Ell Gad eyes big things with ‘Progression’
Fast-emerging dancehall artiste Ell Gad plans to use his versatility, experiences and motivational melodies to "separate the noise from the art" in music.
Speaking to THE STAR just moments after releasing his latest single - Progression - the artiste revelled in the feedback the track has been receiving. He said he was expecting it "because a lot of the persons close to me and some of my fans know how talented I am".
"But it still comes as a shocker to many because [the song] is filled with a lot of raw energy and expressions with regards to coming from the mud and making it from nothing to something. It also has that motivational drive, not just in the lyrics but also sonically - how the song sounds," he said.
"[ Progression] is like a hustlers' soundtrack - you coming up from the gutter and the trenches and you can now hustle to reach somewhere. You can even hear the positive connotation in even the title of the song and it's one that speaks on positivity, drive and ambition - a go-getter mindset," he added.
He underscored that the song's concept has always been an extension of his personal mantra and beliefs and expressed gratitude for finally being able to creatively channel his inner thoughts in a way to inspire others.
"It's just now a case of me putting pen to paper and expressing it verbally and sonically. The title really came through the mantra 'Progression is a muss until mi leave Earth' and that's like my mantra. Anything I experience in life, I always put it in a musical format so my music tends to always come from a real and authentic place," said the Cold Face artiste, whose given name is Christopher Ellis.
Progression, which has racked up more than 107,000 views and more than 4,000 likes on YouTube since its release last Friday, is filled with valuable life and street lessons. Ell Gad expressed confidence that it will impact his career by "stating his claim in dancehall".
"I'm here as an upcoming column in dancehall that's here to stay - not just for the hype of the moment but for the longevity," he boldly claimed. "I also expect [the song] to have a huge impact on the youth dem weh come up inna di struggles similar to how I came up in the struggles and having the drive to be more than how yuh see yourself now."
He described himself as diverse artiste, said his aim is to touch on different emotional spectrums that persons can feel at any particular time.
"Even though the market is currently saturated with the violence, the aggression and negativity, I'm gonna touch on other topics in ways that no other dancehall artistes before me has never done before," he said, adding that his catalogue of songs ranges from ladies' anthems and 'street songs', to motivational messages and songs for a more mature audience.
The artiste, who is currently in the UK, said he's working on an EP, titled Bars and Chapters.
Opining that dancehall is an "amazing place right now", Ell Gad said he is fine-tuning and elevating his craft to "get a piece addi pie".