Rytikal Talks Coffee Picking Before Fame, Sharing A Cell With Tommy Lee Sparta, Wanting To Work With Chronixx & More

Before Ryan McFarlane honed his craft at Bull Bay’s EastSyde Records, the fast-rising recording artist, known professionally as Rytikal, earned an income as a construction worker, who juggled raising goats, cannabis farming, selling jelly coconuts in Downtown Kingston, and picking coffee in the mountains for a living.

Determined to remold his image within the music industry and inject a legacy that withstands longevity, the St.Thomas native, who not so long ago was freed of gun-related charges, has opened up to DancehallMag about his life before success, the impression he wants to leave on his unborn child, sharing a cell with Tommy Lee Sparta, his appreciation for Chronixx‘s music, and his intentions moving forward.

The former student of St. Thomas Technical told DancehallMag that he fell in love with music as a result of the exposure from his eldest brother first took an interest in music.

“My eldest brother was the one doing the music and from about age four, being around that, I fell in love. At around age 7, I would sing the songs that he made as if they were mine, even up to high school,” the 26-year-old shared. “I was one of those main persons that the school would call on to volunteer for numerous events.”

Though a teenage McFarlane left high school sure of his talent and love for music, the realities of survival took precedence and the demand for income came from odd jobs.

“I was actually at the contractor level in construction, the only thing missing was a certificate,” the Chosen singer said.

“My mother was mommy and daddy still enuh, she was the one who did all the work. I knew my father and I knew he was there but mommy was the one who provided for all six of us. So there was a time when I did farming for food. I basically farmed everything from goats to marijuana, and planted bananas. I would also buy coconut jelly and chop them Downtown in Kingston, and sometimes when my farm produced I would sell stuff there as well. I also worked on Dr. Lynn’s farm up in the mountains picking coffee, so I was a coffee picker, up inna di bush,” he proudly recalled.

“I always went out there for the money, as a go getter, I used the money to maintain my character, because I was always an artist just the same.”

With a new desire to project a positive image, ‘Purytikal’ is a moniker he has assumed, and he expressed an interest in collaborating with Roots Reggae-fusion star, Chronixx.

“From Chronixx just touch on the scene I’ve been a Chronixx supporter, I love his music, I would want to do a song with him, long before nuhbody know Rytikal, I always admired his work. Popcaan has also motivated me a lot, he is from St. Thomas too and he is the first big artist that I performed alongside on a show, done right there over in Bath, St. Thomas,” he said.

“It has motivated me the most to change, because in all that time I was only being judged because of all the bad songs, the negative songs, though music isn’t negative, it really comes from the person receiving the message. Music is all positive.”

“I still have songs that some would deem negative that were already recorded and done, people paid their money for them suh mi nah go waste them,” he shared. “And I want people to know that music is music and that it cannot be negative. People receive different messages and no matter how much you do positive songs, there will always be that man searching for something negative to receive that message,” the soon-to-be father shared.

The new direction of his music is also due to him becoming a father in short order.

“This is going to be my first child but I feel like I have been a father for so long cause a whole heap of youth mi tek care of, and I was actually inspired to be positive before my charge because I think ahead. Mi did seh King Ina War but dat nuh mean mi ago war out deh,” he explained.

“From mi born mi a hear negative music and media a work with it suh if me want that attention, then mi a go do it and when unuh hear me out and know mi, then mi ago show you the real me, which is Purytikal.”

Rytikal isn’t trying to change the world, but he wants to be a proud example for his family. “Mi nah try change the world or change anybody, mi do this for my family and my child, I can only hope it inspires them and others to receive the good energy, my child will live a more positive life.”

Entrepreneurship and Rytikal Music Group

Coming from a life of farming and now a notable figure, Ryan has turned to entrepreneurship to further himself within music, something he appreciates greatly.

“I can be myself now, I am still signed to EastSyde in a management contract, but I have formed my own label, Rytikal Music Group (RMG) which I started since I came out of jail, so I have stepped away. I am also working with others who have supported me from day one and have learned about the business that they do, so I have invested in bottled water, and that is almost fully active. I am not working with anybody until it is 50/50.”

Sowing the seeds for a successful future with clear vision and a very focused mindset are foremost for this man of the moment. “I think long-term, I know what I want and everything unfolding is me coming into my prime, mi patiently a do it but mi a make mi craft sustain now, mi nah rush, step by step.”

Reminiscing on the growth since Johnny Kool played his song Dolla Bill on the radio, Rytikal admits that he is not one for the hype.

“Mi nuh too inna the hype, mi nuh like hype, maybe if mi did inna dem sumn deh mi would a gain more traction but dat a nuh me, mi think bout more substance, going in the ghetto and being around those people from Bull Bay, if me have money from dub I will show real love, Bull Bay give me full support.”

His Time in Prison, Sharing A Cell With Tommy Lee

Rytikal is not shaken by the experience of being locked up for 3 months on a charge that he was acquitted of last month. “I never cried, I smiled at first when I got locked up in the moment, but when I thought about my mother, I shed a tear,” he said. “Nothing about jail is nice, mi nuh wah nuh youth go to jail, so that is why mi seh Puritikal, there is so much to be said about jail, innocent or not, circumstances can make you all end up deh.”

“Know your rights as a man, know yourself, cause a nuh everything weh dem tell yuh a yuh right, a suh,” he warned.

“Mi nuh eat nuh food, when my things come mi just give it away. My mother and baby mother, aunty and friends came to look for me cause as an artist mi still a mek mi money, and mi write songs in there, dem give me book and pen top, suh mi wrap it with tissue and do my ting,” he revealed.

Rytikal hailed Tommy Lee Sparta, who is serving three years for an illegal gun and ammo, for looking out for him.

“Tommy Lee made sure everything was alright when mi go jail, cause him seh mi a young artist and has a bright future so he gave me the heads up on a lot of things, cause we did deh in the same cell when mi reach,” he said.

“I, as a Jamaican, have a lot of love. I want to travel and be known as a positive person wherever I go. Rytikal wants to spread his wings and go outside of the barrel and bring back some light inna di barrel.”