Shane E is gearing up for Reggae Sumfest. The deejay is slated to perform on Festival Night One at Catherine Hall Entertainment Centre in Montego Bay, on July 19.

“It’s gonna be real energetic; di best of Shane E. Wi been a expect it from 2016, wi been a put in di work so a my time now and 2019 is di year of stardom for Shane E. It’s going to be a ‘dragging’ performance. As you know, di term dragging has to do with speed and I am the lord of dragging. It’s just one press and speed,” he told the Jamaica Observer’s Splash.

Shane E (given name Theophilus Edwards) is among the Montego Bay artistes who will appear on the annual show. His colleagues, Squash and Chronic Law, are set to close night one.

“Shane E is di western Jamaica ambassador. MoBay is my compound, my playground, so I don’t know what anybody [performing] before me or after me can bring to top my performance. Sumfest 2019 is mine,” he boasted.

The 29-year-old’s career began in 2015 with songs such as Hold dem Yah, produced by Krish Genius Music. Other releases include Hundred Duppy [2016] produced by Temple String Records and more recently Jah Watch Over Me, produced by Darshan Records.

Despite growing up in a tough area and his penchant for hardcore lyrics, the deejay describes his early years as stable.

“My childhood was not really rough like some people. I grew up in a ‘personal’ home with Mom and Dad an’ they made sure I had everything. It was basically in between because I grew up in di ghetto, in Mount Salem an’ Flankers but my parents were the type to always want the best for their kids. Temptation push people to do di wrong things sometimes, but my childhood wasn’t bad,” he said.

Like many emerging artistes, Shane E has faced his share of difficulties in the competitive music industry. However, he has defied the odds.

“Everybody face difficulties but di key is to focus, work hard an’ play hard. You have to hold your composure because you’re always going to get a fight but you cyaa show no emotions. Jus’ go back to di drawing board, go into di studio, record a new song an’ try again. It is not about what you face but how you deal with dem an’ also you must remember to do di right thing,” he said.

One of Jamaica’s main concerns is rampant crime. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared a state of public emergency, starting in Mount Salem, Hanover and Westmoreland, in an effort to alleviate the plague.

Artistes are sometimes blamed for perpetuating crime through their lyrics. Shane E has his own take.

“We are only entertainers. There is the Jamaica Defence Force an’ Jamaica Constabulary Force who are responsible for doing their job. We just do what we need to do to stay relevant, we don’t literally mean that youths are supposed to go take up guns an’ kill people. It’s just lyrics,” he said.

The artiste has several projects in the pipeline, including Rise of A Ghetto Yute, an EP which is due on August 1.