Flourgon’s son not only about the ‘hype’ – Chad not fooled by the music business

At a time when recording artistes are seeking the bridge for their music to cross over into international markets, Chad Hype, given name Chadwick May, is looking to secure a foothold on local grounds.

“I feel like dancehall is very significant to the global music industry right now, especially as a foundation for hip hop and pop music. The artistes are using a lot of dance hall-type rhythms and lyrics for the energy. It is one of the top sounds that everyone is trying to get a piece of, just like how them use piece of, or a line out of my father’s song; it was for the quality and the sound,” Chad Hype told THE STAR.

The father the recording artiste is referring to is veteran dancehall entertainer Flourgon, who recently won a lawsuit filed against American pop star Miley Cyrus for copyright infringement.

Chad Hype said it was a learning experience.

“I am proud my father came out victorious and the whole process did teach me a lot; there will be persons who do not believe you can win, but if you’re willing to fight, you can become victorious. It was a very hard battle for about three years and many persons did not believe in the case,” he said.

Though the young blood started his career in music 10 years ago at age 16 while attending Calabar High School, he expressed that there is no rush to create a name.

He said, “My father always tells me a song is not a hit until it hits, and that music in itself is a process. When you rush is when you miss the simplest of things, like signing up those split sheets so everybody gets their fair share.”

Chad Hype also shared the previous direction he was taking in music required him spending time in the US, but that producers there do not fully grasp the concept of authentic Jamaican rhythms.

“Everyone else is coming here for the culture, and here is where all the hardcore dancehall and reggae music is created. An artiste has to plant roots here for the Jamaican people to embrace him or her,” he said in sharing plans to be in Jamaica consistently as he works with producers like River Nile, Basic Records, DJ Blizzard, Anju Blaxx, and Sly and Robbie.

He continued, “For some artistes it happens overnight and their careers finish in the blink of an eye, and others put in the work for years on top of years and it works. It’s not about the hype, but that the local music industry is lacking in, and needs, more players, and I am destined to play the role.”

Chad Hype’s first major song was an R&B-fused track, Drop It. Between 2018 and 2019, he released several tracks, including Feel It and Chatty Mouth, with a hardcore, authentic flavour.

“The artistes that build the music on Billboard, like Baby Cham, also did hardcore tracks, showing that one must not sell out the culture and know the roots to focus on the craft, which is what my father did and buss and hit the charts, and me have to follow and perfect it for modern times,” he said.