Jamaican Uber driver reaches musical junction

It has only been two years since Bruce Earle, who calls himself Classick B, joined the network of Caribbean nationals that operate Uber transportation in Toronto, Canada. He migrated with his family 27 years ago, but remained tuned in to the dancehall-reggae culture for the most part.

“Toronto, being a multicultural area is greatly influenced by calypso, reggae and dancehall. Any young adult will get a little bit of something of one culture or another. Plus, the dancehall-type slangs are of heavy influence,” Classick B told THE STAR.

At age 17, he was introduced to hip hop and started rapping on dancehall rhythms and writing lyrics to rap rhythms (for himself and colleagues), although his core style had a Caribbean flavour.

He recently travelled to Jamaica to hone his musical skills through understanding the local competition.

STIFF COMPETITION

“I don’t think the competition is in Canada for me; I believe the competition is in Jamaica if I want stiff competition in dancehall and reggae,” Classick B said.

Classick B released a four-track EP but said it never got the push it deserved.

Songs like My Love Never Leaves and Treasure also had a taste of R & B in an effort to show his various performance personalities.

Now, Classick B is trekking the music path to make a mark on the global stages.

The video for his single Bounce Baby, recorded on the 2013 Black Widow rhythm, was shot in the Mountain View and Southside communities during a short visit to the island.

“Of course, I could have had a production team shoot the video against the backdrop of high-rise buildings, but that would not capture real Jamaican energy that is meant for the single recorded on a classic rhythm,” he said.

Despite wanting to do music full-time and earn money from it, Classick B says he is not sure he would stop driving for Uber.