DJ Fire Ribz is a beast on the turntables. Just ask any dancehall fan who has heard his vibesy intros, over-the-top dubs or seen him beasting on the boards, entertaining a hardcore dancehall crowd. Fire Ribz just smokes the competition.

Born Camara Melbourne, he grew up in the Rollington Town, Kingston, and attended Windward Road All Age before moving to Calabar High school.

It was almost ordained that he would pursue music as a career because of his father's influence as a successful sound-system owner.

"It is an inborn concept with me because I grew up seeing my father, Winston 'Bya' Melbourne, playing on his sound system, Road Warrior, which was a big sound with three columns and many dates. He turned over the sound system to me, but I was forced to sell parts of the sound to help with the costs of my education," he said.

After leaving high school, Melbourne got a gig with Megamus from Clarendon and also played dates for Hotta Flex from St Thomas. He got his big break when he got a job with Metro Media sound system.

"I was introduced to Metro Media by Haggart from Jamrock, who is one of my biggest influences, and I learned a lot there. It was my first big job at a popular sound system," Melbourne said.

He also singled out other people whose influence has been instrumental in his rise to be one of the island's successful selectors.

reputation

"Fire Blaxx from Area Code taught me a lot, especially my MC techniques. And mi get a whole heap a support from DJ Boom Frass who is my best friend. When people see me a road and don't see him, dem ask fi him, and the same when dem see him a road. Ah mi real friend that ," he said

While at Metro Media, Ribz established his reputation as a top-flight selector who was versatile enough to play at hard-core street dances in the toughest inner-city areas one night, and play at a children's party or baby shower the next day.

Eventually, Fire Ribz moved from Metro Media to Firelinks Sound where he really carved out a rep, and developed the fire-burning persona that most dancehall fans admire today.

"Mi have to give Firelinks credit because ah him ah mi main icon. Ah him mi look up to musically because him bun the fire and mi name Fire Ribz. He was the one who got me grounded in dancehall," he said.

He remained with Firelinks for three years before "creative differences" forced him to go solo. Since that time, he has done regular stints at Expression Thursdays, Boasy Tuesdays and Bembe Thursdays in St Andew. However, it is in central Jamaica where Fire Ribz has become a hot commodity.

"Most of my dates are in central Jamaica, Clarendon, Manchester, St Elizabeth, dem love me inna dem area deh," he said.

Fire Ribz is managed by Terry Ann Daley who can be reached at goodasterry29@hotmail.com or at 873-4295.