LOCAL record producer Rvssian is enjoying his latest conquest.

Earlier this week, he inked a publishing deal with the Universal Music Publishing Group which will see the United States-based entertainment powerhouse working closely with him as he seeks to take his brand global.“They have been watching my music for some time and were always interested. So they recently reached out to my attorney and began the discussions. They really believe in me and so I definitely see this is a big push for my career. You really can’t get any bigger than Universal. It is now up to me to take full advantage of this door opening and see it as a stepping stone to take my music to another level,” he told

Jamaica Observer yesterday.The producer, whose given name is Tarik Johnston, explained that, in addition to handling his publishing rights, this new deal will put him among an elite group of producers which are available to the enviable roster of artistes including pop princess Rihanna and Latin songstress Shakira. The deal also puts him closer to the film arm of Universal and, therefore, makes his work more likely to make the cut for movie soundtracks.For Rvssian, this deal rubbishes the notion that dancehall music, the genre he is most noted for, has very little market value at this time.“That is absolute nonsense. I have been doing music for the past eight years and, although I do other genres of music, it is dancehall music which has got me to this deal. Plus, if you look at the Billboard charts over the past year, at least 10 of the top songs are dancehall tracks from Drake and Rihanna. The problem is not the genre but rather the topic and content of the dancehall music that comes out of Jamaica. Some of the music is just too violent or slack. When you look at

Everyone Falls In Love Some Time by Tanto Metro and Devonte, that song has survived because it speaks to a universal theme which can be appreciated by persons of all ages,” Rvssian noted.Given the opportunity, he wants to work with Rihanna, Eminem and Justin Bieber.“Rihanna and Bieber have such a diverse body of work. They can move from dancehall to EDM and pop. I am attracted to that kind of versatility. Eminem is just an amazing artiste. I feel he is the most lyrical, and even when he isn’t a hot topic everyone still wants to hear his latest work.”He is currently pushing his latest works:

Best Nana featuring Konshens and Shenseea; a track by Vybz Kartel; and a bilingual project featuring Konshens, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny, Farruko and King Cosa. In addition, he is also working on some hip hop music.“I really can’t complain. I am staying busy and putting in the work,” Rvssian added.