Richard “Shams” Browne
Without a doubt, Richard Browne has music in his DNA.
Being born into a family that has seen his father, uncles, twin brother and cousins all being involved in music at various levels, it’s no wonder, therefore, that his chosen path in life has been heavily influenced by all things musical.
Formerly going by the moniker ‘Shams’, Browne has since had an epiphany and in that moment he knew that his official name should be ‘Shams The Producer’. Ironically, however, it is through this defining of himself, that Shams the Producer has been able to truly explore his creativity at all levels.
“Right now, I see myself as a young artiste and a young producer and I am targeting a young audience,” states the former manager of the group TOK and artistes Mr.Lexx , Da’ville and M’Lonie.
Recognizing that the music business has shifted from being producer-driven to artistedriven, the 21-year veteran has been forced to adapt somewhat, while staying true to his “old school” way of doing things and not allowing artistes to dictate the terms under which music is produced.
Already, he has released his first production for 2018, a five-track EP titled Original Carbon Riddim, released on B-Rich Records and distributed by VPAL Music and which features some of the best names in the genre.
Among the projects in the pipeline are a Dancehall compilation to be released in the summer and a work-in-progress undertaking which will see the digital release of songs released close to a decade ago on vinyl only and which have stood the test of time.
The versatile Browne, who made his production debut in 1997 with the Gypsy Riddim, and its mega follow-up hit, aptly entitled The Baddis Riddim (‘98) and subsequently the Grass Cyaat (‘99) and Orgasm, has served his apprenticeship in multi categories before finally deciding to focus his undeniable talent on the production side of the music business. Among the many musical hats that he has worn with distinction are: Record Producer (Call Me Shams Productions and B-Rich Records); Audio Engineer, A & R consultant and last but not least, Bass Player. (“I jumped out of the womb playing the bass,” he says casually.)
Shams The Producer’s musical journey has seen him touring/performing with artistes including Sean Paul, Shaggy, T.O.K., Anthony B, Gyptian, Ikea, Queen Ifrica and the Courtney John Project, which involved a musical fusion of Dancehall, Dubstep and EDM. His list of credits is impressive and shows him actively contributing to the development of the music through other producers/labels including the Wanted Riddim,
produced by Bobby Konders’ Massive B label; the Show Off Riddim – TJ Records; Daseca Productions and more recent, Romain Virgo’s hit single, “NOW” produced by Frenchie for MaximumSound (UK). Browne also has musician credits on five of the tracks on Queen Ifrica’s 2017 album, “Climb”.
As he so passionately states: “Music has always been my passion, even if you don’t see me in the forefront, I’m always actively working on some project, be it mine or other producers’. I do music 100%.”
Shams The Producer promises that there will be much more to come for 2018 and beyond.