Close to a decade ago, he was an emerging artiste.

Nature, as he was known then, had a slew of popular songs including World Peace, Trying Man and Revolution, and for many he was one to watch. A bitter split from DownSound Records seemed to put him on the backburner for some time, but Nature Ellis, as he is now known, is back. Re-energised and ready to take on the industry with a fresh outlook and new music.

A lot of his time out of the spotlight was spent getting the business side of his career in order, which included setting up his own record label.

“On February 7, I launched my first album from my own label Preserve Nature Entertainment. It was released on all digital platforms. On February 17, we hosted a launch event for the album which was very well-attended and I was pleased, and grateful with the response of the project,” he said.

“The album is called Awaken. Once you hear that title you know we are up and ready to pay attention. This is the album for this time, addressing some of the issues affecting us as a country and indeed worldwide. This is the album we need right now. For me it is as important as the oxygen we breathe.”

Awaken contains 16 tracks including collaborations with artistes such as Lash La Rue, David Luther King and Steppa.

The Jamaica Observer’s Splash caught up with the dreadlocked artiste at last Sunday’s tribute concert to Dennis Brown on the Kingston waterfront. He shared some of his thoughts on the artiste who died in 1999 at age 42.

“It is such an honour to be on this show because Dennis Brown has played a very instrumental role in spreading reggae music all over the world. He dedicated all his life to the music as he was singing from he was a young boy… before he was nine years old. So, it is more than relevant for a young artiste like me to come and show the respect on a platform such as this because his legacy is so rich and we just have to continue to show that love so that the other generations to come can embrace it and know that this is something worth protecting and valuing,” Nature Ellis stated.

Born in Glendevon district of Montego Bay, St James, the singer attended St James High. In 2002, he penned Mercy I Prayand entered it in ‘Schoolers Bus Ride’ contest, put on by Danger Zone.

“I won the competition and got a scholarship in singing and writing. Mr Matthews from Herbert Morrison taught me music theory… I really benefited from that scholarship,” he said.

According to Nature Ellis, he met former national footballer Ricardo “Bibi” Gardner who “put me a road in 2007”.

“Since that the journey start. I toured Europe in 2009/20, did a festival, Reggae Jam, in Germany; and Australia in 2011,” he said.

He did a stint at the high-profile DownSound Records, but that ended in 2016. He said the parting did not set him back.

“I’m still doing music. I’m releasing songs, I’ve started my own label and I own my masters. We (DownSounds and I) didn’t have any beef or arguments… It’s straight up love,” he said.

He had some advice for up-and-coming singers who want to make it big in the music industry.

“Don’t just know your craft as an artiste. Study the business side of the music… learn about publishing and copyright, and know your rights,” he added.