PLANS to become a paediatrician have been put on hold by deejay Devin Di Dakta after he won the Magnum King of The Dancehall competition two weeks ago.

This was not the St Mary native’s first crack at the popular televised talent show.

“I entered when I was 15 at the Ocho Rios audition. After going through the preliminary audition round, I was told to come back when I was older. I used that time to really watch the competition and see where I could improve,” he said.

Since his win, Devin Di Dakta said he has been swamped with ‘riddims’ to record from various producers, which he welcomes.

“Right now, I am doing a lot of recordings. I just finished doing some songs for Starstruck Records. I also did a song for Dre Crazy, Troy McLean, Blade from Social Yaad and Chris Rok. It has been really crazy.”

He is currently promoting his debut single, Rrri Bambi Deng Deng, produced by Starstruck Records.

The 19-year-old, whose real name is Anthony Clarke, is originally from the town of Highgate and attended St Mary High School. He recently relocated to Kingston to capitalise on his newfound popularity.

He has ambitions of becoming a doctor, with emphasis on early childhood care. But he has always had a passion for music which, he pointed out, runs in his family.

“My father owned a bus and music was always blaring. My mother is a Christian and she was always singing around the home. My brother Ken, who passed on in 2004, was an entertainer. He encouraged me to do music from an early age,” said Devin.

He was a favourite in ‘Magnum’ which is yet to produce a winner that has gone on to achieve mainstream success.

Despite some nerves going through the rounds, Devin Di Dakta believes versatility gave him the edge over his competitors.

“I am the complete artiste. I have the image, the performance, the melody, the full package,” he boasted.