NEGRIL, Jamaica — Fast-rising Negril-based producer Mario ‘DJ Stinez’ Connell, says after more than a decade in the music industry, he’s ready for growth and expansion as he takes on 2024.

DJ Stinez, the main man behind Negril-based production house, Stinez Entertainment, told Observer Online that after maneuvering the space as a disc jockey, he decided to take on the role of producer as he believed he was destined for bigger things.

“Disc jockey is just one facet of the music and I wanted more out of the industry. There isn’t much that you can accomplish from being a disc jock so I always had the intention to use my sounds and my experiences there to do more in entertainment,” he said. “I am a music lover, an entertainment fanatic. I used to build speaker box from box juice boxes from I was a child. It’s my passion and I see myself going so far.”

Highlighting that after building a firm foundation as a disc jockey who would help push the music of artistes in the streets, Stinez said making the transition to producer was fairly easy.

“It was kinda easy because as a disc jock you would have affiliated yourself already with the artistes, and the players from the industry so the steps were already in place; the links and the network were already established,” he said. “A years of work we put into the streets to help artistes so it wasn’t hard convincing them to voice for me.”

Listing entertainer Gage as one of the artiste who supported his cross, Stinez says he’s looking forward to building on his musical foundation in 2024.

“I am always reaching out once I see someone I can work with. Either they’re gonna come on board or not. Working with Gage was like that. My energy with another good energy, and it just work,” he said. “This year we’re putting in the work even more because we have big dreams. As a producer from the west, it hard but I want to make my mark and make it easier for others. Billboard and Grammy settings we a go.”