With big dreams nurtured through a mutual love of music, which began as students at Kingston College, two aspiring producers from Maxfield Avenue in the Corporate Area hope to transform their lives through talent and hard work.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer’s Splash, Selassie Richards and Davion Smith shared how their love for music sparked a friendship that eventually led to them establishing their record label, Genetic Records.

“We met in high school at Kingston College and we both realised very quickly that we had a common love for music. My inspiration came from seeing my dad in the industry. Just watching him do what he loved made me love what he was doing until I grew to love it myself,” said Richards.

Smith, for his part, said the connection was so strong, that he would be doing himself a grave injustice if he had chosen any other field.

“I love music. That’s the only thing I can say. When I’m in the studio it just feels right, everything flows,” he said. “I don’t think it would have been fair to do anything else. It had to be music.”

But as the pair made their exit from high school to focus on a professional career in the entertainment industry, they quickly realised that their passion alone would not suffice. But instead of giving up, the pair said that epiphany drove them to work even harder.

“We always knew it would be a tough process because the field is packed and full of competition, but we believe in our talents and what we bring to the table, and so we decided to dive deeper into the music,” said Richards, with Smith agreeing that self-belief has been their fortress.

“We began trying different things, experimenting with different sounds; things other producers or composers wouldn’t necessarily think of,” Smith continued.

Outlining that their upbringing was not all roses, the two told Splash their growing, nonetheless, prepared them for hard work and inculcated good work ethic.

“Growing up in our respective communities was hard. You have to be self-motivated everyday to not fall into the cycle that gets you labelled in a certain way. But that contributed to our learning and skill development which define our character and work ethic. We want to show that, as products of the inner city, hard work does lead to you realising your dreams.”

Naming Chronic Law, Vybz Kartel, Masicka, and Alkaline among their musical inspirations, Smith and Richards say, although they have yet to work with any names that pack a powerful punch on the entertainment circuit, they know that will change shortly.

According to them, it’s only a matter of time.

“We’re not doing this to prove anything to anyone. We just really love music and are pursuing our dreams through passion,” said Richards. “I know we can go far, and so it’s non-stop working until we reach the highest level possible.”

Smith concurred: “All it takes is belief. Belief and hard work. We’re gonna get to the level we’ve dreamed about. Until then, we work.”