Mecca (musician)

Last updated
The Mecca
Birth nameKeen Cotter
Also known asThe Mecca; Young Mecca
Born (1983-07-22) July 22, 1983 (age 40)
Laborie, St. Lucia
GenresHip-Hop/Pop/EDM
Occupation(s)musical artist
Years active1998-Present
Website www.youngmecca.com
Press Photo 2023 The Mecca.jpg
Press Photo 2023

The Mecca, formerly Young Mecca, is a St. Lucian hip hop/pop/EDM artist and songwriter. Growing up on the island of St. Lucia, he was one of the brave to defy norms and to move towards a more urban musical art form despite the dominance of other genres like soca and calypso. Part of his early popularity arose from his performances at stage shows opening for regional and international acts.

Contents

Early life and career beginnings

The Mecca was born Keen Cotter on July 22, 1983. He grew up in the southern fishing village of Laborie, St. Lucia and while in secondary school, Mecca began to pursue a music career. He started off by performing dancehall tracks by Red Rat and then moved on to hip hop tracks by Puff Daddy, Mase and Biggie Smalls. He was invited to perform alongside toasting champion Dj Grinch and this led to a healthy songwriting relationship for a few years. The Mecca's first original single and release was "Punk Daddy" in 1998.

2001-2010

Teaming up with fellow Laborian artist Shepp Dawg, the duo formed Rhymaz Inc and released two mixtapes within six months - Riddim Rydez Vol. 1 & 2. These mixtapes allowed for The Mecca and Shepp to open for Elephant Man, Wayne Marshall, Kiprich and Assassin.

2003 to 2006 were the true initiation years for Mecca. Under the Rhymaz Inc umbrella he executive produced three mixtapes; Mixtape 1 (2004), Mixtape 2 (2005), White Smoke (2006), all of which featured Rhymaz Inc counterpart Shepp Dawg, Dj Grinch, Dj Kapish and production from Sherwinn "Dupes" Brice. In 2004 Mecca saw his first hits with "In Da South" which featured his first ever music video and "Don't Cry," a tribute to Jany Williams - calypso queen, who died that same year. Both tracks were produced by Dupes and featured Shepp Dawg.

In 2005 Rhymaz Inc. had another hit song in "Yes Garcon" performed by Shepp Dawg and co-written by The Mecca. "Impossible" was released in 2006 and was seated at number 1 on local charts for twelve consecutive weeks. This hip hop - zouk fusion featured Dupes and production from French producer Dj Lams.

The Mecca's first solo effort, Catch Me If You Can, came in 2007. This 17 track record featured Dupes, Shepp Dawg and Texas based rappers Hoodhefna and Ill-Tactics with "Stay Fresh" being the radio single.

Rhymaz Inc was then rebranded in 2008 under the banner Presidential Media. Under this new brand Mecca and Shepp released yet another collaboration mixtape - Certified Royalty. Riding off this mixtape's success Mecca went on to release "Never Enough" and "Hello (What It Do)" in 2009. Later that same year he was crowned Youthstar 2009 [1] after winning the inaugural Youthfest Competition.

Over the years The Mecca has produced and co-written albums, mixtapes, singles and compilations for other artists in genres ranging from Gospel to Hip-Hop, Dancehall to Soca, Pop and Rock. When 2010 came around he was nominated for five Underground Music Awards in Bermuda taking home the People's Choice Award. [2]

2011-2013: Mecca Mondays

On May 2, 2011, The Mecca embarked on a weekly endeavour to release one new single every Monday [3] for a total of 52 weeks, and on April 23, 2012, St. Lucian music history was made. Not only did he accomplish his goal of successfully releasing a weekly song but he surpassed this with a total of 73 songs released within a one-year period. Dupes played a big part in the whole Mecca Mondays feat being the producer behind majority of the records. Other artists like Shepp Dawg, Twizzy and new talents like Travis Jules and Grapes Johnson were also featured on a few singles.

At the end of it all The Mecca released 73 songs, 6 music videos, a two part cd compilation, a digital book and 3 mixtapes namely: Alienated, [4] Initial Contact and Rated F to cap it off. Kingz And Monsters then followed in June 2012. In that same year he was nominated for the Most Outstanding Youth in the Performing Arts Award at the National Youth Awards in his homeland St. Lucia.

Then another mixtape was brought forth the following year - The Mecca's EDM centered mixtape Futha Muckin' Pop Star. [5] Released in January 2013 Futha Muckin Pop Star is an embodiment of fist-pumping, dance-floor thumping tracks with border crossing duets and pop culture commentary. Consisting of 13 electronic dance music songs, the mixtape touches on various topics ranging from partying and lust to relationships and everyday living, all brought to life with uncanny imagery and witty lyricism.

2014 - Present [6]

Since the culmination of Mecca Mondays, The Mecca has had noted success in the music industry. In 2014 his single ZOOM ZOOM [7] was featured in numerous workout DVD's as well as VH1's "Single Ladies" and Fox's "Red Band Society,” and then featured again in "Chasing Life" on ABC Family in 2015 and Netflix's "Fuller House" [8] in 2017. His single FLAT STOMACH was the premiere single at the 2014 Labo Ethnik Fashion & Lifestyle week [9] in Paris.

In November 2023, The Mecca had another synch placement on Netflix when his song "Demons" was used in a feature film called "The Killer" [10] starring Michael Fassbender. This was the artist's first film placement.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Tribe Called Quest</span> American hip hop group

A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985, originally composed of rapper and main producer Q-Tip, rapper Phife Dawg, DJ and co-producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and rapper Jarobi White. The group is regarded as a pioneer of alternative hip hop and merging jazz with hip hop, influencing numerous hip hop and R&B musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabolous</span> American rapper (born 1977)

John David Jackson, known professionally as Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition while still a senior in high school, when he performed live on American music executive DJ Clue's radio show, then on Hot 97. Jackson subsequently signed to DJ Clue's Desert Storm imprint, and later secured a distribution deal with major-label, Elektra. Jackson gained prominence with his first release, Ghetto Fabolous (2001), which spawned the hit singles "Can't Deny It" and "Young'n ". His second release was 2003's Street Dreams, which was supported by two US top 10 singles, "Can't Let You Go" and "Into You".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bizarre (rapper)</span> American rapper

Rufus Johnson, better known by his stage name Bizarre, is an American rapper, best known for his work with the Detroit-based hip hop group D12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Brother (group)</span> American hip hop duo

Little Brother is an American hip hop duo from Durham, North Carolina that consists of rappers Phonte and Big Pooh. DJ and producer 9th Wonder was an original member of the group but departed in 2007. The group has produced five acclaimed studio albums and six mixtapes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Rock</span> American rapper from California

Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr., better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, he signed to indie label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), in 2005. Under TDE, Rock secured a record deal in 2007 with Warner Bros. Records and later Asylum Records, but mergers fell through and Rock departed from the label shortly after. He then signed with fellow American rapper Tech N9ne's Strange Music, in a joint-venture deal with TDE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Termanology</span> American rapper

Daniel Domingo Carrillo, better known by his stage name Termanology, is an American rapper and record producer. He first gained major attention with the 2006 single "Watch How It Go Down". A solo album, Politics as Usual, was released in 2008. He has made a number of collaborative albums, such as 1982 and is known also for his prolific mixtape output. He is of Puerto Rican and French descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B.o.B discography</span>

The discography of American rapper and record producer B.o.B consists of seven studio albums, five compilation albums, three extended plays (EPs), 26 mixtapes, 51 singles, 14 promotional singles, and 76 music videos.

Teyon Isiah Winfree, better known by his stage name Vado, is an American rapper from New York. He formed the hip hop duo U.N. with hometown native Cam'ron in 2009, releasing two regionally acclaimed collaborative albums: Heat in Here Vol. 1 (2010) and Gunz n' Butta (2011), as well as the mixtape series, Boss of All Bosses. Vado then signed a solo recording contract with DJ Khaled's We the Best Music Group, an imprint of Cash Money and Republic Records in 2013 to release his debut commercial single, "My Bae" the following year. Although failing to reach mainstream success, Vado made notable guest appearances on Khaled's studio albums We the Best Forever (2011), Suffering from Success (2013), and I Changed a Lot (2015); he continued releasing mixtapes for the New York audience until departing We the Best in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Rock discography</span>

American rapper Jay Rock has released three studio albums, 10 mixtapes, 12 singles and 30 music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kid Ink</span> American rapper and record producer (born 1986)

Brian Todd Collins, known professionally as Kid Ink, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He released his debut independent album Up & Away in 2012, following an EP titled Almost Home, and his first major studio album My Own Lane in 2014. The latter spawned the singles "Show Me", "Iz U Down", and "Main Chick". On February 3, 2015, he released his third studio album Full Speed, which spawned the singles "Body Language", "Hotel", and "Be Real".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonny Digital</span> American record producer, rapper, and DJ

Sonny Corey Uwaezuoke, better known by his stage name Sonny Digital, is an American record producer, rapper, and DJ. He rose to prominence after producing YC's hit single "Racks" in 2011. He is best known for his production on ILoveMakonnen's "I Dont Sell Molly No More" and "Tuesday" featuring Drake, Future's single "Same Damn Time", 50 Cent's "I'm the Man" and 2 Chainz's "Birthday Song", as well as the XXL Freshman Cyphers for 2017 and 2018. He has worked with multiple hip-hop artists, such as Future, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Drake, Chief Keef, 50 Cent, and more.

Kevin Erondu, better known as K.E. on the Track, is an American record producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kid Ink discography</span>

The discography of Kid Ink, an American rapper, consists of four studio albums, three extended plays, eight mixtapes and thirty-six singles.

Digi+Phonics is an African American hip hop production team, composed of California-based record producers Tae Beast, Sounwave, Dave Free and Willie B. They currently serve as the main in-house producers for Carson-based record label, Top Dawg Entertainment. Digi+Phonics work significantly on projects from all the members of hip hop supergroup Black Hippy, who are also signed to Top Dawg and is composed of rappers Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, and Ab-Soul. Their best known productions include "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" by Kendrick Lamar, "There He Go" by Schoolboy Q, and "Terrorist Threats" by Ab-Soul. They frequently co-produce songs together and put the finishing touches on the projects released by Top Dawg Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skeme</span> American rapper (born 1990)

Lonnie Kimble, better known by his stage name Skeme, is an American rapper from Inglewood, California. Skeme has collaborated with various West Coast rappers such as the group Black Hippy, Bizzy Bone, The Game, Dom Kennedy, Nipsey Hussle, E-40, Casey Veggies and Problem among others. In 2012, Skeme released his debut studio album Alive & Living under RBC Records. His second studio album Ingleworld was released in 2013 by MADE Headlines.

Leland Tyler Wayne, known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer, record executive, and DJ. He is known for his dark production style and its influence on modern hip hop and trap. He is also notable in the music industry for his producer tags "If Young Metro don't trust you, I'm gon' shoot you", “Metro!” and "Metro Boomin want some more, nigga", respectively spoken by frequent collaborators Future and Young Thug; additional collaborators include Kanye West, The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Drake, 21 Savage, Nav, and Gucci Mane.

Tanner Petulla, known professionally as Getter, is an American DJ, producer, rapper and actor from San Jose, California.

Robert Lee Gill Jr., better known by his stage name Reason, is an American rapper and songwriter. He is signed to hip hop record label Top Dawg Entertainment, where he started to gain recognition. His TDE debut, There You Have It, was released on September 28, 2018, a re-release of an album from 2017. His major label debut album New Beginnings was released on October 9, 2020.

William Seay Moore known professionally as DJ Esco, is an American DJ, record producer, record executive, and songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Whiss</span> Canadian rapper (born 1992)

Jordan Whiston, better known by his stage name Jay Whiss, is a Canadian rapper and songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. He first gained international attention after the release of the single "Watch This", which appeared on OVO Sound Radio in late 2015. Whiss also appeared on the Noisey documentary 6IX RISING (2017), which showcased hip hop culture in Canada. He is one-third of the hip hop collective Prime Boys, alongside Jimmy Prime and Donnie. Prime Boys released their debut studio album Koba World on July 27, 2018; the album received a 9/10 score by Exclaim!. Whiss was also featured in the short film Remember Me, Toronto (2019) by Mustafa the Poet.

References

  1. ↑ "Youth Fest 2009 delivers 'Big Time' St. Lucia News The Voice - The national newspaper of St. Lucia since 1885, St. Lucia Newspaper, The Voice St. lucia, Saint Lucia, News". www.thevoiceslu.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  2. ↑ "Keen Cotter aka Mecca Nominated For Five Music Awards Archived 2012-03-25 at the Wayback Machine ", Yo!, 3 July 2010, retrieved 2011-06-19
  3. ↑ "Mondays Belong To Young Mecca | St. Lucia Voice News". www.thevoiceslu.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-18. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  4. ↑ "Young Mecca is Alien". The St. Lucia STAR. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  5. ↑ "Young Mecca Is A Futha Muckin Pop Star : Artist releases new mixtape (St Lucia Music 2013) - Caribbean Online Magazine". Caribbean Online Magazine. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  6. ↑ "Much More Music Left In Me Says 'The Mecca' - St. Lucia News From The Voice St. Lucia". St. Lucia News From The Voice St. Lucia. 2016-10-31. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
  7. ↑ "Mecca's Zoom Zoom Featured on Vh1" . Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  8. ↑ "The Mecca | Hip-Hop/Pop/EDM Artist". The Mecca | Hip-Hop/Pop/EDM Artist. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
  9. ↑ "thebahamasweekly.com - St Lucian recording artist Mecca's song "Flat Stomach" to hit Paris fashion runway". www.thebahamasweekly.com. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  10. ↑ "St Lucian Artist The Mecca Scores Second Netflix Sync with New Film 'The Killer'". THE STAR - St Lucia. 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.