Photos By: Carlington Wilmot
Juggling his recording career skillfully, along with a gruelling production schedule, Delly Ranx has kept coming with the goods from the moment he dropped the critically well-received 'Macka Tree', a one–drop rhythm in 2003. It was after that early success that Delly began to link up with Voice Mail, a collaboration that would once again establish him as a recording force to reckon with.
Together, they enjoyed a heady period when they reigned the charts. Now, oddly they have parted ways so much so that Delly said that the group leader Oneil 'only him have little realness and him link me up every now and then'.
"Mi meet Voice Mail in 2004 when it was five of them. They used to sing harmony for me, and then, dem slim down to three. One day, I was at Big Yard, writing a song for Tony Kelly's 'Grinding' when this tune come inna mi head, 'Say She Want It Hard', and same time, dem walk through the gate, and mi say to dem, 'da song ah go buss oonu'.
After that, producer Danny Champagne came up with the idea to team up Voice Mail, Bogle and Delly to do 'Weddy Time'.
"Me go check Bogle pon the corner, and den him come up ah Champagne fi record the tune. Voice Mail and me create the melodies for that tune, and as a result of that song, mi end up get the most improved artiste for 2004," he told YardFlex.com.
VOICE MAIL SWITCHES FROM 'DELLY'
Another hit, 'Ready To Party' followed, and it was produced by Danny Champagne. And then all of a sudden things changed.
"Me and Voice Mail ah gwaan good, and den the man dem get hype and switch pon me, star. Ah so me haffi say, cause mi no do dem nutten, it just happen sudden in about late 2004 and early 2005,and den when Bogle go dead, it further dampen the vibe, and kill the flex, so mi just low dem fi do dem ting," he told YardFlex.com.
"Mi see dem pon many occasions and dem a gwaan like me no exist, dem no memba say ah me help dem build, give dem idea, and show dem how fi rock show, but if yu figet weh yu come from, yu nuh have no where a go, and mi leave dem to time."
In 2005, he found the Rastafarian faith, and began to focus more on his own development as an artiste and producer.
"Everytime me help people, dem end up ah diss me. But me caan stop do it, ah just me that, and me get the blessing fi it from Jah. Mi pray daily and give thanks for life, and take time out of each day for Him."
Delly now has a wonderful working relationship with Big Ship Records.
"Mi have to give thanks to Freddie McGregor, he believes in me, and him see that I am willing to put in the work, and with Chino and Stephen there to support me, me see them as the breddas my mother and father never gave me, freddie is a part of my extended family; we cannot be stopped," he said .
Delly plans to shoot the title track for Ghetto Whisky soon alongside Chino, and will shoot his 'Break Free' video in Canada with director Dionne Wilson from Scarborough, Toronto.
