Elevation requires separation. For Richard Valentine, the entertainer known as Chynee, or to some, Macoy – his earlier years in music have led him on a journey of development as an artiste. Years after winning the Synergy Soca Star competition, the East, Trinidad native is back in the mix, releasing new Soca music and connecting the dots as he builds a career that he knows he’ll be proud of. 

“In 2009, I was young. When I won the Synergy Soca Star competition, it was a whirlwind for me. I performed at major fetes like Licensing Fete, Insomnia, UWI Fete and even Alternative Concepts- my most memorable because I actually shared the stage with Chinese Laundry and Machel Montano, but it was all happening really fast,” he admitted, explaining that he feels that despite being crowned the competition’s winner, he was not mature enough then, to grow and learn the essentials of the music business. Fast Forward to 2025 and Chynee is now on the road to a potentially memorable carnival season in T&T. “Over the past few years, I’ve been working on my development, recording a lot of music and working behind the scenes with many producers. I’m in the process of completing an EP,” he said, adding, “I challenged myself to just record music with the understanding that when the time is right, each of the projects would be shared with the world, as professionally packaged as possible.” 

Years ago, while still a youth in Trinidad and Tobago, Chynee had very little understanding of marketing strategies. He simply enjoyed performing and was pretty good at delivering vibrant, memorable performances. He would however grow to understand that the music industry is sustained by other essential variables, among them, marketing and branding. “I realized that a lot of times artistes would go into the studio with what they believed were great songs, but they would fail to get the attention they hoped for because their marketing and branding just weren’t enough,” he said. 

Over the years, Chynee has worked with producers like Badjohn Republic, Zig Boi Entertainment, Backyard Studios, Klase Productions and even Richard ‘Charsu’ Ahong – one of the country’s most prolific music producers. These days however, he’s hard at work with Sangre Grande’s Chainlinxxx Productions. Their latest project, ‘Ben’ has already been released and Chynee says it’s been an amazing journey working alongside Chainlinxxx. “As an artiste, I’ve come to realize the importance of team work. You really do go further when you’ve got a progressive team of people. I have to thank Chainlinxxx, also Unique Productions – a very talented youngster by the name of Allen Sylvester who’s doing the video and editing for ‘Ben.’ I am also happy to be working with Edward Salandy of E-Video and Photography. They did my photoshoot, which I’m really satisfied with.” With support coming from other entertainers in the industry like Fadda Moses and rapper, Vetta, Chynee says he is grateful for his team.

Amid a State of Emergency in Trinidad and Tobago, the entertainer has been pensive. “I’m a strong believer in prayer and praying for others. It’s worth more when you pray for other people than when you just pray for yourself, but I also believe that action works in tandem with prayer. We must be vigilant,” he said, adding that he believes something drastic had to be done for a better Trinidad and Tobago. “I hope it works in favor of all of us,” he shared. 

The Macoya born entertainer whose sobriquet, Macoy entertains the idea of being ‘the real thing’ and plays on the root of his place of birth, is excited for the season ahead. A second single done collaboratively with a new female artiste by the name of Majestic, is also in the pipeline. “She’s a very talented young lady with an amazing voice,” he highlighted, eager to be a part of her entry onto the Soca scene. 

As Chynee navigates the season, he says he will do as he always has – observe and learn from the artistes who’ve mastered their craft and those who’ve built great brands and mastered the art of marketing themselves. “I’m naturally a theatrical performer. I will always go the extra mile to leave a lasting impression on the crowd. When I think of Iwer George and what he brings to any stage, I get excited. The crowd loves him and that’s what I would like to experience in my career,” he said. 

For now, however, Chynee – The Real Macoy is focused on building his name, igniting the hearts of Soca lovers with good music and delivering a dynamic performance style that will leave a lasting memory.