Verse Simmonds on 'Rude Boy', The Fugees & Virgin Island Roots

When it comes to Verse Simmonds, he is a fave for many of your faves. The Virgin Islands repping Recording Artist/Producer/Songwriter has been responsible for some of your favorite hits over the years. From Rihanna’s “Man Down”, to Justin Bieber’s “Confident”, to Ro James’ “Permission”, not only is Verse sick with the pen, but he can enhance your music with the right sound, or with the right lyrics.

With plenty of singles, mixtapes, EPs, and guest features to his name, Verse Simmonds looks to bring his Afro-Caribbean sound and more to the rest of the world with his new album titled, 'Rude Boy'. We recently had a chat with him at Hype Off Life to discuss his Caribbean roots, his musical influences, Artists to watch in the Virgin Islands, his single “Gunstown”, and more!

You’ve described your sound as “Island B”, a mash-up of Hip Hop, R&B, Reggae, and Calypso. Which artists have influenced your style the most?

It’s a group of artists that have influenced me. Artists like Jay-Z, Babyface, and Bob Marley are a few. But, my influences come from a lot of different places. I pull my influences from some of the African artists, and Calypso and Soca artists like Machel Montano. Just a large variety of people.

As an artist, you already know the power of music to change lives. Which albums defined your life the most?

The Fugees - The Score. Yeah. Like, you know what I mean? Like just being a Carribean kid and being able to see people that are kinda similar to you and your upbringing, it kinda moved me and pushed me in a direction when I started, it just really made me feel included in music, you know?

What was your favorite track off that album?

I loved the Sly & Robbie remix of “Fu-Gee-La”. “Call Mr Madden, tell him to build a Coffin…”.

When it comes to projects you're known to put out many under the same concept, what gave you the idea to start the “F*ck Your Feelings” series?

I wanted to give my fans more music from me, you know? I got a song that’s popping on the radio and just remixed them with an R&B style similar to Lil Wayne’s remix run back in the day. So the FYF series was me just coming into whatever world a song is in, and put my sauce in there.

Your “Circa 96” project was another good concept. What significance does 1996 hold in your life?

If you look back at the music from the 90s, 1996 was a great year for some dope releases. That music is probably my favorite era of music, and I wanted to create a project that kind of felt like that time. Nobody was really doing it, but now you see a lot of people doing similar stuff. There’s a track out that I worked on with YFN Lucci and Trey Songz called “All Night Long” which could have definitely been on “Circa 96” because it’s on an old school beat with a new flavor.

You’re currently promoting the single “Gunstown”, what type of vibe were you going for when you made it?

For me, “Gunstown” and everything under that as a part of a new project I’m working on, is just about connecting back with my roots, connecting back to where I'm from. It’s about connecting back with my core audience and getting back to a more authentic me.

So, the video for “Gunstown” was shot in the Virgin Islands (USVI), and the reason for that was I wanted people to be able to connect with where I'm from and the people. For those who didn’t know, now know that I have a Caribbean background, and moving forward I’ll be working on more Afro-Caribbean and Latin vibes.

What was it like growing up in the Virgin Islands?

It was simple, I come from a humble beginning like many others. I moved around a lot as a kid, but everything that I’ve done, and all of my inspirations can be traced back to the Virgin Islands as it has been the biggest factor in my life.

What's the music scene like out there?

The music scene is very Calypso/Soca and Reggae/Dancehall driven. We are very small Island, so the scene is not very big. We have our own style that compliments with the rest of the Island. Overall, I think we have a great music scene in the Virgin Islands with a lot of energy and vibes.

Are there any artists from the Island that you're feeling right now?

Rock City are my guys, and they have made a name for themselves outside the Island with many being familiar with their work. Pressure Busspipe is another artist who has been doing great things, and then my homie Scarzeo who is building his name out there. The Virgin Islands has a lot of dope artists that the world will soon be familiar with.

Aside from putting out dope music, what else is next for you?

I'm getting ready to put out this 'Rude Boy' project. Like I said before, it will be a mix of Afro-Caribbean, Reggae/Dancehall, and Latin music on there. It’s an International album with a vibe for all your needs, and you’re gonna love this. I’m looking to drop it at the top of the year, and keep the energy going. I’m excited as people are getting into more of the type of music that I’m doing.