Rupee

Rupee, born Rupert Clarke, first entered the music scene in 1997 by joining the Barbadian reggae outfit Coalishun following notable performances in local talent competitions. Initially working as a dancehall chanter, he soon gravitated toward calypso and, in 1998, penned the international soca smash “Ice Cream,” which opened the door to a solo path. Three well-received albums arrived in the early 2000s—Blame It on de Music, Leave a Message, and Thisisrupee.com—each blending updated soca with hip-hop and R&B elements. These releases gained traction throughout the Caribbean islands as well as at clubs and festivals worldwide, where tracks such as “Jump” and “Tempted to Touch” became crowd staples. The growing international profile led Atlantic Records to offer Rupee a contract in late 2003, following the breakthrough of labelmate Kevin Lyttle that had underscored soca’s commercial potential. His Atlantic bow came in late November 2004 with the album 1 on 1, which again spotlighted the global favorite “Tempted to Touch.”