Music: From the West to the East, the new "Medz" in the Streets

Kevon "Street Medz" Clare

Growing up in Orange Bay Hanover, "90s kid" Kevon Clare  was exposed to the cream of the dancehall genre (including present-day "elder statesmen" like Beenie Man, Bounty Killa and Wayne Marshal )  and the rise of today's yop stars like Movado, Aidonia and the now incarcerated Vybz kartel

Amid western sunsets at the parish's famed  Rusea's High School (one of the oldest secondary schools in the Caribbean) his love for music steadily developed, and he would listen continually, especially on school bus rides, etc.  


With the passage of time, and the emergence of modern audio technology, Kevon managed, through "hustling" to acquire his first mp3 phone with memory card (a Motorola L7i "mi never forget"). That turned him into the "resident Selector" sharing music with his  classmates friends wherever he went. Anyone wanting to hear and get the latest Beenie Man, Movado, Busy Signal, Aidonia and Vybz Kartel would know that they need look no further. Moreover, the budding artist knew ALL of his songs word for word and demonstrated this frequently, thus informally schooling himself on dancehall lyric construction - as well as beat-building. For the latter, he gives special props to the renowned "Genius" Stephen McGregor as one of the top young producer at the time.  

Adulthood arrived and saw Kevon entering the work world as an entertainment coordinator in a resort.  That proved to be the pivotal moment that led him in a transition from "mp3 Selector" to artist, and he began writing his own songs, calling himself Genesis. There was one missing ingredient, however: no beats.

After another set of transitions (which included an unfulfilling stint as a telemarketer) he was back in the resort business and back to writing songs. Here again a phone - this time the iPhone - would prove critical. "At that time I met a friend that I was talking to on the phone. She was like what are you doing I was writing a song but I don't have a beat to put it on. This time it was an iphone. She was like you know I got a program on my phone that one can supposedly use to make music called garageband I can send you the app."

He later downloaded the app for himself and it wasn't long before his first beat "rolled out of the digital assembly" so to speak. His first recording, "Nuff Nuff Love" soon followed. This he shred with friends, and withtheir positive feedback on the tune ("wow you did that on your phone without going to a studio?"), the legend of Street Medz was born.. 

Street Medz, he explains, stands for Street Medication/ Street Meditation healing of the Nation. "Love is basically my agenda."

The journey continued with the requisite trips to recording studios - some of which produced singles like "Stand Up" and "Enz Now" . All the while, the conscientious artist kept busy making new links and contacts. Key among those are Antii and Kevallen, with whom he has since been working extensively. 

the next steps to "world recognition" (not "domination") will involve more recordings and putting himself n line to do the much-needed shows that are the lifeblood of every artist's career in today's music biz.

Keep eyes and ears open for Street Medz