HAITI THROUGH HIP-HOP: PART II | Dutty of BPC & Tapaje Records

DUTTY

My main contact in Port Au Prince, Haiti is 21 year old superstar named Romel Jean Pierre. He is well known for his work with street artist JR and for his Tele Ghetto project and many different social/art/empowerment projects throughout Haiti.

After a day of drinking too much rum at the beach, the sun had set as we drove back into Port-au-Prince.

Port Au Prince at night has this feeling, its like darkness with little islands of light. if the power goes out downtown in NYC or Philly, there are all these little battery powered emergency lights that come on in different businesses and on official buildings-- it feels like that. Life goes on just as normal, albiet at a slower pace, but people just carry on their regular business and tasks in darkness.

In contrast

to Ogun's studio (see part 1), Dutty's studio fit in more with the rest of the built environement around it. After a brief introduction we walked down a narrow cinderblock corridor, semi covered by a corrugated tin roof but still outdoors. Dutty is sitting in an office chair in front of an imac with ProTools open, a fan buzzes and rotates next to him, there is no air conditioning. Romel introduces us, he continues talking, and I snap few photos of him. We are introduced to the rest of the folks in the room including Dutty's mom, who offers us Prestige beer which we gladly accept.

Dutty considers himself a social worker, artist, and musician. His brother Fantom, who made news last carnival season when he almost died after his float ran into electrical wires (link)