If you?re really in the know, a person who always has their ear to the ground and takes real pride in knowing their community ? you should be aware of tonight?s big awards show.

If not, it would seem that Tha Underground Awards, which take place at Ruth Seaton James Centre for Performing Arts are simply too on the down low for you.

One person fully aware of the TBI-sponsored awards tonight, however, is nominee Rejon Tucker.

Mr. Tucker, whose stage name is Blac, has been nominated for his song ?Do U? in the Best Dance Hall/Reggae category.

Mr. Tucker knew he had an early love of music ? but he ignored it. The would-be singer elected to study culinary arts instead.

But his heart for music soon persuaded his head to follow and he returned to writing and singing.

?Do U? will face off against a number of tough competitors in its category tonight including ? Tiny T?s ?Hot Girl Step?, Collie Buddz?s ?Come Around?, Lanky Boy?s number ?Do Dat Dance? and Ninja Cutty?s ?Gombey?.

The public can vote for any of these artists in the People?s Choice Award category by visiting www.thaunderground.net and casting their votes before the show, which starts tonight at 6 p.m.

In addition to those competing with Blac, other artists up for honours at tonight?s Red Carpet awards show are Loc Tight, Force Proph, HitMan, 4 T?reign, Malik Spence, Jordon Star, Littles, Tru Shott, Tropical Entertainment, Twan?e, Prodical, Zach Wilson, Tropic Ent., Torrie, Tightest and V.R.

The awards they will be vying for are Best Collaboration Song, Best R&B Male Vocalist, Best Female Vocalist, Best Rap Song, Best Producer, Best New Artist, Best DJ of the Year, the L.A. Virgil Artist of the Year Award, Song of the Year, Best Spoken Word Artist and Best Diss Track.

Mr. Tucker told The Royal Gazette it was an honour just to be included in the awards with so many other Bermudian artists.

?I?m always been influenced by other artists,? he said, noting that he grew up listening to many of the other nominees.

?There is a Bermudian artist called Elephant Child and he was just hot back in the day,? Blac said. ?I didn?t imitate him, but I always wanted to create songs like his that everyone liked.

?So then I went to Berkeley (Institute) and I came across a group of guys that used to beat on trashcans, doors and all that and make beats. And one lunchtime, I just thought I?d stop and see what these guys were up to.

?I stopped and they were chatting and doing their thing and I though I had to try this here out.

?One of them said he?d help me to write a few lines and we had a clash one lunch time and I won it.?

Despite his detour into culinary arts ? ?I had just studied it to get the knowledge of it because my (late) mother (Roma Tucker) was a good cook,? he said ? he is now ready to focus on music full-time.

He would like to attend Full Sail Real World Education, in Florida, to study recording arts.

?Two guys that I work with, Craig Simons and John E, they also went there and they are great with music,? he said. ?It is unlimited to what they can do. It doesn?t make any sense in this business to be limited. I also plan to study business entertainment there as well.?

Asked for the source of his inspiration, he said: ?It comes from just being around my friends. They like my stuff and it pushes me to do more.

?They are musically motivated people ? and being around Craig Simons and John and people like that keeps me motivated ? they sometimes do beats for me so it keeps me writing. Mike at DDM Studios (is an example). He loves my style and I just go up there every now and then because I feel comfortable with him because he knows a lot about music because he has been in it for about 30-something years.

?So I try to hang around those sorts of people because one day I will be somebody.?

An award tonight would certainly boost him towards his goals, but Mr. Tucker said he is confident success will be imminent in the next few years.

?In five years time I should be smiling from ear to ear because I would be successful with my music,? Mr. Tucker said. ?I would have gained a knowledge of the music industry, probably would have also gotten into fashion and I plan to have a clothing line.?

Blac is set to perform at tonight?s event, but he will not be alone. ?I am hoping for a good performance at the awards,? he said. ?It is a melody between Tiny T, Ninja Cutty and myself because of the lack of time.?

The artist also regularly performs at the Chewstick live mic nights and when asked what distinguishes him from other young performers, he said drive.

?I push myself more than a lot of other people and I am versatile,? he said. ?Not many are, some just rap and they just rap, while others just sing.

?I rap, sing and DJ ? I can do which ever I want.

?So that is what separates me from the rest.?

His competing song has been well received so far, he added.

?Do U is a new dancing song and it is a really upbeat reggae dance tune. People like it so far the Captain plays it in the morning and DJ Rodigan plays it as well (both of Power 95) and Tha Underground plays it on the weekend.

?My aim for that song was to get people dancing and that was a good jump off for me. Everybody seems to like that song.?

But Blac has no intention of being a one hit wonder.

?I have another one, which is called ?Rat Race? and it has a Bob Marley sampler in it ? that one is about things that are happening in Bermuda,? he said.

?My ace boy made the beat and I didn?t really know how I would approach it and the meaning is one that ?I am going to keep working hard and doing my thing ? I am going to keep blazing until I am amazing? and then Bob Marley comes in with ?Oh what a rat race?.

?Another one is called ?Lonely? and it is mainly about what I have been through and how the girls turned a blind eye to me ? it is a strong song and people who have heard it thought that the lyrics were deep.

?One is entitled ?Beauty and the Beast? and another that details Bermuda?s historical characters. You have to know where you came from to know where you are going ? don?t be short handed.?

@EDITRULE:

For a review of tonight?s show and a list of all the winners at Tha Underground Awards, don?t miss Monday?s Lifestyle section.