GTyouths makes statement with new single

Guyana-born artiste GTyouths kick-started the year by amplifying the concerns of the voiceless in his reggae song System Set Away.

Co-produced by his GTyouths Productionz outfit and Kaieteur Fallz Records, the track addresses everything, from some politicians not being held accountable for wrongdoing to the unanswered questions surrounding COVID-19.

"I try to release a song on the first of every year since I started voicing, and this particular song is just me venting," GTyouths told THE STAR. "For some reason, reggae is being watered down and the artistes are not saying what you really feel, or what people are actually feeling. They're trying to please corporate, and that's not what the core of reggae music is. I think reggae music is the voice of the voiceless, so I needed to make a statement."

Based in the United States, the singer said he was told that the song would not receive radio play in his home country, but that did not sway him.

"I would love if I can make a living off it (music), but I'm just doing music because I need to get stuff off my chest."

Song boosted visibility

Ironically, he said the song has been his most commercially successful one and has boosted his visibility.

Given name Owen Adams, GTyouths described dancehall music as part of his culture while growing up in Guyana, but he had no intentions of pursuing a music career. This changed after he migrated to the US as a teenager. He went to Suny Cobleskill College, where he became a DJ.

"Ever so often, an artiste, usually American, would come to me and ask how this sounds and they would take my advice. I was always into music, so I said maybe I can give my input into songs or ideas. So when I left college, I started meeting up with artistes in 2006 and doing what I was doing in college," he said.

He did this through his label, representing 'Guyanese youths'. He has worked with Jamaican artistes, including Insideeus, Flexx (Double X), and Echo Dan; Guyanese acts like OJ Marley, Fojo and Ballys; and Osie from Trinidad and Tobago. He also ventured into songwriting, but decided to embark on a recording career in 2017 with the encouragement of a Jamaican producer, after he submitted a demo for another artiste.

The journey was initially rough, as he said he didn't get the anticipated support. He eventually "developed thick skin and looked to myself for my own empowerment".

He still writes and produces for other people, even receiving the Linden Music Award for Songwriting of the Year for a second consecutive year in 2021. He has a current collaboration with Brandon Harding called Loco Loco, and an upcoming one with Flexx called Stab Inna Back. An EP and album are also in the works.