Trinbagonian recording artiste and entertainer, Akhenaton “Yung Bredda” Lewis is giving thanks and praise to God for all his success thus far and ongoing, while expressing great pride and humility during the official release of his debut album entitled 3/10.
Held last Tuesday night at the popular Woodford Cafe restaurant and entertainment centre located in Price Plaza, Chaguanas, the event served to launch his album, while also celebrating his 24th birthday.
“Well the story here tonight is that my grandmom, normally every year on my birthday, she would keep a thanksgiving and share bags and food to the homeless and stuff,” Lewis explained to the media, before taking the stage at midnight. “Now this is the second year that she’s not here with us, so you know, I say I just want to do something similar and just give back to the people and to my fans in this way and give thanks for all my blessings received and just being able to make it to this point and have an album! Cause, like how I end up in this position to now have a whole album done and ready to share with the world? Me? Coming from where I come from… Who does that?” He mused, while pondering on his response and good fortune.
Answering his own question, Lewis thanked God, his mother, late grandmother, extended family and personal circle of friends for keeping him grounded and humble and pushing him toward achieving success.
Yung Bredda and his mother Cindy Ann Lewis Cuffy
He said: “Family is everything to me and it’s God-first in my life every day, so it’s the people who are around me that keep me grounded and humble because there are times when I might get carried away and say I’s Yung Bredda boi and my friends and family don’t play that, or allow that and I know my grandmother still watching too, so I come down from those trips pretty quickly and get back on track with working hard and being humble. Allyuh may be surprised to know how much I does get down on my knees and pray for everything, but God is the boss and my mother and grandmother taught me that and instilled those values in me from early!”
In keeping with these positive sentiments, “Yung Bredda” performed the first track from his album entitled, “To The Top” live on stage alongside members of the Voix Riches Choir, who were also in attendance.
“This song was inspired by my grandmom,” he explained. “She passed away and it was inspired by my mom also. She’s here tonight supporting me and, you know, mom always telling me to sing something positive; sing something nice and sing something about God and giving thanks and it’s not really a gospel song, but you know, it’s a motivational song to inspire people.”
Lewis described his 13-track album as “Trinbago dancehall, with some Afro and a little bit of steam” and admitted that he wanted to try different things and experiment with different sounds.
“I really wanted to surprise the people with some versatility here. You know I just love music and I just want to sing so I don’t mind trying things and experimenting out of my comfort zone.”
Known for his infectious energy, sexually charged and often explicit lyrics, in addition to his fun-loving, dancing, jovial commentary on topics of the day, Lewis delivered a full set complete with guest acts and collaborators and took photos and selfies with fans all night long, while also showcasing the other sides of his character and personality.
“I was pleasantly surprised by how well-mannered and accommodating, gracious and humble he was,” said Senior Television Reporter, Juhel Browne, whose birthday began just after midnight and was in attendance to witness the album release.
Producer and Manager, Jesse John of Optimus ProductionsTT Limited described Lewis as “a hard-working and very determined young man with obvious talent that’s only just beginning to be explored, developed and showcased”. He said:
“I think he still has a longgggg way to go, but this is a great start and a really inspiring story to show the youths of T&T and by extension, anywhere in the world really that if you believe in yourself and work hard, you can achieve success in this world. We know it’s challenging and there are obstacles galore and haters and people who will try to bring you down, but strong faith in God, confidence and perseverance will always pay off and lead you to greener pastures. I am happy and proud to see where my Bredda has reached today as a youth coming out of Sea Lots and going against all the odds and stigmas and stereotypes, it’s truly a blessing to work with him and I look forward to much more success as we fly the flag of Trinidad and Tobago around the world.”
The 3/10 album from Yung Bredda is now available on all digital and streaming platforms and the Optimus team says his Carnival 2024 releases are already completed and will be released soon also.
Having risen to popularity after a freestyle performed on his Instagram live stream went viral during the pandemic, “Yung Bredda” has maintained a constant presence online since and amassed over 300,000 followers on the popular social media app. His comrades on the live show include Jelani “DJ Hotty” Hepburn and Trenton “Big Pimpin” Augustine, who have also graduated to becoming part of the Yung Bredda Entertainment family as song collaborators and producers and now also travel and perform alongside Yung Bredda. For more information, please follow @yung_bredda_entertainment on Instagram.