Black-Er. has changed his stage name to Donte, his given name. - file

Stage name: Black-er

Real name: Donte Dawyer

Birth date: August 4

Which high school did you attend?

Kingston College

How did you get started in the business?

Well, I used to have a sound downtown on King Street called Super Rock. Use to deejay on the sound then a met Rory from Stone Love, him hear mi sing a song called Request Di Wuk an him seh him want it on dub plate. next was di song Pickney Nah Whole Man Again weh him put pon dub plate too, an' di song dem start get popular everywhere, all foreign.

Then a went to New York wid Stone Love and met Alton Black an' do di song Gal Jus A Watch U and ting started from dere. Later met in an accident and Alton died, came back to Jamaica changed my name from Blakka Ranks to Black-er.

What has been your greatest challenge in the business yet?

Well, in di deejay business, was to get a number one.

What have you been up to lately?

Working on my album for Big Yard called Skettel King, mi have a single off di album wid Kerry Page name Sticky weh a gwaan good. Mi next song with Kiprich called Boasy, di video fi dat a gwaan good.

Do you look up to any specific artiste?

Yeah man, Shabba.

Are you happy with the way things are going for your career right now?

Well, not 100 per cent happy but could be better, jus put out hard work more to make it in all di four corners.

Anything you'd like to change about it?

One thing, I'm gonna be doing more videos now than before, di people dem seem fi love my videos.

What are your future plans?

Fi reach to BET, VH1 and MTV circuits an' cross over, like Shaggy, Sean Paul and Junior Gong.

Do you have any advice for young artistes coming up?

Come wid nice and clean songs, if yuh a go do gangster songs do clean ones, because these songs don't usually go anywhere. Do songs mek people love yuh an can remember yuh fi it.

-Tanola Jackson