Don Writa is music producer whose work you’ve no doubt heard before. After all, he’s the man behind the Task Force Riddim and has worked with some of Barbados’ biggest music artistes, like Jah Reddis, Trey Breezy, Marzville, and Mongrel. He’s also the producer behind the Bang Dibby Dibby Riddim, the White Collar Crime Riddim, the Zess 19 Riddim, and the Green Monkey Riddim, just to name a few.
When he’s not producing music for other artistes, he’s making his own. Don Writa has released the singles “Watch Over Me”, “It’s You”, and “Mek It Out”. He’s also a songwriter; he co-wrote Azura’s “Revelerz” and “Bad Behaviour”.
When/How did you realise that being a music producer is what you wanted to do with your life?
I have always had a love for music. From a very young age I always tried to be creative with music, however, it was only in my final year [and] final semester of undergraduate studies that I realized I wanted to pursue my passion Music Production.
Who are your influences and what have you learned from them?
I’m influenced by every sound, noise or tone I hear. Music producer wise I look up to many, but some of my strongest influences would be Eminem (despite the genres I produce, Timbaland, Anthony lowhar, Southside….too many to name].
I learned a variety of things by paying attention to their styles, choosing tones, paying attention to dynamics, melodies, etc. But the two biggest lessons I learnt from them all is that everyday in production is a learning process and to be your authentic self.
What is the first work of yours that you released to the public? How was it received?
My first public release would be a song called “Shine On Me”, [sung]/rapped by myself and Bkatman (pronounced batman), now known as B-Loco. This was a song about performing on stage [and] facing the lights to eventually become a star.
The song was performed at a local show, Loc Da Stage, and it was received very well, but at this point we were very fresh and had a lot more to learn about taking songs further. But the releases that really broke me into markets in and outside of Barbados would be “Task Force Riddim” (Brutal Crankstar – Badman Nuh Lip); Jah Reddis, “Talk Ya Talk”; and Father Phillis, “Face Beat” (Bim Vibes x 9ine x Don Writa)
What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned in your career thus far?
If you love music never give up and never be afraid to reinvent yourself many times as a producer, artist, or any other creative.
What other careers did you consider, if any? And why did you ultimately choose not to pursue them?
I wanted to be a forensic psychologist ([I] completed my Bachelor’s in Psychology), a chef, a teacher, and a doctor all at different time periods. I attempted to pursue them all, but I always felt out of place not making music or anything music related.
