Vybz Kartel’s former manager signs Yung Ras
Rohan Butler, the former manager of dancehall kingpin Vybz Kartel, makes his return to the dancehall music scene.
Years after walking away from the entertainment industry and relocating to the United States, Butler has decided to throw his support behind emerging dancehall and reggae artiste Yung Ras.
“Ever since my Onstage interview last year I have been getting phone calls, texts, and e-mails from both artistes and producers globally. And, after listening to some of the emerging artistes out there, I felt the urge to help out by making connections for them. Some real talents surfaced and I got interested and drawn back to what I truly love,” Butler told the Jamaica Observer’s Splash on Thursday.
Asked why he decided to work with Yung Ras, Butler said: “Yung Ras is an exceptional artiste, who just sparked my interest, and I felt I had to be a part of his journey.”
Butler’s runs label and management company Goodtimes Entertainment.
Yung Ras, who is originally from Clarendon, is a promising newcomer whose latest single, Mouth, produced by Urban Team Records, was released earlier this month.
But a career in music was inevitable for Yung Ras. Music had always been in his blood.
“My father owned a band back in the day called Crucial Vibes. He was the lead singer, while my beautiful, amazing mother, Janet Denton, was the backup vocalist in the band. She was also a recording artiste in her own right,” Yung Ras explained.
Growing up in the parish of Clarendon, he attended Central High. He expanded on his musical horizons when he learnt to play the drums.
“My musical journey has been a winding path of discovery and growth. Growing up I was surrounded by music. Our house was always filled with the sound of amazing melodies. I started playing the drums at the age of three and never looked back. It’s an amazing feeling to reflect and see my growth and I’ve got a lot more growth to come in the future,” Yung Ras shared.
Ryan Singh, owner of Moby’s Records, was the first producer to provide a platform for Yung Ras’s voice to be heard musically.
“My first recording was in a song called Stop. That song was done in 2017, long before I found myself musically,” he shared.
Yung Ras, whose given name is Ambassa Beckford, said he was given the name Yung Ras by Olympian Usain Bolt.
“Actually, Usain Bolt was the one that gave me the name Yung Ras from a viral tweet he made, I think in 2014, after he’d seen a viral video of my big brother Sagitarr doing a song in tribute to how fast he was, right before he faced-off with Justin Gatlin. While my brother was singing I jumped in knocking on a table with a knife and a fork and it immediately gave my brother more vibe to deliver vibrantly, which led to a tweet that gave me my name. Usain Bolt saw my talent and gifted me a drum set,” Yung Ras recalled.
More than a week ago, he performed at dancehall artiste Bounty Killer’s stage show at Sabina Park, dubbed Bounty Killer and Friends.
Yung Ras says he is appreciative of the gesture by veteran singer Richie Stephens, who introduced him to the audience.
“Big up to Richie Stephens for showing love towards my music and giving me such a big platform to perform at the Bounty Killer and Friends concert,” said Yung Ras.