Rupert “Rupee” Clarke born September 10, 1975 in Germany at a military barracks; to a German mother and a Bajan father, who was serving in the British armed forces at the time. He later migrated to Barbados.
Spending his first years in England, he was exposed to a genuine contrast of sounds which reflected his parents' diverse backgrounds: calypso and reggae on the side of his West Indian father, pop and rock 'n' roll from his European mother. His two older brothers would perform rap in Germany and England and he would use their influence to "scribble down my little verse or two!" He and his siblings would often perform on stage, coming up with all sorts of unique chants, rhymes and antics to tease the audience. After countless trips to the land of his roots, Rupee eventually moved to Barbados around the age of 9. He got his first major break after winning a local teen talent competition back when he was a schoolboy at Harrison College, the country's most prestigious grammar school. This came as a major surprise to him, as he was coerced by friends to just "try a ting" by entering the competition. This was his big break in soca music.
1997–2000: Coalishun
Rupee emerged on the local soca scene after being invited to join the then popular Barbadian band, Coalishun, along with singers like Terencia Coward-"TC" and Adrian Clarke in 1997. Though initially more dancehall oriented, Rupee would find himself settling into the reggae-soca genre, a genre indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago. This was marked by the release of his first hit single "Ice Cream".
2000-present: Solo
“Ice Cream” was followed by a string of hit songs from three self-released solo albums. “Jump,” from his first album, won Rupee repeated Road March titles at carnivals in Barbados, New York, Miami, Boston, and Toronto. “Tempted to Touch,” from his second album, enjoyed over two years of international club play, spreading to urban and pop radio in Toronto and Miami. It became the catalyst for Rupee’s worldwide deal with Atlantic Records– as well as the first single from his newly released “1 On 1.”
Before deciding to pursue music full-time, Rupee explored other careers. After successfully completing an Associate Degree in Graphic Arts from the Barbados Community College, he remained in that field for some time, working with two major Public Relations/Advertising agencies in Barbados. “I really needed to make a decision about working in advertising or music. So in 2000, I became a solo artist.” Rupee has kept all of his creative sides busy by playing an active role in the design of his web site, and the visual marketing of his self-released projects.
Initially acclaimed in the competitive and fertile culture of the yearly Caribbean carnivals, Rupee has gone on to win over masses of jubilant fans through his high-energy performances at festivals and concerts throughout North America and Europe. Supported by his vibrant Caribbean-based band, he is a charismatic and inspiring live performer.
Apart from dominating charts across the globe, it has also gone Gold in Japan and in most of Europe. Furthermore, "Do The Damn Thing" (DTDT), a bonus track from his latest album, “1 On 1,” recently featured in an episode of the popular American TV series Desperate Housewives.
Over the years Rupee has amassed a number of Party Monarch and Road March titles not only in Barbados but also at West Indian Carnivals in the United States and Canada. His most popular hits have included "Ice Cream", "Jump" and the internationally released, "Tempted to Touch" which was featured in the movie “After The Sunset”
And he also created the anthem for the 2007 Cricket World Cup "The Game of Love and Unity" which features Fay Ann Lyons and Shaggy.
Rupee repeated Road March titles at carnivals in Barbados. He is currently signed to Atlantic Records.
He is a promoter of HIV/AIDS awareness. He is in the preliminary stages of talking to the Body Shop in order to raise funds towards creating AIDS awareness and research. They have these AIDS/HIV bracelets that are $10 for one and all of the funds go towards creating AIDS awareness and research, in order to impact the Caribbean with these bands.
He has worked with artists such as Shaggy, Sean Paul, Thara, Fay Ann Lyons, Alison Hinds, Lil Kim, Kevin Lyttle, Daddy Yankee, Rihanna, and many more…
