From creating rhythms using pencils while living in Lyssons, St Thomas, to accompanying his brother to the studios, Delano Willis never lost focus of his dream to become an artiste as he said his "eyes are always on the prize". As an avid churchgoer in his younger years, the recording artiste said his stage moniker, 'Portr8te', which has an interesting concept, was ordained by God. "The '8' represents the '8ters' [haters] cause yuh know di haters are the motivators.
[But] I just wanted to be radical, peculiar and unique in my art. So 'portrait' is a feature that is associated with [phone cameras], but I changed up a few things in it fi show seh mi kinda unique. But when you scrutinise this [portrait] feature, you realise that the moment you focus the camera, the background goes blurry.
So that is what I implement in my daily life - the background is the distraction," he said. Suh when yuh can blur out yuh background [which represents] your haters, people fabricating on your name and trying to tear you down or being pessimistic towards your personal evolution, you'll remain focused." He added that portrait also represents art, "suh in terms of music, [it means] I try to be creative".
"So when you stay focused in life, you will have less distractions," Portr8te told THE STAR . With an inspired outlook on navigating life through music, using it as a safe haven, "finding solitude" in his own company and doing some soul searching, Portr8te, who is also versed in playing the drums,.