Rupert Clarke (born September 10, 1975), best known by his

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Rupee, is a

soca music Soca music, or the "soul of calypso", is a genre of music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1970s. It is considered an offshoot of Calypso music, calypso, with influences from Afro–Trinidadians and Tobagonians, Afro-Trinidadian a ...

ian from

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

. He was born in the military barracks in Germany to a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

mother and a Bajan father, who was serving in the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...

at the time. He later migrated to Barbados. He was signed to

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

Early life

By the age of nine, Rupee had lived in three different countries - Germany, England, and Barbados. Spending his first years in England, he was exposed to a contrast of sounds which reflected his parents' diverse backgrounds: calypso on the side of his

West Indian A West Indian is a native or inhabitant of the West Indies (the Antilles and the Lucayan Archipelago). According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED''), the term ''West Indian'' in 1597 described the indigenous inhabitants of the West In ...

father, pop and rock and roll from his mother. He and his siblings would often perform on stage, coming up with all sorts of chants, rhymes and antics to tease the audience. Rupee eventually moved to Barbados in 1985. He had his first major break after winning the Richard Stoute Teen Talent Competition in 1993, when he was a schoolboy at Harrison College.

Career

1997–2000: Coalishun

Rupee emerged on the local soca scene after being invited to join the then popular Bajan band, Coalishun, along with singers like Terencia Coward and Adrian Clarke in 1997. Though initially more

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...

oriented, Rupee would find himself settling into the soca genre, a genre indigenous to

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

. This was marked by the release of his first hit single, "Ice Cream".

2000–present: Solo

"Ice Cream" was followed by a string of hit songs from three self-released solo albums. "Jump", from his first album, won Rupee repeated

Road March The Carnival Road March is the musical composition played most often at the "judging points" along the parade route during a Caribbean Carnival. Originating as part of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, the term has been applied to other Caribbea ...

titles at carnivals in Barbados,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

and

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

. " Tempted to Touch", from his second album, enjoyed over two years of international club play, spreading to urban and pop radio in Toronto and Miami. It became the catalyst for Rupee’s worldwide deal with

, as well as the first single from his '' 1 on 1'' album released in December 2004. The album itself introduced elements of flamenco and gospel into soca music. Before deciding to pursue music full-time, Rupee explored other careers. After completing an associate degree in Graphic Arts from the

Barbados Community College The Barbados Community College is a tertiary institution located on Eyrie Howells' Road, Saint Michael, Barbados. History Founded in 1968, the Barbados Community College came to be as a result of an Act of Parliament aimed at making post seco ...

, he remained in that field for some time, working with two public relations/advertising agencies in Barbados.

Discography

Albums

*2001: ''Blame On It de Music'' *2002: ''Leave a Message'' *2003: ''Thisisrupee.com'' *2004: '' 1 on 1''

Singles

*2004: " Tempted to Touch" *2004: "What Happens in de Party" *2005: "Hands Up" *2006: "Massage" *2006: "Frenzy" *2007: "Slow Motion" *2008: "Magnet to Steel" *2008: "Living Lies" *2008: "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" *2009: "Standing Up Against the Law" *2009: "Single Ladies" *2010: "All Night Long" *2010: "Everybody" *2011: "I Am a Bajan" *2011: "How High" *2012: "Snake in the Grass" *2013: "My Day" *2013: "Nothing Sweeter" *2014: "Ah Playin Mas" *2015: "Footprints" *2015: "M.I.A (Missing in Action)" *2016: "Counting My Blessings" *2016: "I'll Be OK" *2016: "Tipsy" *2018: "Dip Down" *2018: "I've Got You Girl" *2018: "Perfect Fit" *2019: "Think Twice" *2019: "Most Wanted"

Collaborations

*2003: "Enjoy Yourself" feat.

Red Rat Wallace Wilson (born 17 January 1978), better known by the stage name Red Rat, is a Jamaican dancehall reggae recording and performing artist.Kellman, AndyRed Rat Biography, Allmusic, retrieved 2011-02-15 He is known for his up-beat music, co ...

*2003: "If You Only Knew" feat.

Destra Garcia Destra Garcia (born 10 November 1978) is a Trinidadian soca musician, singer and songwriter. Among the most prolific soca artists in the world, she is often referred to as the Queen of Soca, the Queen of Bacchanal (Q.O.B.), or her stage alter ...

*2004: "Tempted to Touch" feat.

Daddy Yankee Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (; born February 3, 1976), known professionally as Daddy Yankee (), is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor who rose to worldwide prominence in 2004 with the song "Gasolina". Dubbed the "Honorific ...

*2005: " Do the Damn Thing" feat.

Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include: * * * * * better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper. She was born and raised in New York City and lived much of her adolescent life on the streets after ...

*2006: "Hurricane" feat.

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...

*2007: "Hey Mami" feat.

Wisin & Yandel Wisin & Yandel were a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo consisting of Wisin and Yandel. They started their career in 1998 and stayed together until 2023, winning several awards including a Grammy Award in 2009. They became the first and the only regga ...

*2007: "Game of Love and Unity" feat. Shaggy &

Fay-Ann Lyons Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez (born November 5, 1980) is a Trinidadian soca recording artist and songwriter. She is also known by the stage names Lyon Empress, Mane the Matriarch, and the Silver Surfer, a nickname which she claimed during her performance ...

*2008: "Push Up on Me" feat. Thara *2008: "No te veo" with

Jowell & Randy Jowell & Randy are a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo composed of Joel Muñoz Martínez (born March 3, 1982) and Randy Ortiz Acevedo (born July 16, 1983). The duo have been active since the early-2000s and have become one of the most popular acts in r ...

feat. Pitbull,

Nina Sky Nina Sky is a Puerto Rican-born musical duo based in the United States, consisting of identical twins Nicole and Natalie Albino. Their debut single "Move Ya Body", released from their Nina Sky (album), self-titled debut album in 2004, was a succ ...

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ in 1994. At the age ...

*2013: "On Parade" feat. Nikita *2013: "Vamos a bailar" feat. Calero *2016: "No Name" Rupee x Ricardo Drue *2018: "Tempted to Touch" feat. Zaeden

Achievements

Apart from dominating the charts in the Caribbean, Rupee has also gone gold in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

and in most of Europe. Furthermore, " Do the Damn Thing", a bonus track from his album '' 1 On 1'', recently featured in an episode of the American TV series, ''

Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Marc Cherry, and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on ABC from October 3, 2004, until May 13, 2012, for a tota ...

''. Over the years, Rupee has amassed a number of Party Monarch and

titles not only in Barbados, but also at West Indian Carnivals in the United States and Canada. His most popular hits have included "Ice Cream", "Jump" and the internationally released "Tempted to Touch" and "What Happens in de Party". In 2007, Rupee along with Jamaican Shaggy and Trinidadian

recorded the official song for the

2007 Cricket World Cup The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth Cricket World Cup, a One Day International (ODI) cricket tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007. There were a total of 51 matches played, three fewer than at the 2 ...

- "The Game of Love and Unity" - written by Rupee. He has worked with artists such as

, Shaggy, Thara Prashad, Fay-Ann Lyons,

Alison Hinds Alison Amanda Hinds (born June 1 1970) is a British-born Bajan soca singer based in Barbados. She is often referred to as the Bajan " Queen of Soca" as a result of her impact on the genre. Biography Alison Hinds was born on 1 June 1970 in Lo ...

, Red Rat, Destra Garcia. In 2011 during the

Crop Over Crop Over is a traditional harvest festival which began in Barbados, having had its early beginnings on the sugar cane plantations during slavery. History The original crop-over tradition began in 1687 as a way to mark the end of the yearly harve ...

festival season, Rupee won the

Starcom Network {{Use dmy dates, date=February 2022 Starcom Network is a radio station in Barbados. Starcom Network began its life as Radio Distribution (Barbados) Limited, with the introduction of the first broadcast station then located at Wildey, St. Michael ...

group of radio station's title of "People's Monarch" with his song "I Am a Bajan".Rupee - Barbados' People's Monarch Crowning + Performance
Vid. of Rupee collecting 2011 People's Monarch prize in front of the radio station.

References

External links

Trinijunglejuice.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Rupee 1975 births Living people Atlantic Records artists German people of Barbadian descent Immigrants to Barbados Barbadian reggae musicians Barbadian soca musicians Barbadian people of British descent Barbadian people of German descent