Keen Cotter aka Mecca

What’s up y’all? I’m back home from attending the 2010 Undaground Music Awards in Bermuda. I am the proud recipient of the PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD voted by YOU – the fans, well-wishers and supporters, and for this I thank you. No matter where in the world you voted from; St. Lucia, St. Vincent, America, Australia, England, every single vote mattered.  50% of the votes says a lot….I appreciate your support. This award is for YOU!

I know I am a few days late with this update and I beg your forgiveness.  Ever since my return from the award show weekend I’ve been locked up working on something big for you guys. I really can’t speak much on it presently but give me some time and everything will be unveiled.

Pics of the trip to Bermuda are posted up at www.Meccamusic.net and at www.facebook.com/youngmecca so log on and check them out. Video footage coming soon too….so stay logged in.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

The Underground Radio Show in Bermuda, on Power 95, is hosting its 6th annual Underground Music Awards on July 10th and the nominees for this year’s awards were announced live on Sunday June 6th. There are 16 categories of which I received 5 nominations:

Best New Artist
Best Male Rap Artist
Best Music Video
Artist of the Year
Song of the year

I am very thankful for these nominations and look forward to representing St. Lucian Hip Hip and urban music to the fullest in Bermuda this July. Thanks to all who voted to get me on the weekly countdown. I appreciate you guys. Keep on supporting.

Here’s the link for more information
http://bermudasun.bm/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=230&ArticleID=46566

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”

It’s a brand new month and as always the hustle continues. Let’s recap this past month:

1. On January 17th was the prize giving ceremony for Youthfest which was held in December of 2009. There were 3 categories of competition; Under 13, Teens and Twenties. As the winner of the Twenties category and overall best performer I was crowned Youthstar 2009.

2. January 22nd – 24th:- Newspaper reviews in The Yo Magazine, The Mirror, The Voice,  and The Star Newspapers.

3. January 24th:- Number 1 on Tha Underground Radio Weekly Top 5 Countdown (Bermuda)

4. Monday January 25th:- Release of  new single “ARE YOU OK” live on Hit Radio.

5. Wednesday January 27th:- Live interview on Blazzin FM. Jah Bami from Tempo was also in the building.

6. Friday January 29th:- “WE MAKE MUSIC VOL. 1″ available on CDBABY.COM. More online stores coming soon…Get your copy today!!!

7. Saturday January 30th:- Article in The Star Newspaper’s “Small Talk” Publication

Stay tuned to your favourite radio station as I release my new single “ARE YOU OK” to radio stations across the island. Online release coming soon. I do promise to keep bringing more music to my fans, supporters and well-wishers in the month of February. So stay locked in to www.meccamusic.net for all the lastest updates.

REMEMBER TO VOTE FOR ME THIS WEEK AND EVERY WEEK IN THA UNDERGROUND WEEKLY TOP 5 COUNTDOWN. VOTING OPENS EVERY MONDAY AND CLOSES EVERY SATURDAY AT MIDNIGHT. COUNTDOWN HAPPENS ON SUNDAY AT 5PM BERMUDAN TIME SO VOTE NOW AND LET’S PUT ST. LUCIA ON THE MAP!!!

“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.”

Sup world? I just want to let you know that we need your votes for a remix contest that is presently going on and my boy Sherwinn “Dupes” Brice is doing good so far, but with your help he could be doing way better.

Here is a new track from T-Pain produced by Sherwinn “Dupes” Brice out of St. Lucia. At present, there is a remix contest going on that requires your vote. So click the link below to cast your vote for Sherwinn Brice…. After you vote an email will be sent to you to confirm your vote. Please complete this step as your vote won’t be counted if you don’t. Everyone who votes stand a chance to win prizes compliments Dupes Did It Music. Enjoy the new Remix to T-Pain’s latest single “Take Your Shirt Off!” VOTE NOW and LETS Put St.Lucia on the Map!!!

http://www.indabamusic.com/submissions/show/11260

For more of my boy Dupes’ productions please visit http://www.myspace.com/youngdupes

Also, vote for me, Young Mecca, on Bermuda’s weekly top 5 countdown. Just click this link http://www.thaunderground.net/Top%205.htm to lock in your vote. Help me get to number 1 this week.

Thanks for the support!!!

“Little by little one walks far”

On Sunday January 17, 2010 I was crowned YOUTHSTAR 2009 for my performance at the annual Caribbean Youthfest in December of last year. This event saw 25 artists vying for top honors in their various categories namely 13-19 and 20-29 in genres ranging from Dancehall, Reggae, R&B and Hip Hop. There would be a winner in all categories with the best overall performer -  me – receiving a trophy and the right to be called Youthstar 2009.

I am proud to be the first ever winner and even prouder as a Hip Hop artist to have won the coveted title. It’s a great win for St Lucian Hip Hop and I hope this will encourage others in this genre to strive and do their best to accomplish the goals that they have set for themselves. Being a Hip Hop artist in the Caribbean is hard but with the progress of youthfest in the years to come I am sure that many avenues will open up for young artists, enabling them to hone their skills and to move forward with their craft.

In the future I would love to see more media coverage for the event, more support from the business community and more publicity and promotion for the winners. Just like Soca has its season and competitions that pave the way for new Soca artists, Youthfest too can pave the way for us who are outside the Soca genre. I would also like to see the promoters of the event consider the forward movement of the artists participating in Youthfest to help better place them in a progressive state of motion. They should consider the artists in their planning before, during and after the event. This is when I think Caribbean Youthfest will truly be accomplishing its goals of exposing new talent. A stage show and competition is just not enough. A foundation should be built upon which individual winners can continue to build themselves. Maybe there should be fewer winners or more cash allocated for the winners and promotional tools such as recording/music video, news paper and magazine reviews, radio and television news reports, and internet presence for the overall winner should be considered. This would go a longer way than just a cash prize and a trip or hotel stay. If Youthfest is really about youth betterment then this is the route they should take.

All in all it was a successful event and I am adamant that there will be greater improvements next year and I do hope that the promoters allow me to be a part of the event planning as I am quite willing to put effort into making Caribbean Youthfest the premiere platform for emerging talent. What better way is there in assisting the youth than to have one of their own who knows what they require?

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Dupes Did It Music and Presidential Media To Release “WE MAKE MUSIC VOL. 1″ Compilation

Dupes Did It Music and Presidential Media gears up for the upcoming release of “We Make Music Vol. 1″, the first installment of its regional compilation series, which will be available for purchase at www.cdbaby.com and www.meccamusic.net as well as all major online and traditional retailers including iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, and Amazon on January 26th, 2010.

Mixed by Sherwinn Brice and Keen Cotter among others, “We Make Music Vol. 1″ will be a sonic wave of eye-opening, eardrum-popping tracks from some of the most promising urban indie talent from St. Lucia and Barbados.

Featuring some of the most promising new talent in the region over top notch production from Sherwinn Brice and appearances by Mecca, Shayne Ross, Cherry L, Kayo, “We Make Music Vol. 1″ builds on the many successes of Dupes Did It Music and Presidential Media and cements their reputation as the home of “We Got Next!!!”

“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”

Shepp released one of the hardest tracks late last year on the go go club riddim. Many people loved it and had it, and still have it, as their ringtones. Shout out to you. We do appreciate the love. “Pon My Bed” is a real hot song and anyone who hasn’t heard it is either living under a rock or just didn’t know it was Shepp Dawg. Nonetheless you can head over to www.myspace.com/shepproc to take a listen and download. Lyrics is tight, flow is wicked, chorus is catchy and it speaks to us modern music lovers so it is understandable why so many people love it.

Shout out to everyone worldwide, especially my Australian peeps, for purchasing our music off itunes. Thanks for the love. We will visit one day. We have much more material to make available to you that I know you are going to enjoy. “WE MAKE MUSIC VOL 1″ is a compilation which features Myself, Shayne Ross and many more artists both established and unknown. It comes out this month so stay locked in for more info. And my new single comes out this month also. I will be sure to update you as everything progresses.

Keep on supporting. Deuces!!!

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

Happy new year…. wishing you all great success and blessings this year. As we venture forth into 2010 I urge everyone to think positivity into their lives, work towards whatever you wish to accomplish and help others when you get to that place you want to be. We need to share the love…ALWAYS!

My website has undergone some changes and as a result I have lost all of my previous blog posts and comments. So it’s a fresh start for me again at the beginning of 2010. I do promise to blog regularly and to keep you updated with everything I do. All I ask is that you read and leave your comments. Some major things are gonna happen for me and PRESIDENTIAL MEDIA this year so be sure to keep loggin in to my blog and website. Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube to be informed. Fans will get the chance to be a part of everything I do and will get many opportunities to walk away with fan gear.

Things to look forward to include: A new single to be released this month, a compilation featuring other artists, music videos from PRESIDENTIAL MEDIA artists and much more. We have 11 more months to go so expect alot of ME!! Keep on supporting as I work to supply you with quality material.

Deuces…

“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”