An up and coming reggae artist is about to launch his new CD 'Hot Blazing Summer' and for Micheal James, who goes by the moniker Mr. Mikey, it will be the latest in a string of singles he has released.

He had his first single after hooking up with Aron (Criffa) Christopher in 1992, which was called 'New Style for Dem'. "It was the reigning single on 'Al and Criff's' for that year," he said.

And after that he went to New York in 1993 to record a single he claimed was later plagiarised by another artist. "The track was stolen, they kept the melody, but they changed the lyrics. I still have my receipts and the reel to reel, I have a lawyer in New York who has told me that I can still pursue it. It ain't no way that I am going to allow anyone to get away with that today."

He did not allow his misfortune to weigh him down and in 1995 Mr. Mikey recorded another single that did not get the airtime here in Bermuda. He released another single called 'Hot Girl Party' in 1996, which sold well at Dub City and also received international airtime.

Mr. Mikey then met with Jamaican producer Linford Ford who invited him to come to Jamaica and he recorded 'It's Over' in 2005. He had originally recorded the single with local producer Dwight Jones in the late 90s.

"When I re-recorded that song, it really went well in Jamaica, at first when I was coming here they were playing it," said Mr. James, who is in talks with VP Records to distribute his CDs and is looking at ASCAP for download rights.

His last trip to Jamaica saw him work with a producer called Computer Paul. "When I got back to Jamaica the second time, I had just entered the Cellular One Mobile Movement Tour and I had gotten into the top ten, but I didn't get a prize.

"My song was good, but it wasn't recorded at the level that it needed to be. So when I got to Jamaica a friend of mine took me to a studio in Harbour View and it turned out to be Paul's studio, but he was on tour.

"But before I left he came back and heard me working on my stuff and really liked it. He wants me to come back, but I haven't been back because of priorities."

He has found that unlike Jamaica, in Bermuda local musicians do not get the airtime on the radio. "That is except for Don Bassett (from Power 95) with Local Licks and he would always play music that is new and old and I like that, but we need more coverage like that for Bermudian artists.

"This is the only country that I know that you have to create a law for them [radio stations] to play their own artists. If you go in any other island, it's not a problem for the to play their own artists."

CDs are available Music World, Dub City, Sports Source, Warwick Shell Station or by ringing 516-6138.