Uncommon Kurtici

Dancehall artist Kurtisi was born Kerrick Bartley in Kingston, Jamaica. He spent the earlier part of his life living between Old Harbor and May Pen. At the age of fourteen he migrated to live in England with his mother. During his early teen age years he began and enduring love affair with music. Like most young boys in his community he would listen to dancehall tapes with his friends. This helped to fuel his desire to become a dancehall artist. At the age of sixteen he took the plunge and made his debut by performing at an event in his community, since then there has been no turning back for him. Kurtisi eventually began his recording career by recording for dancehall producers based in his Brixton hometown. That aspect of his career really began to take shape when he visited Jamaica in 2002. It was during that visit he recorded his first official single titled Fussing and Fighting at Anchor studios in Kingston, on the Bombshell rhythm, which also featured tracks from Mega Banton and Determine.

Since then he has released a number of other singles in the UK as that was his initial target market. However after the release of Bloody War, a song that chronicles the 2010 Tivoli Gardens incursions by the Jamaican military and the police which subsequently lead to arrest of former Tivoli Gardens Don Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, he has turned his focus to the local music scene in his homeland.

“For many years I have been recording my music in the UK and Jamaica, but I was mainly promoting my stuff in England. But since I released Bloody War in 2010, I have begun to concentrate a lot more on the Jamaican market because of the strong response it got in Jamaica,” said Kurtisi.

The deejay who hails Shabba Ranks, Super Cat, Bounty Killer and Capleton as some of his main influences is confident that he has the goods to become a household name in the dancehall arena.

“It’s just a matter of time before I get the big break and I know I have what it takes to make it all I have to do is continue working hard and promote myself more especially in Jamaica. Therefore my team and I will be doing a lot to step up the promotions this year.

Kurtisi is currently promoting a brand new single titled We Party; this song was recorded and mixed at the Westside Studio in Negril on a sizzling dancehall beat created by Cashflow X of Cashflow Records.