Sheldon Itano Ricardo Lawrence may not ring a bell, but whenever you hear his favorite line of intro on the radio waves or in the dancehall "You know it's Idonia, none a dem nuh badda donia", is sure to have an effect. In mid spring 2005, Aidonia (Idonia) found himself on the verge of breaking into the big leagues, with the help of his hit single "Lolly", that eventually becomes an anthem in the dancehall circuit, used by most selectors as a counteraction to 50th cent song 'Candy Shop'. He also has another joint titled "In A De Ghetto" that rapidly becomes a lover by both children and elderly folks. Both singles have received heavy rotations on top Jamaican radio stations. The same can be said for his videos, which are shown on local cable stations, enabling the public to place a face to the sound. Idonia's entry into the dancehall industry didn't happen overnight. His journey into the business is quite the tale! His First influence was his father, a staunch supporter of dancehall music. It wasn't unusual to hear tunes from Dennis Brown, Ninja Man and Shabba Ranks blasting through the speakers in the Lawrence's home. While in school, Idonia's friends joined him in deejaying songs from popular artistes of his time such as Bounty Killer, Buju Banton and Beenie Man, much to the delight of his classmates who constantly encouraged him to pursue a career as a deejay. Being the crowd favorite back then at school concerts and community stage shows that he would often sneak away from his home in the nights to attend never in his wildest dreams imagine of sharing the same stage with those who he used to emulates while going to school. Idonia kept deejaying only as a hobby until 1997, when he left the shores of Jamaica to join his father in New York. The Delivery Helper by day at Federal Express juggled his daily activities with stage performances at night, which were done in exchange for a 'likkle' money or even clothes. An encounter with Glamour Wayne at a New York studio helped Idonia put his career into perspective, and was encouraged to return to Jamaica and make his mark in the reggae/dancehall industry. In 2000, the storyteller returned to Jamaica and began to work with a host of producers, but it was with internationally acclaimed producer Cordell 'Scatta' Burrell, that his career began to take flight. So, what's so great about Idonia? Well for starters, you won't find this deejay cuddle up in a corner writing his lyrics down on paper. Ink and fibre he believes stifles the free flow of his creativity. A little 'herb' and meditation allows his lyrics to flow freely from the heart and mind (his unique style). His flow pattern has been compared to that of ace deejay Vybz Kartel, but, is differentiated by the inclusion of a little of New York's hip hop flavour. In the near future, Idonia has set his sights on becoming one of Jamaica's top acts before he conquers the international market to become superstar, surpassing Sean Paul and Shaggy's success. Whether he talks about the ladies or lining the good life, Idonia's music is guaranteed to be original, thought provoking and of course, entertaining!
