From BlacSpade to Rasta BlacSpade

Rastafarian reggae singjay BlacSpade, the artiste who got a fair share of popularity with his song selected in the finals of the 40th Anniversary IRAWMA (International Reggae and World Music Awards) 2023, has changed his name to Rasta BlacSpade. The new moniker took effect just a matter of two weeks ago.

This a number of artistes go through for several reasons, one of which is having to deal with several similar monikers of that nature. This could cause confusion, especially with the great influence social media has on one’s career.

“I took on the BlacSpade moniker from I was a youth. I was then about 14 years old, attending Tacius Golding High School in St. Catherine, Jamaica. Friends used to call me Spade because Wade is my first name. This cemented my liking because I used to listen to a sound system that had a popular personality called Spade, a name I love even now.”

“Having drawn to the rasta culture, I assumed the addition of Blac because rasta defines black culture. This name (BlacSpade) reigned for several years until I found out there were several BlacSpades out there in the music landscape. This was causing confusion, so I decided to add Rasta which now makes my stage name Rasta BlacSpade.”

“The feedback is good and there are signs that in a matter of months, this will even increase my fanbase which will have a significant growth with the release of my six-track EP.”

Rasta BlacSpade, born Wade Anthony Douglas, grew up in Browns Hall, St. Catherine. He was seen as a talented student at school and recorded his first song, ‘Nuh Heart Nuh Leap’, in 2012.

He has performed on several high-profile shows, the most recent being the 30th Anniversary of the African Caribbean International Festival of Life in Chicago, US. Among the list of world-renowned artists was Jamaican reggae sensation Capleton.

Rasta BlacSpade is now working with Thug Chemist Muzik, a veteran record producer based in the US.

(Photo contributed)