WHEN it comes to making dancehall beats that dominate the streets and clubs, on-the-rise producer Taugea “Countree Hype” Dayes is one of the best. He has been steadily making his name as the creative force behind the independent record label Countree Hype Entertainment.

He is the producer of Intence’s recent release AIDS Test.

“The song is in the top five of Trending; everybody is talking about this song because of the concept of the video which promotes the idea of how important safe sex and condom use is, especially among young people,” Dayes said.

The most recent national Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour Survey [KABS] released by the Ministry of Health and Wellness shows that condom use is declining despite increased access to this protective barrier against STIs and HIV/AIDS.

“The results show a decline in the percentage of high-risk males and females that protected themselves in their last sex act,” the study, which was released in May 2019, revealed.

“Of note is the fact that among those who protected themselves, there may also be elements of inconsistent protection. This is so as, when asked about the last 10 times sex was had, significantly fewer persons in this high-risk cohort of multiple partners protected themselves (17.1 per cent in 2017 never used a condom the last 10 times sex was had),” the research found.

The Ministry of Health contacted Intence to be a part of an Instagram Live discussion about safe sex, but the timing was off.

“The Ministry of Health commended him on the message behind the AIDS Test because it promotes safe sex, but the notice for the Instagram Live session was too shot for him to make it,” Dayes said.

The 27-year-old Dayes, who hails from Spaldings Hill, Manchester, and attended Spaldings Hill High where he developed a love for music, is seeking to bridge the gap for emerging and indie artistes looking to make it in the dancehall sector.

“I got into music because the love of it. I’m talking about from the days of recording my favourite songs on cassette, then I upgraded to Walkman player then CD player, then MP3 player and when phones starting storing music, I started getting more interested because music was more accessible. So I would say technology has driven my love for music,” he said.

He released his first major project, the Wasp Bite rhythm featuring Mr Death by Paco General featuring Masicka, in 2017. However, he first tasted major success with Shane O’s Take it Tell Me in 2019.

He has done work with the Crown Royal and Dengue rhythm projects. His hit singles include Alkaline’s Cree on the Dengue rhythm in 2020; and Jahvillani with songs such as Goat, Execution and Suede Clarks.

“I try my best to create a good relationship with these artistes because when we work as a family or a team it gives better results and the relationship is preserved,” he said.