Sunday Gleaner: Were you always interested in singing?

CSM: I guess whenever I started making beats. Since I've been producing seriously, I've always wished I was singing from earlier. I always knew I had the ability from the get-go from prep school.

As one of the well-respected producers out there, how do you decide who you want to work with?

First of all, when I want to buss and manage someone, the artiste has to be intelligent, can write a song, can create catchy hooks and preferably be a singer. It's just because I like a melody and deejays don't really have that much, hence Mavado. They also have to sound good as well.

While building DASECA productions, were you ever tempted to give up?

Never, because I prefer not making any moneymaking music than being rich doing something else. Besides that, I know that God gave me the talent; it's just a matter of patience and hard work, so I never gave up."

What's the most interesting thing about you?

I'd have to say my talent, my vibe. It's a good happy vibe when I'm not trying to get something done. When I'm making a beat it's a good vibe, but when I'm trying to get business done, not really.

What has been your worst experience in the music industry?

The one that stands out was when a producer that I used to work with look me in the face and just out of the blue say 'some musicians should just stick to playing instruments and low the producing thing'. It was one of the worst things could he or anyone could have said. Those things affect me more than anything physical ... Them things deh jus' bun me.

(As we correctly assessed: a man who loves a challenge.)

What has been your best?

My accomplishments. Like just the fact that I was able to buss Bugle in two months. Just the ability to do that and say 'wow, I did that'. Just accomplishments. When I look at the fact that I help to buss Mavado, Alaine, helped Busy when people stopped believing in him (after Sting) and we just not like that because we believe in talent and he has a lot of talent. Craig and David (Harrisingh) of DASECA wrote most of the lyrics for The Days. They work closer with Busy and I work more with Mavado.

Who are some of the people you have worked with in your career apart from those you just mentioned?

The Alliance, Beenie Man. A lot of people don't know I personally made Back it Up.

Have you figured out how you're going to properly balance producing and your singing career?

Well, I'm definitely going to try my best not to let singing to affect my beats. I don't necessarily have to be a producer. I have to make sure DASECA's beats are on point. I don't have to worry about the producing side of it because Craig and David are good producers and if I want to excel in my music, I won't have much time for that.

Do you do solo performances?

No, I'm just basically taking time out doing development. I'm working out my vocals, finding new ideas. The performance will come. I'm looking to getting some songs out there, rather than being like some Tastee Talent artiste who run on and might mash up the show but nobody don't know them. I want to also start appealing to international market. That way I can help myself, dancehall music and my country.

It seems right now you have more collaborations that solo songs. Is there a reason for that?

The reason why that happened is because I wasn't taking it seriously. You know I'm a producer as well and sometimes I'll just be in the studio and come up with something and they will say, 'yow mi waan sing on it' or something like that and me start vibe. So is usually a vibe thing.

Which other local producer do you see as your biggest competition?

I don't think about competition. If you talk about people who's work I rate, is a different thing. You have people like Don Corleone, Stephen McGregor, Left Side and Esco some new youth name Equinox ... No one person can make this thing bigger; it's all up to us.

What do you have in store for dancehall music in years to come?

I'm trying my best ... I'm trying to take it internationally because a lot of foreign artistes and producers are eating out of it. With my songs, I try my best to get respect from the garrison, uptown, everywhere, but I can still go abroad.

Indeed, it's hard to ignore the words in his single Doh, featuring Bugle: "Daseca rising/Take it to another level".