Soca sensation RUPEE got his start with the Barbadian reggae group Coalishun, which he joined in 1997 after strong showings at area talent contests. Though he began as a chanter in the dancehall style, Rupee soon discovered calypso song, and in 1998 wrote the international soca hit "Ice Cream." The song launched his solo career, and he issued three successful solo albums in the early 2000s. Blame It on de Music, Leave a Message, and thisisrupee.com all featured a modernized mix of soca, hip-hop, and R&B flavors, and did well not only in the islands, but at festivals and in clubs around the world, where songs like "Jump" and "Tempted to Touch" were big favorites. That exposure prompted Atlantic Records to sign Rupee in late 2003, after the success of fellow Atlantic artist Kevin Lyttle had proven the eminent marketability of the addictive soca sound. Rupee made his Atlantic debut in late November 2004 with the album 1 on 1, which included the international hit "Tempted to Touch."


Throughout the Caribbean and the rest of the world, ALISON HINDS is known as the woman who has taken Soca music to a whole new level. Known to be the Soca Queen, the Raggamuffin Queen, or the Queen of Soca, she has definitely earned the title and the proof is in the music and in the entertainer that she has become. Faluma was the biggest soca hit of 1999-2000. Up until today the band cannot perform at a venue without singing that song.