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Any ongoing controversy between reggae and reggaetón can be put to rest with Notch. The American-born, patois-speaking artist introduced his talents to reggae lovers worldwide in the 90’s with his former group, Born Jamericans. And although this Renaissance man’s first language isn’t Spanish, he’s been featured on high-profiled albums such as Luny Tunes' Mas Flow 2, as well as Voltio’s latest self-titled offering.

“Reggae taught me that music has no boundaries,” says Notch. “I don’t want to hold back because of a category. I treat all genres with respect and each as if it were my natural.” Fusing Jamaican music with traditional Latin and Caribbean sounds is his niché, so it’s no surprise that Puerto Rican reggaetón producer DJ Blass was impressed when he heard Notch’s song “Ay Que Bueno,” and asked him to remake it as a reggaetón mix. Little did Notch know that what he was creating would become a reggaetón anthem: “It happened by accident, but it felt like reggaetón was a natural transition for me; originally I wrote this song as a reggae song talking about how good it feels because it was my time.”

So with “Ay Que Bueno” being dubbed an instant classic, why did it take so long for Notch to receive attention from major labels? (Notch has inked a deal with Cinco Por Cinco Records/distributed by Machete Music). He says, “Most labels have a difficult time with my versatility, and I have to have the flexibility to make music and not remain boxed into one genre. They have to understand that I am more than a reggae or reggaetón artist.”

With the release of his album Raised by the People,it seems there isn’t anything the energetic Notch can’t accomplish. “I feel privileged that I haven’t gone unnoticed, and look forward to when I can give back to my fans and peers in a much bigger way.”