RKG among Grammy considerations, Kes also up for possible nomination

IS a Grammy nomination on its way for Trinidad and Tobago? Artiste Rossi “RKG” Gray believes that it is going to happen soon and hopes it comes from his third album, Fully Digital.

RKG is one of the TT artistes being considered for a Grammy nomination. His album is being considered in the Best Reggae Album category.

Kes the Band is among the others.

Kes said on Facebook on October 8: “We’re so excited that our album Man With no Door and single Out of this World with Sean Paul are being considered for this year’s Grammy Awards. First-round voting to determine the nominees is live through October 15. Blessings and thanks to all the producers, engineers, musicians and artists (who) worked on the album with us.”

Nominations will be announced on November 8.

RKG is best known as a radio presenter on Next 99.1 Fm, but has been an artiste for about 20 years now.

Even though he is not as widely known in TT, he has built a fanbase in Africa.

Talking about his career, RKG said, “I used to sing in school bazaars, in small concerts.

"I am originally from east Trinidad, Cleaver Woods, to be exact. Some of the people I grew up with that are in the business today are the likes of Bunji Garlin. Me and Bunji Garlin were actually neighbours and we grew up singing at the side of the road, on the streets, that kind of thing.”

His first recording was a collaboration with Dawg E Slaughter and the late Ghetto Flex.

Looking back on how that happened, he said he was at a Westmoorings studio, Island Project, when Ghetto Flex heard him and acknowledged his talent. He also helped RKG come up with his sobriquet.

After this RKG worked with a number of local producers, including Jason Lee, First Klase and Angelo Pantin.

During that time, he tried to create his first album, but believes he failed because he did not get what he wanted, and so “squashed the project.” However, his first, independent album, Caribbean Born, was also up for Grammy consideration in 2017.

The album consisted of reggae, dancehall and soca, but because soca did not have a Grammy category, it fell under the reggae category.

Still, it got him signed to the New York label Vpal Music.

This is now his third consideration, having got the second for his 2022 single Zungusha in the Global Music Performance category.

This year’s consideration is back again in the Best Reggae Album category, pitting him against heavy-hitters like Vybz Kartel, Spice and Shenseea.

RKG has worked on the Fully Digital album for the last three years and described its music as “uplifting.”

One of its songs, Love Life, is dedicated to the life of his late friend, Leroy “Gotti” Thomas.

It also features Things Pon Meh Mind and Zero Pressure, done with Kenyan artiste Jean Jay. There are 14 songs on it.

Grammy considerations for local artistes have increased and RKG is happy about this.

But translating that into a nomination was difficult, as artistes were limited by certified voters.

In TT, there were possibly 30 certified voters.

The Recording Academy’s website says to get Grammy consideration, artistes must first submit their music to the academy’s online entry process. Recording Academy members (voting and professional) and registered media companies may submit entries, it added.

The website says the academy's voting membership votes on Grammy winners and nominees and membership includes artistes, producers, songwriters and engineers.

It's an honour to be considered, RKG said.

He admitted that he was not as well known as an artiste in TT as he’d like to be and it was a challenge he has had over the years.

“I have had a lot of ups and downs in my career as an artiste. I would not say it is because of the music but it was because of my personal choices.”

RKG also said he never saw himself simply singing soca and always enjoyed singing other genres.

He believes to be successful as an artiste singing genres other than calypso and soca, performers had to find an audience overseas before they have one at home.

He said there would be pockets of people listening to the music but not many. “I believe artistes could have their core fanbase here but if they are doing things other than soca, you have to try to network with people outside of TT.”