Growing up at 135 Orange Street, Kingston, Miguel Haynes said musical inspiration was all around.

The address is where late reggae icon Dennis Brown spent his formative years, but also where Haynes engendered his affinity for music. It comes as no surprise that he spent New Year’s Day launching his studio, Deadly Beats (DB), inspired by Brown, in Seaview Gardens, Kingston.

“As a person weh love music and grow up around musicians in the

yard, I told myself anytime me have the ways and means mi a go try have a nice

little studio weh me can produce songs and give young artistes a voice,”

he told BUZZ. “Dennis Brown a my singer, and my mom used to cook

for him. I had a studio at Orange Street, but it never work out. Because my

brother is from Seaview and di man dem down here rate me, mi decide fi have one

here.”

Musical excellence

The studio is located in Phase One and adds to a history of musical

excellence that has emerged from the community since the 1980s. Shabba Ranks,

Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, Nitty Kutchie and Dexta Daps are some of Seaview’s

products, and Haynes is hoping to bring forth more.

“Mi waan look out for young artistes. Mi nuh waan be like every

other producers weh turn them away,” he said. “Just like dem have

Rising Stars, mi waan start a competition where mi get one rhythm and mek

couple of the young artistes in Seaview and adjoining communities write a nice

song on it. We’ll release the best song, and that will kinda force di youths fi

improve cause competition mek people get better.”

Eyeing Grammys

Haynes started his production journey in 2015 and has worked with

artistes, including Shawn Storm, Ganggoolie and Blakk Man. To finance his

dream, Haynes works in Canada at the Toronto Pearson International Airport and

has a small team running the day-to-day operations at the studio.

“Once this thing jumps off the right way, which I know it will, me a

go give up my job and be here fully,” he said. “Until then, I have to

be between Canada and Jamaica because mi have bills fi pay, and this is no

overnight thing.”

He views the sky as the limit and has Grammy accolades in mind.

“Mi nah just pree fi mek a likkle money, mi waan mek a name and legacy weh mi can leave for my kids,” he said. “I want my label to be known globally so all foreign artistes can come do music here. Once money start mek, every year mi supposed to upgrade the studio. Mi have extra space fi build a nice mixing lab, and even set up an Internet radio section, so we can get our new tunes out there.”