Sebastian “Basbeats” Loers, the German producer behind Nicki Minaj’s dancehall-infused hits “Forward From Trini” featuring Skillibeng and Skeng, as well as the “Likkle Miss Remix” with Skeng and Minaj, is making waves in the global music scene. In an exclusive series of interviews with WMV, Basbeats shares his thoughts on working behind the scenes to create with Jamaican artists, the appeal of the dancehall genre, and his potential collaborations with emerging talents.
Desire to Work with Jamaican Artists:
When asked about his desire to work with more Jamaican artists, the beat maker expresses enthusiasm for the vibrant Jamaican music scene saying. “Definitely, I just like the music, and of course, it makes sense to work with artists from Jamaica,” he states. There are a lot of Jamaican artists that I just really like. But of course I’m not limited to artists from Jamaica, there are also many outside of Jamaica that I would like to work with,” he adds.
Appeal of Jamaican Artists:
With a catalog of dancehall hits starting with a working relationship with ZJ Liquid, he Sebastian says Jamaican artists particularly appeal to him as a German producer, citing that the seamless fusion of dancehall music with other genres is a commercial pull. Drawing parallels with English and drill music, he said,”There’s just nothing like that (Dancehall) in Germany,” he adds, emphasizing the uniqueness of the Jamaican music culture.
Potential International Breakthrough acts:
Discussing the potential for Jamaican artists to break into the international scene, Basbeats stayed far from mentioning specific names but says he believes that several artists possess the potential, but success depends on their dedication, business approach, and a bit of luck.
“It’s not that easy,” he says. “If I like the music and the artists are willing to try something new, like Skeng did with Likkle Miss, then I would have fun working with these guys. As already mentioned, many have the potential to be a hit, it doesn’t always have to be big names,” he adds.
Pressed further he mentions Valiant, Shenseea, and Jada Kingdom as artists with great potential to make a significant impact globally. Kingdom was let go by Republic Records last year and recently Shenseea’s label CEO Rvssian said that the music she is making is not working and said they have had an estranged relationship for two years.
With a plethora of undiscovered talents in Jamaica, Basebeats explains his criteria for selecting artists to collaborate with. “If I like the music and the artists are willing to try something new, like Skeng did with Likkle Miss, then I would have fun working with these guys,” he says. He explains that the potential for a hit is not limited to big names, indicating his openness to working with emerging artists who demonstrate a passion for experimenting with their sound.
The software engineer who has a full-time job alongside his music career, says he hopes to visit Jamaica soon if the opportunity arises. While he doesn’t foresee it happening very soon, he remains open to the possibility, stating, “Let’s see how it all develops.”
