IT has been two years since dancehall quartet TOK called it quits. Over that time, former band member Craig “Craigy T” Thompson has been searching for his “lane” to move his brand forward. He claims to have found that sound and is showcasing it on his two singles which are now in rotation.

“Both songs are really taking to the market well… and the good thing is that they are popular in different market segments which is good for me. I will be releasing the video for Number 1 Girl on Friday (today) and the other track No Space is really doing well on its own,” he told Splash.

“Having been a part of a group for so long, when that ended I really had to take some time musically to find myself and develop a sound that is different from everything else out there. Not many people have ever heard me sing or know that I can sing, so I decided to go the route. I would make my thing different by singing on dancehall rhythms. I also decided it had to be a mature sound. One that complimented ladies, not telling them what I wanted to do to them or what I wanted them to do to me, but paid genuine compliments in a mature way.”

Thompson admits that it was not easy. Having been more of a deejay during his days with TOK, he disclosed that the process took a lot of soul-searching and reprogramming.

“I quickly realised that it would have to be smoother dancehall rhythms as one I heard the hardcore stuff that my natural instinct is to deejay rather than sing. This is where I have to give my team, that inner circle of friends and associates all the credit. I am able to bounce ideas off them and they are harsh sometimes, but I really respect their opinions and grateful that they are not a ‘bag a yes-man’. We have really worked on developing Brand Craigy T and have a solid plan of action going into 2018.”

Even though he has enough recorded material to produce an album at this time, Thompson and his team are holding strain. His plan of action involves dropping a number of singles to get the market familiar with his new sound before unleashing the album. The current singles are part of the plan. He has plans to drop one more single before the end of the year, a track called Gonna Be Alright — produced by Epic Jones out of the united Kingdom.

— Richard Johnson