At just 13, Demario Cooper is making a bold entrance into Jamaica’s storied reggae landscape, carrying himself with a level of focus that belies his age.
The Spanish Town High School student is gearing up to drop his debut album, I AM HIM, later this month under SG Records and Jaus Col Entertainment — a major first step in what could be a remarkable journey.
Though he still juggles classes, homework and teenage life, Cooper says his mission in music is crystal clear. When asked what listeners should expect from the project, he didn’t hesitate: “Positivity and joy.”
While he hasn’t begun penning his own lyrics just yet, the young singer says his artistic direction is heavily influenced by the legends he admires. His studio routine is already built on structure and preparation.
“Listen the track, learn the lyrics and melody, then once I feel like I have that locked, then I would go to the studio and sing it better than the demo if there was any,” he said.
Despite the growing buzz around his name, Cooper insists school comes first.
“They don’t clash because school time is school time while I focus on music after school or on the weekends.”
Still, his dreams stretch far beyond the classroom. Though many of his inspirations are no longer alive, he has a shortlist of living artistes he hopes to one day share a track with.
“I would love to collaborate with Chronixx, Romain Virgo, Beres Hammond plus a few more but those are the main ones.”
And he isn’t shy about his ultimate goal.
“I see myself as an artiste breaking a lot of reggae records, on billboards being number one making Jamaica proud.”
When the spotlight dims, Cooper reverts to regular teen mode.
“Play cricket, play games, sleeping, eat some good food and being outdoors,” he said, listing his favourite downtime activities.
Performing, however, has given him an edge among his peers.
“Once I am doing music I seem to always have people’s attention.” Still, managing it all is no easy feat.
“The hardest part is not having enough time to do as much as I want. Because school is important, my music is important and having fun is important. But it just don’t seem like I have enough time to do everything.”
Behind the scenes, industry guidance has been key. George ‘Slaughta’ Wright of SG Records has been instrumental in shaping Cooper’s early career.
“He grew up around me and always loved music. Just overheard him singing one day. I was so shocked of his voice and his choice of songs he was singing. I decided to video record him casually singing one day. Then I heard something special, and brought him into the studio,” Slaughta said.
Protecting the teen’s childhood remains a priority for the team.
“He has no pressure at all. We handle all pressure for him, while letting him just be a kid and enjoy music. That’s very important to us,” Slaughta added.
Cooper appears on the reggae compilation, Love Revelation Riddim, which recently claimed the number one spot on the iTunes reggae charts. He has also released a single titled Waiting.
With ambition in his heart and seasoned hands guiding his steps, this youngster is positioning himself as reggae’s next headline act.
