Dancehall producer Serani says he plans to release his third studio album in February next year following the recent Platinum certification of No Games. Speaking exclusively with World Music Views while on his way from a show in Maryland U.S., he says, the integration of streaming is one reason hit singles are getting a boost in sales.
“Anywhere that gets numbers to add to sales helps sales. Streaming makes music more easily accessible. Anyone that loves my music will find their way to it whichever medium.”
Speaking specifically about the construction of No games he says it wasn’t his idea to sample Dave Kelly’s Showtime but his Daseca crew made over the beat to fit his style.
“DASECA made over the beat from the 90’s for the producer. The beat was two chords which doesn’t work along my style so i went on the keys and changed the path a bit then came up with the melodies and concept. The concept was about an actual experience and watching the movie Two Can Play That Game made me know i had to write a song called No Games.”
Serani’s last album released before the streaming revolution was 2012’s “It’s Serani” on Phase One/Rockstone Media label which didn’t chart. His 2009 debut album No Games however, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Reggae Chart and No. 77 on the billboard R&B chart.
No Games the single was certified Platinum in the U.K. on Friday October 21 after selling more than 600,000 units in that country according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
No Games, released April 21, 2009 was previously Brit Certified in Gold on April 24, 2020 (400,000) and Silver on June 2, 2017 (200,000).
In April this year British singer Ed Sheeran was in the company of grime artist Jaykae at The Roost Pub in Small Heath Birmingham. The two were pouring draft beer, playing pool and casually chorusing No Games. Ed even shows off his rhythm with few dance moves.
No Games climbed to the top of the Billboard R&B and Hip-Hop top 100 charts in 2009. It has been sampled by Eminem, Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee – Despacito Remix ft. Justin Bieber (SING OFF vs. Pixie Lott) by Conor Maynard (Ft. Pixie Lott) & Farewell by Eminem on his Music To Be Murdered By Album.
Serani is yet to perform the song in the UK due to visa issues, but In 2019, the turntable bop sample appeared in Kylie Jenner’s 140 million strong Instagram stories as she celebrated her friend’s birthday.
As for other music releases Serani says he makes a lot of music but he has to be in a zone to drop plenty music like his dancehall counterparts.
“I do actually make a lot of music. I’ve released a lot of music, so many songs i don’t remember many of them from title to lyrics. I personally have to be zoned in to have an outburst of music like what i’ve done this year. The zone is un-forceable. It comes and it goes and u live around it.”
When Nigerian superstar Burna Boy performed his One Night In Space concert at Madison Square Garden in April, one of the well received songs in his set was a song titled Secret, which features Jeremih and Serani. The song was produced by Nigerian producer T-Boy (with additions by Serani), and originally had Sean Paul as the vocal collaborator. However, after it was pitched to Burna Boy who was on the rise in 2019, to be a collaborator, the Bank On It artist decided the only way forward was to remove Sean Paul and get full ownership of the masters for his album African Giant.
Serani told WMV why he agreed to sell the masters to a song he knew would have been an “undeniable” hit so he could benefit from the bigger picture. He is yet to perform the fire starter track with Burna Boy who is currently doing sold out shows all over the US, but he believes the success of the song will benefit him in the long run.
“That song came about, I was just in my driveway sitting on the front of my truck and this beat was playing in the background, for the first time i have a hit song that I never make the beat, like a big hit you nuh. So I am there just listening to the track and I thought about another song that I have named Secret before,” he said.
“So I say I want to do a better secret song, cause I made the attempt at the concept before and looking back I say I can do better. I got the melody and the words right there and then, I wrote three verses, not knowing that the song was that good until I recorded it. When i recorded it now i was like ‘gaalee’, that’s fire, i knew right there and then I told my manager that’s the best song that I have unreleased. I knew, I could tell. a hit is just a hit you cant fight it you can’t force it. Right away I told him that’s the best song I have,” the Kingston native continued.
His manager, Julian Jones Griffiths, one of the more connected persons in the reggae music community was who took the song to Burna Boy’s team.
“He said alright give me a cut without the verses, so I muted my verses and he sent it to Burna and they wanted it for their album so we sold it to them. I sold the master yeah.”
Serani holds no regrets for selling the song, he says the success of the song is mutually beneficial.
“It benefited me to collaborate with Burna and it benefitted him to collaborate with me.”
“At the end of the day sometimes you have to be smart about the game, what I want to say is it’s pointless in owning a hundred percent of nothing,” he asserts.
Had he stuck to his guns and kept the song for himself he says it would be harder to turn it into a hit.
“It would be way too difficult, it would be really difficult, you know why? It would be as if I am started fresh, it’s a new genre so it made sense to let him have it, I wanted the collab, I liked his songs, I wanted the collab, he liked the song but the only way he would have done it is if he got the song for his album. So we just said alright take it. Now I am once again I am way more relevant than before. Having a fresh song allows me to make more money, to be more successful, more relevant then I can think of owning my own masters later on. Sometimes you need to give a little to get a lot,” he told WMW.
“We helped each other, I did a good job clearly, I got a lot of good feedback, people ask me to sing the song randomly, so clearly I did a good job, It benefited both of us, that’s one of the best ones out there for him.”
Later in our conversation he admits, although there are no regrets, the choice to sell his intellectual property was difficult, “Business is difficult, a great example is I had to sell my favorite song, that was difficult for me, its my favorite song, I love that song, cherish that song, listen to that song right now still. That song is a benchmark for me of the level that I cannot be below.”
Serani is back fusing modern dancehall and afrobeats with his latest release, Slowly featuring Nigerian chart topping singer Oxlade.
This time he says things are a little different.
“It is a means to an end my bro, things are a little bit different now, (laughs) I am no longer in a position where you can say nobody not talking about my song. Yeah and the song Secret is still growing.”
No name has been decided on yet for Serani’s upcoming album but stay with WMV as we bring you exclusive updates on the hitmaker’s new music.
