Performance leads Biggaton to management

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

There can be few managers who precede the sole artiste whose affairs they handle onstage. Mandeville-based Kevin 'Biggaton' Roye found himself in that position in February on his first major tour with Warrior King, when they did the European trek and he was part of the line-up that also included Turbulence.

Then, on a four-date trip to Australia from which they returned earlier this week, Imhotep C Records chief Biggaton did a single song during Warrior King's set on two festival outings and five minutes as opener on two club shows.

Management of someone else is a very new development in Biggaton's life in music, which goes back to his first single, Equal Living, while he was a student. He did not take to music professionally, though, until he had left Holmwood Technical High School in Manchester.

He left with cadet experience that has served him well in the business of artiste management, although Biggaton laughed when The Gleaner remarked that he had to be clean-shaven then. "Me was the barber!" Biggaton said.

Tonsorial expertise is a thing of the past, but the lessons in discipline have served Biggaton well. "Some of the things now it really helped (with them). It is like a paramilitary, so me would encourage every youth to get involved," he said.

first overseas show

He got his first overseas show in 1996, performing in Cayman with Rated R and Bucaneer, then in 1997 Biggaton hooked up with Hector 'Istick' Dawkins of Pleasant Hill Records. The singles What a Ting and More Than a Blessing came out of that association. Biggaton then started to tour with Capleton in 1999, with England being the first stop.

It all culminated in the album Eyes of Di Wise in 2005, launched in Jacksonville, Florida and distributed by VP Records and Pleasant Hill.

About a year later, Biggaton delved into management, starting with himself, although he points out that Dawkins still plays a very important role in his projects. He points out that he was doing all the work required for his career himself, such as going to shows and getting interviews. However, Biggaton is quick to point out that it was not a case of the person responsible for those aspects of his career being incompetent.

"It is not easy. It is hard work, even to today," Biggaton sums up being an artiste manager. "Warrior King is the first artiste me manage, solo".

This started in 2010 with a call from Japan, the person saying that he wanted to promote seven shows with Biggaton and Warrior King. Biggaton had known Warrior King as an artiste, but had not really spoken with him. He made contact and, after several missed phone connections, Warrior King came to see him. They discussed the matter and Biggaton went on Warrior King's Myspace site. "I said no, for a big artiste; it no look good," Biggaton said.

"I told him I was going to do some development," Biggaton said, starting the same week they met while Warrior King went away on tour later in that week. Technology played a huge role in the development of their professional relationship, as Biggaton says he used Myspace to direct persons to Warrior King's shows and also used Skype to keep in touch with him.

"One night, him just say to me 'Biggaton, mi want you manage mi ting'," he said. The formal decision was left for a face-to-face meting in Jamaica. Biggaton also left Jamaica to do shows in Canada, both men returning to Jamaica on the same day.

They came to an agreement in April 2010, Biggaton saying he was going to put his career on hold for six months, so he could get Warrior King's on "auto-pilot". When that was done, then they would then be in a position to use technology to further propel both careers.