Guyana’s Entertainment and music industry has been making waves in the recent years with the singers, entertainers and DJ’s being recognised for their immense talent. Ceon LaRose better known as ‘Gully Ras’ has been one of the biggest names in Guyana’s Entertainment industry since he came on the scene as a DJ 19 years ago.

The Buzz reached out to the artiste who spoke on his journey in the industry. The DJ turned artiste says he always had a passion for music, stating that from the age of 10 he started playing an instrument and worked hard to perfect the musical skill he realised he had.

“I was about 10 years old and I used to play my grandfather’s gramophone. He would sometimes hide the keys from me and I would sometimes get licks for playing it. But from then I knew I had the talent and passion for music. As a youth in school, I always wanted to play with a sound system and the sound system I wanted to play with was Stone Love,” said Ras.
Ras told The Buzz that when he started his career as a DJ in 2001, he worked to set himself apart from the other DJ’s in the industry. He said this was picked up from his time as part of the Fusion sound which he explained was geared toward enjoyment of the music rather than sound clashes.

When asked how he got his iconic name ‘Gully Ras’ he stated that he had tried out different names including Pepper Ras, Stulla Ras and Summa Ras before he finally got his signature name from international Dancehall artiste Movado.

“In 2011 Movado, who is an artiste that I look up to, gave me the name Gully Ras and that stuck. At Jamzone 2011, I was his backup singer and he called me up and asked the crowd what is my name, the crowd said ‘Pepper Ras’ but Movado said from now on his name is ‘Gully Ras’!” he explained.

Ras said that he feels humbled to know that people think of him as one of the biggest names in Guyana’s music and entertainment industry. He added that he is also very proud to be representing Guyana and helping put Guyanese music out there.

“Personally, making music on this level has been the realisation of a dream for me. On this journey, I’ve met so many persons that have helped me like Drew Thoven and CKush, another two of Guyana’s great talents,”he said. “Whilst I love making music, I have not given up on DJ-ing, because that is something I love doing. Even though we are going through a pandemic, I’m still able to bring vibes to the people though Facebook and Instagram Lives.”

Ras said that while he loves being a DJ, he always wanted to be a singer also. He said he got his big break as an artiste in 2019 with his single ‘Set the Trend’ which was released in September 2019.

“I was in gym working out with my team and just as the riddim was playing on my phone I started to freestyle on it. I told my friends I wanted to go in the studio and sing a song. They thought I was joking. The next day instead of going to gym I went to the studio instead. I linked with Esan Benzy who collaborated with me on the song,” said the entertainer.
Ras said he attributes his success to the team he surrounds himself with, who he said encourages him to do more and become a better version of himself. He further said that his fans motivate him to be the best. He further added that he always tries to be innovative and ensure he is the best he can be.

“Whenever I perform, whether as an artiste or a DJ, I always want to be the best. My vibes and my hype must be different. I always want to leave everyone talking about my performance in a positive way. They must say ‘Ras mash up the place!’ I give my all to each and every performance. I give energy and feed off of the energy of the crowd. I can entertain any crowd no matter the age of the patrons or type of event,” he said.

Ras further said that interacting with the fans has to be the best part of being an entertainer, stating that his main aim is to please the fans and ensure they enjoy the event.
He said that he would advise his fans to believe in themselves and the goals they have set, adding that they should work hard and stay committed to their plans.
“It starts with you. You have to believe in yourself before people will believe in you. Turn every negative into a positive. Never give up on yourself. And above all work hard. Humbleness is the key to success. You have to be prepared to make sacrifices because nothing in life comes easily,” said Ras.