Music: something more than melodies and words, a form of language, used to express what words alone cannot. Music speaks to the soul, expresses emotions from the heart. It can excite, soothe, relax, enlighten, and even heal us. Oftentimes music tends to mark certain moments and memories in our lives.

When you think of Belizean music what do you think of? Which artist is the first that comes to mind? You probably thought of brukdown music, and the likes of Leela Vernon, Mr. Peters, and Lord Rhaburn, or punta rock, and Andy Palacio, Supa G, and others. Growing up that was what Belizean music was for me too, until I started high school in Belize City and I heard about a group called Henchmob with the likes of Jenko and G Kidd among others. At the time I didn’t know who they were but I digged what they were doing.

Fast forward to today and I can’t even keep up with the different artists on the music scene in Belize, covering all genres, from dancehall, reggae, reggaeton, R&B, hip-hop, alternative rock, gospel and the list goes on and on. The level of production and creativity has expanded to the point where little by little artists are capturing the attention of producers and other artists outside of Belize. Some have even been able to transition out of Belize and have been signed to record deals. Yet we don’t hear their music on the radio every day, we don’t hear them on rotations in the club, you go on YouTube and check their views and it’s barely cracking 1K for a lot of them. Why is this? Is Belize too small a market for growth, and development? Can an artist from Belize make it big in Belize?

I have always been one to support local, and where else to start than to support our local artists. So in that effort I took an opportunity to work with a business investor back in 2011 to try and develop a record label in Belize. That didn’t work out for many reasons and I left that post and eventually joined the militray. But in the process I was able to meet and develop a working relationship, if not friendship with some amazing musicinas and artists in Belize. I recently reached out to one my guys to write this piece, I would have loved to have a sit down and chat in the studio, but unfortuantely due to COVID-19 I had to resort to reaching out on social media and hitting up with a couple questions. He was gracious enough to answer and I will insert that exchange below, but first a little introduction on who he is, and how amazed I am of his dedication to his craft.

You might know him today as Prophit the PMO (Power Moves Only) boss, but I first met him when he was K-Illa, after which he briefly switched it up to Swaggerman (after his super hit of the same title). This guy is as talented as any top class musician you know, and is as versatile with his lyrics and music styes as he is with his monikers. He can freestyle, write dope ass lyrics, catchy lines, and sick flows. When I first met him it was for preparation for a fashon show that a next amazing artist and innovator, Jasfy was doing, something that was unprecidented for its time (and haven’t been replicated since). Fast forward a couple years later and he was literally the first person I contacted when I was approached to scout talent to establish a record label here in Belize. We were able to set up a week worth of studio session with Prophit as well as other artists such as Kevin (King Kosa), D. Whisper (Maxx Revenue), and Big Bang among others.

After working with these guys for a couple days I realized that they were the real deal, and I think a lot of people saw the same too. Unfortunately I was not able to deliver on what I initially promised them, but I am satisfied to know that their drive did not diminish and they didn’t allow a little set back to deter them, instead they pushed even harder, and I believe they are establishing themselves to be a voice for a generation of musicians in Belize. I can go on and on with dishing out praise and explaining how proud I am of their accomplishment but I would allow you guys to judge for yourself if Prophit is worthy of my high esteem of him and his work. Here is the insert with my brief exchange catching up with Prophit:

YI – What has been your greatest accomplishment in music thus far?
Prophit – My greatest accomplishment so far is not giving up. I say that because it’s definitely a strugle being an artist full time coming from a place as small as our little jewel, in addtion to that, I’ve beenable to help other artist to realize and pursue their music dream also

YI – What do you envision for the next 5 years for yourself?

Prophit – I see me doing a lot of traveling, exploring new countires and cultures. New experiences inspires new material in my music. I also see myself as a heavy advocate for Belizean music, spreading the word about Belize everywhere the soles of my feet touch.

YI – How do you view the music scene in Belize and how do you think it can be improved?

Prophit – The music scene, even though it needs major improvement, is at one of the highest points it has ever been in terms of the quality of music and artistry. A lot of great music is being produced in the jewel right now. Artists, producers and videographers, as well have really improved the quality and standard of the art they are creating. Consequently, Belizean music can compete visually and sonicaclly with the industry standard across the board in the different genres. It can be improved by having more investment in the arts by the government and private investors to create better infrastructure and platforms for the artRsts and also the public’s support is also a vital part of the growth of the industry.

YI – What do you think is your role as musician from Belize/in Belize?

Prophit – My role is to be a foundation and inspiration to the new generation of artists in Belize, all while reaching the highest point I can in my own career. I feel a sense of responsibility to show the younger generation that it’s actually possible to make it as an artists from Belize if you really focus and be dedicated to the craft. I also want to get to a point where I can continute to help young artists learn the music business.

YI – I know you’ve produced/performed music in various genres, how does this versatility define you?

Prophit – I pride myself on my versality. I believe having the ability to go fully hip-hop and fully dancehall is an asset. There’s not too many artist that can do both genres as seamlessly as I can

YI – Which is your favorite genre to do?

Prophit – Honestly, right now I’m enjoying being dancehall Prophit, but you definitely haven’t seen the last of hip-hop Prophit.

I was going to include a review of a couple of his songs in this article but I will do that in part 2 of this series that I will expand to spotlight some artists that I believe are under rated in Belize. In an effort to shine a light on the amazing talent we have right here in our backyard I will be reviewing 5 songs of 2 artists per month in 2021. Hopefully I am able to conduct some interview with them, and share with you guys some amazing music that you can add to your playlist. Supporting local is more that just buying products made in Belize and small entrepreneurs, let’s support our local artists as well, all artists, musicians included. So be sure to check Prophit out on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube and see how you can support his growth. Same way we support the XXXtentacion, and Chronixx, let’s support our Belizean Prophit.