Rupee – Atlantic Records (WMG)
Rupee signed to Atlantic Records in late 2003. His 2002 hit song “Tempted to Touch”, from his album Leave A Message, captured the label’s interest. In 2003 it was included on that year’s edition of VP Records’ Soca Gold.
While at Atlantic Records, Rupee released one album: 2004’s 1 On 1. “Tempted to Touch” was the album’s lead single. According to the song’s Wikipedia page, the 2004 version is slightly different from its predecessor. It also has an official remix featuring Daddy Yankee and in 2018 it was remade by Indian singer, DJ, and producer Zaeden.
“Tempted to Touch” made it onto eleven Billboard charts, reaching number 1 on the Dance Singles Sales chart, number 4 on the Dance/Mix Airplay chart, and number 7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales. It peaked at number 42 on the U.K. Official Singles Chart Top 100.
“Tempted to Touch” was also number 5 on Billboard’s list of The 12 Best Dancehall & Reggaeton Choruses of the 21st Century thanks to the Daddy Yankee remix. It and Rupee’s song “You Never Know” are featured on the soundtrack of the 2004 film After the Sunset. The film starred Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek as a jewel-thief couple who’ve retired to a tropical island and are being pursued by an FBI agent played by Woody Harrelson.
According to Rupee’s Wikipedia page, his song “Do The Damn Thing” was in an episode of the ABC drama Desperate Housewives. Its remix, featuring Lil Kim, made it to number 16 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales. A 2010 Guyana Chronicle article claims that his song “Flaunt It” was the theme song for “the latest season” of HGTV Design Star.
In 2005 Rupee was featured on Rihanna’s song “Hurricane” from her promo mixtape This Is Rihanna. He’s credited as the sole writer of the song on Genius.
It’s not clear when Rupee split from Atlantic Records, but in the years following the release of 1 On 1 he continued to release singles like 2005’s “Hands Up”, 2007’s “Slow Motion”, 2011’s “I Am A Bajan”, 2016’s “Tipsy”, and 2019’s “Most Wanted”. He’s also collaborated with Pitbull, Nina Sky, Swizz Beats, Shaggy, Fayann Lyons, Alison Hinds and Ricardo Drue.
He signed to Ultra Music in 2017.
