Leith Hall, St Thomas based recording artiste Rani Rastaciti believes that for dancehall and reggae music to get back its rightful place on the international scene, the subject matter in the music needs to be adjusted.

He made the assertion in an interview with Observer Online on the weekend.

“Some of the artiste dem need fi start touch back some topics and energy that people can relate to. The wider and more relatable the topics are, the better people outside of Jamaica will be able to understand and relate to,” said Rani Rastaciti.

He continued, “My mission is to always leave something in the minds of the listeners and make them happy.”

Rani Rastaciti emerged on the music scene during the COVID-19 pandemic. He hails from a parish which has a rich musical heritage, boasting entertainers such as Popcaan, Chronic Law and Skillibeng among others.

The former Seaforth High student, who aspired to become an electrical engineer, said he developed a love for music from an early age.

“From when I was growing up with my strict parents, that’s when my love for music came about.  As I grew older, I was advised by people from the community to consider doing it professionally. Back then, I was mostly influenced by the artistes that I saw emerging from the parish,” Rani Rastaciti recalled.

The singjay is set to release his debut EP titled Cinco Time on September 1. It has seven tracks. Aside from co-producing some of the tracks, Disaster Music also has credits on the project as producer.

Rani Rastaciti (given name Shirquan Harrison) is best known for the songs Mad Dawg and Sauce Hot (produced by Cash Code Records).  Mad Dawg has more than 2.4 million views on YouTube while Sauce Hot has garnered more than 922,000 views since its release two months ago.

His latest single Illicit, released 13 days ago, has over 394,000 views on YouTube.