In the late 1990s, while he was barely out of his teens, Ralston “Big Rallo” Barrett emerged on the entertainment scene among a breed of publicists and artiste managers who took pride in securing placements and opportunities for their clients.

Now, after working with several up-and-coming, Billboard-charting, and Grammy-winning artistes, Barrett is set to receive an award at next Saturday’s staging of the third annual Atlanta Caribbean Community Awards.

Barrett was caught by surprise when he learnt that he would be recognised for his work in the entertainment sector.

“I feel honoured to be receiving this award. I must say I was quite surprised when I found out that I was chosen to receive an award from the Atlanta Caribbean Community Awards. I honestly felt like no one organisation would give me an award for the work that I have been doing over the years,” Barrett told the
Jamaica Observer on Friday.

But before he started directing the narratives of his clients in the public relations field, Barrett honed his skills as a sound system selector.

“I started out as a sound system operator/selector while I was still a teenager. I eventually got involved in artiste management and music production when my cousin, “Mr Peck”, who was a deejay, asked me to be his manager. That’s how it all started, and after that I had to learn how to promote him and the music we put out. So, I guess you could say I learned to do public relations by trial and error. I also got a lot of help from people in the business, including Delroy Morisson [formerly of Dynamic Sounds], Ed Robinson [singer], Dennis Howard and Clyde McKenzie [musicologists], and Byron Murray [formerly of In the Streets Records],” said Barrett.

Some of his clients through the years include Mr Vegas, Richie Spice, Protoje, Spice, Gyptian, Masicka, Chronic Law, Demarco, Delly Ranx, among others.

On the production side, he has released music under the BIG Records label, Rallo Vibes, Accid, and Symphony B Records imprints.

Capleton, Queen Ifrica, Anthony B, George Nooks, Sugar Minott, Tony Rebel, Ce’Cile, and Kip Rich are among those whom he has produced songs for.

Asked what he enjoyed most about soliciting interviews and placements for his clients, Barrett said: “The thing I enjoy the most is putting my clients out there in the spotlight. It really feels great to work with an artiste and help them achieve their goals. One of my proudest moments was Protoje before he got popular. It felt really great to know that I worked with him when no one knew him and helped to put in the spotlight. I’m also proud to have worked with Masicka and Chronic Law. When I first met them they were unknown, but today they are two of the hottest acts in dancehall music,” Barrett shared.

He cites some of the challenges of his job.

“The challenges are many, but I’ll name a few. There’s a lot of fighting in the business and some people will spread rumours about you to slow you down. I’ve also experienced difficulties when working with clients who are unprofessional and unwilling to learn how to function in the music business. However, at this stage in the game I don’t allow certain things to bother me; I just do my work to the best of my ability,” said Barrett.

Barrett has also managed acts such as Captain Barky and Wickerman, Serial Kid, Silva Kid and Powerman.

Scheduled to be held in SW Lithonia in Georgia, the awards are presented in the areas of education, entertainment, sports, television and radio, and humanitarian.

Jamaican football Coach Lenworth “Lenny” Hyde will receive a lifetime achievement award.