LaaLee credits TikTok for career bounce, urges colleagues to use app
Dancehall star LaaLee is attributing his current popularity in the music space to his use of social media platform TikTok, and is urging fellow entertainers to take advantage of the application.
“It’s not that they need to, dem better (use it). A dat a di way right now. When a man can view and listen your audio and make a video to it enjoying themselves, that’s a big deal,” he said. “It may nuh help yuh financially but it can set yuh pan di path weh yuh wah go.”
Indeed, LaaLee knows a thing or two about the impact social media can have on an artiste’s career, having got his big break in dancehall through a viral video of his catchy single, Watz on Sale.
Since his breakthrough in 2018, Laalee has maintained his social media presence which has fueled the popularity of songs such as Tip Inna It, Dirt Bounce, Tip Inna It and most recently Bong Bing.
In an interview with OBSERVER ONLINE, the artiste said he recognised early out in his career that social media can be an artiste’s best friend.
“Me a dance from me a youth, from school days me a just one entertainer. I am just always one to enjoy myself and social media is the place for that, especially TikTok,” LaaLee said. “TikTok is a space weh you can just be yuhself. It’s a gimmick app so you can just be an idiot. It’s definitely the perfect match for me as an artiste.”
Throughout his career, the entertainer has had to embrace the label of ‘gimmick artiste’ as critics believed his songs frivolous and of no real lyrical prowess or potency. Describing himself as a ‘fun-loving’ individual, LaaLee says he takes no offense to the ‘gimmick artiste’ label, adding that his approach to music has been working for him especially when it comes to traction on TikTok.
“If you can have your audio on a platform with 870k videos, isn’t that a good thing? TikTok, as I said, is a space where people go to have fun. My songs are all about having fun so it has definitely helped my career as an artiste. A di way right now,” he said.
“When you get an opportunity yuh just affi make use a it. If yuh do music everyday and nobody nah move to it or listen, how people ago know yuh? TikTok make nuff people know LaaLee so it has a lot to do with the support I have received as an artiste.”