People may know him by his stage names Rowdy Piper and R?ddla.

But local hip hop artist Roddy Nesbitt could soon have another label under his belt — that of soca star.

Mr Nesbitt’s latest song, CrossFit, is described as an energetic soca tune. Composed by Derek G Simmons its aim is to get people up moving and excited for the Carnival-inspired festivities for Bermuda Heroes Weekend.

The entertainer gave his take on the song and why he feels others will gravitate towards it.

Q: What sparked the idea behind CrossFit? What is the song about?

A: [Bermudian music producer] Derek G offered me a chance to write on his new riddim and I was excited for the challenge. It was already named CrossFit, so I just ran with it (no pun intended). To me, soca is upbeat, fun and “happy” music. It’s always about having a good time, but every now and then you see a girl whining like she’s vexed, almost attacking her partner with the whine. This one’s for them. The song is meant to make you dance so hard you feel like you’re in a CrossFit gym, sweating buckets and mastering different physical challenges to achieve maximum results.

Q: Did you write it yourself? What’s goes into creating and recording a song like this?

A: I wrote the intro and hook the first time I heard the track. Once I was settled on those I just obsessed over the track for a few weeks, adding and editing lines as I went. The riddim is a banger so that made writing the song fun and relatively simple. My goal was to match the energy I felt coming from the riddim. The music was already set up to be a great jam and I was just excited to be involved.

Q: What was it like working with Derek G? Have you worked together at all before?

A: Derek G is a musical genius and the track was his creation. He rearranged some parts once the song was written to better suit the lyrics, but I didn’t push a single button. He gave great direction and support during recording and that made the process a breeze. I’ve been working with Derek G for about six years. We met at Chewstick, and when he formed the band DIA he invited me to take part. I also featured on his mixtape releases, Stealth Ninja Chronicles I and II.

Q: You’re mostly known for your hip hop work, what was it like venturing over to soca? Is this something you plan to pursue more in the future?

A: I’m an MC first and foremost. My focus has always been hip hop, but I always sprinkled in some island flavour. I was never limited by genre but am coy about singing, so that was a mental block I had to get over. Working with DIA artists like Amora, Haz and LiveWires gave me the inspiration to branch out. Growing up in Bermuda and travelling to other islands, I have always enjoyed soca and reggae/dancehall, so it came naturally to me. This is actually my second attempt at soca but my first as a soloist. I feature on Amora Rose’s Lose Control which is also scheduled for release on her upcoming album The Birth of a Rose.

Q: Obviously soca is so huge right now. Who would you say are your favourite soca artists and why?

A: I rate most soca artists regardless of where they’ve made it because it’s high-energy music and you have to perform with spirit no matter what. I covered Kerwin Dubois with DIA so there’s an obvious influence. Machel Montano is a beast! Bunji. Lil Rick. I have to rate Busy Signal for his versatility. I like all the ladies cause they go hard to loosen up the party and give girls in the fete added inspiration.

Q: How did you get started with music and performing? Where would you ultimately like to go with your career?

A: I got started in music when a primary school teacher saw something in me and threw me on stage. In high school I found a good manager that taught me the fundamentals of being a professional artist and I’ve been at varied degrees ever since. Ultimately I would like to attain international notoriety as a performer and songwriter.

Q: What can fans look forward to next from you?

A: DIA is performing at the Bermuda Heroes Weekend opening [on Front Street] on June 12 and we plan to make Bermuda proud.

I’m also planning a solo show in early July at Chewstick. I have a few singles in the works and will hopefully get enough support to release a full-length project by the autumn.

• CrossFit is available to stream or as a free download on Soundcloud. Visit: https://soundcloud.com/derek-g/crossfitbermuda-day-promo-rowdy-piper-prod-by-derek-g