User:Sophimac/sandbox

Shawn Lloyd Brammer aka Bramma first emerged on the Jamaica Reggae/Dancehall music scene in 2004. He was still in school at Calabar High when his close friend Marley, introduced him to Sophia McKay who was working at leading music company; Marley had taken him to see Bounty Killer.

Bramma grew up in one Kingston's toughest communities, Maxfield Gardens. He became known at school for his freestyles and continuous drumming on desks or just about any surface that produced sounds that blended with his freestyle antics. Under the influence of Sophia McKay who became his manager, He completed his final year at Calabar High school June 2004. Sophia McKay introduced him to Producers/DJs Leftside and Esco who changed the his name from Sinister to BRAMMA, the pronounciation of his surname in Jamaican creole or patois.

April 2005, Bramma’s music was in circulation in Miami, USA then extended to several European countries specifically Germany where he made the centre spread of November 2007 issue of Riddim Magazine for a single he wrote and recorded for Chimney Records called, Value of a Lady.

BRAMMA and his mother relocated to Duhaney Park in Kingston after the death of his step-father in Maxfield. Marley's family also relocated, to a place called Havendale, close in proximity to the home of the McGregors it was there he met and became friends with young Steven McGregor the son of veteran Reggae artiste Freddie McGregor.

Bramma’s first recording with Steven McGregor was on the Cartoon rhythm, he along with the help of Steven McGregor honed his skills and eventually created a distinctive sound. Some of his early tracks included “Last Man Standing” on the Power Cutt rhythm a song that earned the respects of several artistes including Vybz Kartel and Movado when all hell broke loose between Portmore Empire and the Bounty Killer lead Alliance. It was a time when many artistes felt they had to choose sides and many did but BRAMMA refused, he had come to respect both artistes so he stood his ground and vowed that at the end of the war he would be the “Last Man Standing.”

Not wanting to get into the war, he recorded a second track on the Big Ship Label's Party rhythm entitled ‘Heading to the Top’, followed by his first music video directed by Simeon Edge. He went on to record a host of other tracks with McGregor including “Its Wat Eva”, ‘Why’ and Guided by the Masta, Daggaration on Beauty and the Beast rhythm, Whine on Wire Waist rhythm produced by DJ Sparks.

Artiste Name:      Doza Medicine Country of Origin: Jamaica Hometown:          Portmore, St. Catherine Style of Music:    Dancehall/Reggae

Description: Doza Medicine is a Dancehall artiste who gained publicity and exposure from being one of the founders of the Portmore Empire. Doza Medicine earned his respect among his peers for having an excellent grasp of creating Dancehall music and being apart of the Vybz Kartel lead empire that re-introduced figurative ways of saying things in a song. What makes the difference are the extensive use of the oxymoron, metaphors and similies, the style, intros and outros (how to bring across lyrics eg. using 3 syllables rhymes) and the use of exit bar in a verse.

Doza Medicine whose real name is Andrew Cardoza, musical interest were recognized as early as 7 years old by his mother Loreen Grant and father David Cardoza, he had performed at a concert in Almond Town, St. Andrew where the family reside. He was first taken to the studios by a friend and artiste 'Bascom X' where he started recording professionally at age 18. The first track he recorded was with a group called Islanders of which he was a member. The song entitled, 'War Nuh Commercial' was done for his motivator and musical mentor, Vybz Kartel on Adijaheim label. Doza spent years in the Portmore Empire and performed across Jamaica and the Caribbean with the empire boss. However things took a different twist, the empire crumbled and Doza took the decision to move on after his contract ended.

2012 - present Doza medicine has been recording in studios. Popular tracks in rotation on radio includes, Pretty Lil Thing and Sci-Fi with a video for Pretty Lil Thing in rotation on cable tv. Doza has also released a track called, 'What They Gonna Do' created as a conscious Dancehall track and recorded by producer Notnice on the Birthday riddim. The track was not released but Doza believed the lyrics are relevant today as they ever where when the song was first created, hence his decision to promote it.