He was born in Madagascar, but it wasn’t until he moved to the Reunion Islands that music composer and producer Alvin Brown Beats began an affair with dancehall music.

“I think moving to Réunion Island [in 2012] influenced my style. The vibe here [Reunion Islands] pushed me toward more dancehall and ‘shatta’ sounds. Going out to clubs, I saw that this type of music really resonated with people, so I kept going in that direction — but always with my own personal touch, a hybrid dancehall,” Alvin Brown Beats told the Jamaica Observer in a recent interview.

At 30 years old he has scored one of the biggest accolades in French music. A dancehall song that he produced in 2018 titled
Dweet So and recorded by French Guiana singer, songwriter and producer Jahyanai King, was certified gold in France by the National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing (SNEP) for sales and streaming equivalent of 100,000 units.

The success of Dweet So caught Alvin by surprise.

“When I composed the instrumental I wasn’t even convinced of what I was doing. At the time, I was still in the army, and after work I would compose beats and post them online. Unexpectedly, that instrumental blew up, reaching 400,000 views and boosting my notoriety. That’s when I realised my music could truly have an impact,” he explained.

As to how the collaboration with Jahyanai King came about, he said: “One day Jahyanai King called me and told me the track was ready and would be released soon. He invited me to Paris to his lawyer Jim’s office, where we signed all the paperwork… When the song dropped, it was on repeat on the radio and TV. I was really happy. Since then, we’ve stayed in touch. I would often visit him; we’d work on new tracks together and it became like family.”

Born Francisco Stevens, he explained how he came by the name Alvin Brown Beats.

“Alvin” comes from the movie Love Don’t Cost a Thing, “Brown” because I’m a fan of Chris Brown, and “Beats” because I make beats. I’m French with Malagasy origins, born in Nosy Be, Hell-Ville, Madagascar, and today, I live in Réunion Island,” he said.

He told the Observer he has been making music for over 10 years and has worked with dancehall acts including Vybz Kartel, Popcaan, and Skillibeng, but admitted that those recordings have not been released.

“Vybz Kartel and I were talking on Instagram… He found me on YouTube thanks to a beat he used for Can’t Be the Same. Later, Popcaan recorded on one of my beats and released Goal. I guess he liked my work because, after that, I sent him several beats, and we made around eight or nine tracks together, including Good Only, Chill, Win, and more. Big shoutout to Cobe from Unruly Entertainment, Popcaan’s right-hand man. He helped me a lot in connecting with Jamaican artistes, and thanks to him I landed tracks on albums produced by OVO. I even got to meet him in Paris. He’s a great person,” said Alvin Brown Beats.

Asked about the traction that Jamaican music has been making on the French music scene in recent years, he said: “[T]he French audience has become more open to different musical genres, including dancehall. We see artistes like Kalash, Jahyanai King, Blaiz Fayah, Bamby, and Maureen making moves internationally. Even here in Réunion, artistes like PPL are shaking things up. There are many more music certifications in this genre now, whereas before, they were quite rare.”

He added: “My greatest pride is having been able to build something and make my ambitions a reality. I’ve inspired many young people, which still surprises me because I see myself at their level. Through music, I’ve been able to buy a house for my mother, travel the world, and experience things I never imagined possible. Growing up in a modest country, I know what it means to struggle, and music has helped me achieve goals beyond material success.”

“Today, I have my own studio, a solid structure, and I’m producing young talents. But, for me, real success doesn’t stop there. I earned a gold record, which I’m extremely proud of, but my ultimate goal is to create an international dancehall hit that makes the whole world move,” he said.