‘Lockdown’ Producer Dane Ray Elated To Be Recognized By Jamaica’s Prime Minister

Congratulations are pouring in for Dancehall producer, Dane Ray, even as he basks in his new success, having copped Jamaica’s Prime Minister’s National Youth Award For Excellence, in the category of Arts and Culture yesterday.

The 28-year-old, whose given name was Waldane Hampton, was one of seven nominees for excellence in the category of Arts and Culture.

He posted a short video clip on Instagram of himself collecting the award last evening, resulting in ‘big-ups’ from his musical compatriots including Dovey Magnum, Quada, Teflon Zinc Fence, and scores of his followers.

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The Ocho Rios native is best known for producing Koffee’s Lockdown  track and Rygin King’s hit single Tuff , as well as Popcaan’s hit  Numbers Don’t Lie  from his 2019  Vanquish  mixtape.

Dane Ray now joins his compatriots Koffee, Chronixx, and Romain Virgo, as music stars who have copped Prime Minister’s Youth Awards for Excellence.

During the awards ceremony, which was aired on Television Jamaica yesterday and streamed on Jamaica’s Youth Ministry’s social media platforms, Dane Ray said in a pre-recorded interview that he was elated to be recognized by Jamaica’s Head of Government.

He also said the recognition was unexpected as the body of work which he has done so far, was undertaken without such an award in mind.

“It is an overwhelming feeling because we started from an underground level.  We were not being played on the radio much.  It’s just that people in the communities appreciate our music and embraced us,” the Ocho Rios native said.

“So, for Honourable Andrew Holness – Brogad – to acknowledge the hard work that we put in over the years, especially that we weren’t really working for an award, is a great feeling fi know seh, yow, not only communities and people from the streets appreciate us, but at the highest level in Jamaica can see the hard work and sweat that we put in over the years,” the Munroe College old boy said.

During the summer, Dane Ray and Koffee created history after Lockdown, became the fastest song by a Jamaican Reggae artiste to surpass a million views on YouTube in a 48 hour span, a feat for which, just like Tuff and Numbers Don’t Lie, he said he is well pleased.   Dane Ray also made an appearance as Koffee’s front seat passenger in the Lockdown music video, which also featured Popcaan and Skillibeng.

“With Popcaan I have done two billboard projects that I just received the plaques for.  Koffee’s song is still growing.  It was one of the number one Reggae songs in the world last time I checked. It’s one of the most successful projects that I have worked on,” he said.

Dan Ray also explained in the awards video, how he got involved in music, noting that it was rooted in his family.

“Music is something that was always inborn. My grandfather was a musician and my father is a musician, but the power and the drive that I had was because of life situations and difficulties that I faced in the past, so that’s one of my main influences and reasons why I chose music,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s award which was held under the theme ‘ReThink Youth Ja’, was established in 1998.  It is the highest accolade bestowed upon Jamaican youth who have achieved eminent national and international distinction.

Awards are presented each year in the areas of Leadership, International Achievement, Innovation in Science and Technology, Sport, Academics, Journalism/E-Journalism, Entrepreneurship, Nation Building, Youth Development, Agriculture, Environmental Protection and Arts and Culture.

Dane Ray, who is also a former national under-17 striker, is also represented Munroe College in the DaCosta Cup schoolboy football competition.

The former Reggae Boy has said in past interviews that at one point he had ambitions to be a pilot, but was encouraged by his friends to pursue music instead.

Following graduation from high school, he spent a year at the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts where he studied visual arts and voice, but left the programme prematurely, to start his music career as an artiste.

He later delved into music production by learning how to build his own rhythms and produce his own songs, after realizing that established producers were unwilling to accommodate himself and other upcoming artistes.