Since taking part as one of the artists at the official press conference of the expansion announcement of legendary hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, which launched its new Def Jam South East Asia label in Singapore last September, Prinya "Way" Intachai, a former member of Thai hip-hop pioneers Thaitanium has finally released his major label debut, DaBoyWay.
The album chronicles his 20-year journey in the music business, from his days as an aspiring rapper from New York City to the major pop star in Thailand, before expanding his horizons to become a Def Jam recording artist.
DaBoyWay was unveiled as one of the six regional rappers signed with Def Jam South East Asia, the flagship hip-hop label of Vivendi's Universal Music Group. He has joined with the likes of Joe Flizzow of Malaysia, A. Nayaka of Indonesia, and Singaporean rappers Yung Raja, Alif and Fariz Jabba as the label division's first hip-hoppers.
"Apart from my time with the band [Thaitanium], I've been releasing music under my own name for over five years, and by the end of 2018, I realised that I wanted to go even further," DaBoyWay said to B. Magazine during a recent phone interview.
"My life goal has changed. I wanted to try it on Billboard, I wanted to tour the regions, I wanted my songs on international charts, but most of all, I wanted to take Thai hip-hop overseas. So with help from Paulie Sirisant, managing director of Universal Music Thailand, I packed my bag and flew to America last year to discuss possibilities with a couple of different record labels over there, before finally settling with Def Jam."
DaBoyWay. Universal Music (Thailand)
It's indeed a big step up for a Thai artist on the international stage. Def Jam has been globally recognised as one of the very best in cutting-edge and quality hip-hop music for 35 years. Pioneered by iconic acts like The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and Public Enemy, today Def Jam is the home of many global superstars, particularly Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West.
"I was born in New Jersey and spent most of my childhood years in Brooklyn. Hip-hop and music from Def Jam were definitely parts of me growing up. So after 20 years as an independent artist, working my way up, it's been a real honour and a privilege for me to be part of this legendary record label," he said.
The 11-track-album DaBoyWay, channels a wide range of musical influences and direction. There is the strictly hip-hop track Gangsh!t; the R&B ballad Won Arai; molam and dancehall fusion in Kaow Ma; and pop and dance music in Tonight, Baby You and Deep Down, the latter of which sees DaBoyWay singing duet with Violette Wautier. The lyrics reflect his lifestyle, relationships and friendships, as well as inspirational messages of following your own dreams.
"I wanted variety on my album. The album represents who I am, my journey and all the different types of music I've been exposed to for the last 20 years," he explained. "While each song is quite different, at their core, they're still under the umbrella of hip-hop."
DaBoyWay. Universal Music (Thailand)
A good portion of the album was written over the course of 10 days during early 2019, when DaBoyWay set up a writing camp in which he rented Karma Sound Studios in Chon Buri, and invited songwriters, musicians, rappers and producers to meet and share ideas. Artists like Violette Wautier, Big Calo, Twopee Southside, Radio3000, Younggu, Diamond, FIIXD and Young Lyxx from San Diego, with two American producers and many others, were all there with the purpose of creating music together. The unique songwriting session resulted in more than 20 tracks of solid music, with some titles eventually included in DaBoyWay.
"Every song has its own unique charms. But if I had to pick one song off the new record, then it'd probably be Mountain Tops. It sums up the theme or the whole concept I had for the album," he said. "It's about the journey I would take to reach the pinnacle of life, which is like the peak on the top of the mountain. Once you get up there, you can clearly see that there are many bigger mountains out there. And the only way to go to the next mountain is you'll have to climb down the one you're on and start from the bottom up again."
Universal Music (Thailand)
Being a solo artist and signing to a major label are a new set of circumstances to navigate, but more than that, DaBoyWay believes the deal with Def Jam South East Asia is an opportunity to impart guidance to a new generation of Thai artists -- some of whom are also pursuing careers in music.
"We gotta realise we are inspiration's inspiration," he said. "Now, apart from releasing music, I'm also operating the Def Jam Thailand branch, which we're opening up for those young artists who want to tell their own stories. So far, we've worked with so many new rappers such as Twopee, Stickyrice Killah, Jahman, Ziggavoy, Eskiimo and Young Bong on a special track called Kod Ma, and it's awesome! This is definitely an exciting time for hip-hop music in Thailand."
