s Hot Wuk. Also on his list is the Gang War rhythm for Baby G, which features Damian Junior Gong Marley’s One Loaf of bread, Mavado’s The World Is Mine, and Sizzla’s Too Much gang War. He also blended the Z-March for Nikki Z which featured Mavado with Mamma Even If They Kill Me There was also the Shoot Out for Producer John John, which features the Mykal Rose track Shoot Out, which incidentally was also written by Demarco. The rhythm also featured Demarco’s Duppy Know Who fi frighten, and No Escape by Busy Signal, plus Mavado with Gangsta Life. He also did nineteen tracks and co-wrote a number of songs for Mykal Roses upcoming album which is being produced by John John. The Splash Out Riddim for Jam 2 was also created by Demarco. This features Demarco’s Any Side, and Vybz Kartel’s Informer. There was the Super Charge rhythm for Baby G as well, which again features Demarco with Elephant Man on Our World. This track is one of the singles on Elephant Mans current album. Mavado is also on that rhythm, and Junior Reid with Dutty Gun, which was also co- written by Demarco. Another specially blended track is the Mission rhythm for Baby G, which features Stephen Marley and Junior Gong with The Mission. This also featured Mavado with the timeless On The Rock with rapper Jay-Z. There was also the Black Rain for Demarco’s own Starr Kutt, which features Busy Signal with Pon Di Edge, and rising star Einstein with Black Rain. Another popular gem was the Warning Riddim, for Shane Brown which featured Mavado’s Money Changer, Demarco’s Sort Dem Out, and Busy Signals Loaded along with Hey Girl. In addition, a good portion of Demarco’s work is on several notable and popular exclusive singles. These include Nah Go Change by Christopher Martin, his very own Fallen Soldiers, and Busy Signals Unknown Number and Curphew. There was also Never Change by Taurus Riley and Bugle, and Mykal Rose and Busy Signals Real Jamaican, which was also co-written by Demarco.
He is among a team of stars, and with his level of competence in so many areas of the music, Demarco will be shining.