Words by Jesse Serwer
This past spring, Canadian teenager Lucas Di Pasquale became an unlikely Internet sensation with his acoustic cover medley of songs by dancehall star Popcaan. While dancehall fans worldwide were won over by Lucas’ earnest, emotive take on Hot Skull tunes like “Party Shot,” and “Only Man She Want”, it was in Jamaica where the Toronto native and his impressive command of patois drew the biggest response. This summer saw Lucas touch down on Jamaican soil, where he appeared on the nation’s top celebrity interview program OnStage TV and took the stage during Popcaan’s set at Dream Weekend, turning in one of the most talked-about appearances during the Negril all-inclusive.
During his time in JA, Lucas also hit the studio to record his debut single “Make My Rounds” with Mini of E5 Records, executive producer behind Popcaan’s summer anthem “Unruly Party.” “Make My Rounds,” like “Unruly Party,” is on E5’s Beach Life riddim and, like Popcaan’s hit, it taps into that instrumental’s summer-y vibes. Lucas’ track is very much his own, however, detailing his unique journey from T-Dot to Jamaica. Lyrically, the catchy single addresses both the girl he left back home (“Jamaica got me singing stuff that your mom won’t like/Mi start fi talk like a yadie, everyting nice”) as well as his newfound fans and skeptics in Jamaica (“I know all this talking might be a little bold/But the Poppy mashup is getting kinda old”), justifying his unlikely transition from Canadian cover act to artist in his own right.
Judging by the forwards he got for “Make My Rounds” at Dream Weekend—watch below to see for yourself—he might just have a proper dancehall hit on his hands. Stream the premiere of “Make My Rounds” ahead of its official iTunes release September 9 right here, and tell us what you think in the comments.