As if Brummell “B-Man” Germain’s two businesses, One Shot Entertainment and First Phase Datacomm, didn’t keep him busy enough, the St. John native is kicking off his music career with his first CD, featuring lead single “That Boogie,” and bonus track “Ready.”
Germain, who plans on having a full album out later this summer, describes his music as a fusion of genres.
“I’m calling it a fusion of hip hop and dancehall,” Germain said. “Being from the islands, it allows us to be a little more versatile with what we can do with music. We pretty much fit under two umbrellas, as far as being in the islands and still being a territory of the U.S.”
Germain hopes to bring something different to the hip hop genre, which has become repetitive, he explained.
Hip Hop/Reggae Mix
“Instead of doing straight hip hop, I’m mixing it with a little bit of reggae, so it’s more up tempo,” said Germain. “The whole album will be mostly hip hop, and there’s a few songs where we do mix it up.”
The producers that Germain worked with in Chicago, where he recorded the CD at Studio Chicago, were surprised by the mixing of genres, Germain explained.
“When I was recording, a lot of the guys I was around, like producers, were blown away with the fact you can go from dancehall to hip hop and be able to go back and forth and mix it like that,” he said. “The response we got was really good. People don’t want to hear what they know about already — they want a different feel.”
Germain, who has been writing music for a while, finally decided it was time for his new style to debut.
Love for the Music
“I think now is a good time to add something different and new, because music is changing so much,” said Germain. “I started with writing poetry, and it took a little more courage to actually go in and start recording. Just the love for music itself is enough to motivate me and drive me to want to put it out there.”
Once Germain decided he was ready to record his music, a friend of his from Chicago put him in contact with producers in the area, the musician explained.
“I sat down and spoke about it with a friend of mine who visits here from Chicago every year,” said Germain. “It took a year for it all to come together to the point where I actually left St. John to record. I went to Chicago, met with the producers and explained to them the kind of music that I’m trying to get into.”
“They were really happy with it,” Germain added.
Germain, who creates his own lyrics and music, introduced his first single to the world by giving out copies at the Super Bowl in Miami.
Superbowl Debut
“That was my initial attempt to put it out there, because there were so many people in the industry there,” said Germain. “I got some pretty good feedback from it. A lot of people that I handed out the CD to actually did email me back with their response; it was a good feel.”
The Virgin Islands’ response to Germain’s music has been positive as well, he explained.
“I’ve gotten really good feedback from people here too,” said Germain. “They debuted my single on 105 Jamz, and people called in and said they liked it and that it should be played.”
The full-length CD, which Germain also plans to record in Chicago, is an expression of the musician’s feelings, he explain-ed.
Reflection of Experiences
“The CD I’m going to be coming out with is going to be an expression of my feelings musically, so to speak, because I feel music is an outlet for you to express yourself,” Germain said. “It’ll have a nice vibe to it. I have a couple tracks on there that you can dance to, and there will be some personal songs on there that are just a reflection of a lot of the things I’ve experienced.”
Germain is also looking forward to live performances, he explained.
“I’m actually getting myself to the point where I can do a live performance,” said Germain. “I want to be able to put a few of my songs out there live.”
Another of Germain’s goals when it comes to his music career is putting together a music video.
“A video is one of our more short-term goals, and we’re going to market it heavy on the Web too,” said Germain. “Music has taken off on the Web. A lot of people go there first instead of even going to the stores.”
V.I. Has Talented Artists
In the meantime, Germain’s single, “That Boogie,” is in the hands of 105 Jamz and several local DJs who the musician has worked with through his company, One Shot Entertainment.
Germain hopes to let the world know that the Virgin Islands is home to many talented musicians, he explained.
“We’re going to do our best to make it a reflection of the Virgin Islands as a whole, and try to put little St. John out there,” said Germain.
For more information on Germain’s music visit www.myspace.com/bmanvi, or see Germain for a free CD.
