Since he got into music production 12 years ago, Dretegs has worked with some of the biggest artistes in the much-touted reggae revival movement. Recently, he shared studio time with one of contemporary reggae’s biggest names.

The New York-based producer directed Sizzla on recording sessions at his studio in The Bronx. ‘So In Love’, the first release from their collaboration, was released on June 20 by his company, Dretegs Music Jams.

They met through mutual friends, Dapa Flex and Speedy Judgment, and discovered they had a lot in common musically.

“The chemistry was instant. We built everything from scratch and completed an entire album in just three days. It was a powerful, organic process,” said Dretegs.

He added that Sizzla wrote all songs from the sessions, but did not say if and when an album will materialise. One thing Dretegs disclosed was the feel of the tracks.

“It’s special — it marks a return to his roots, both musically and spiritually,” he noted.

The 39 year-old Dretegs was born Andre Hawthorne in Kingston, Jamaica. He grew up in a family steeped in the church which is where his music career began, playing keyboards in the band.

The Hawthornes are also prominent in commerce. In 1989, Lowell Hawthorne, Dretegs’ uncle, founded the Golden Krust Restaurant which has over 100 outlets in nine states.

Moving to New York almost 20 years ago, he expanded his music links to secular artistes and musicians. Since going ‘pro’, Dretegs has produced songs by Jesse Royal (‘Light of Mine’), Dre Island (‘Nice Again’), as well as worked with Lauryn Hill and Dexta Daps.

“One major milestone was being nominated for Best Reggae Album for my work on Jesse Royal’s ‘Royal’. Another was collaborating with the legendary Miss Lauryn Hill and her sons, Zion Marley and YG Marley. That kind of legacy means everything to me,” he said.

Dretegs is currently working on albums with Jesse Royal, Dre Island and Yaksta.

(Photo contributed)