The Self-Taught Architect of Modern Soca
There is a particular kind of creative confidence that comes not from formal training or inherited industry connections, but from years of quiet, disciplined, self-directed work — from trusting your own ear when no one else is listening yet. That is precisely the confidence Mevon Soodeen has built over more than a decade in Trinidad and Tobago’s music industry. The man behind the hitmaking moniker Xplicit Mevon has spent the last decade quietly crafting some of the most genre-defying sounds in T&T’s music industry. Today, he is one of the most in-demand producers in Caribbean music — and he got there by doing things entirely on his own terms.
Diego Martin to the Studio: An Unlikely Path
Born and raised in Diego Martin, Soodeen did not come up through music school or the traditional calypso tent circuit. His route was considerably more unconventional. By profession, he was an IT specialist — a network administration expert who spent his working days maintaining computer systems at the Ministry of Education. But music was always pulling at him from the other direction.
After DJing at parties for a number of years, Soodeen discovered software that allowed him to create beats and rhythms. This combined his love for music and IT, making it evident that music production was the path of least resistance. “It was a blend of art, technology and music,” he has said. The observation is characteristic of the man — practical, precise, but rooted in genuine passion.
Though not formally trained in music production, Soodeen fine-tuned his self-taught skills by doing courses in both basic and advanced music production. He is candid about the misconceptions surrounding his craft: “A lot of people think being a music producer means one must be a musician or play musical instruments. For those who think so: it is a big misconception. Music production is about creating, combining, sampling and editing sounds and compositions.”
The Leap of Faith
For years, production remained a serious side pursuit while Mevon held down his government job. Then, in 2018, he made a decision that defined the rest of his career. He made the risky choice to leave his stable IT job at the Ministry of Education to pursue music full-time. It was a leap of faith that came with uncertainty and second-guessing — but today, he says he wouldn’t change a thing. “That decision was not one that was made on the spot. It played on my mind for years,” he admitted. “Music was a part-time hobby for me, and I built my studio in 2010 while still working in the Ministry.”
The decision was greeted with relief by those who had watched him work. “When I made the change, many people said, ‘Finally!'” he recalled with a laugh. It was the reaction of people who had long been able to hear what Mevon could do — and who had been waiting for him to bet on himself.
Building the Xplicit Sound
Operating under the banner of Xplicit Entertainment, Mevon built his reputation gradually, starting in the underground. He noted that his work in underground music is what initially put him on the map, explaining that doing hip-hop in T&T resulted in his breakthrough. His most successful early song, “Pumpin” and “Nah Boy” with Mark Hardy and Yung Rudd, achieved over 100,000 YouTube views — modest numbers by global standards, but significant for local hip-hop in Trinidad, where the genre has historically fought for airtime and recognition.
What set Xplicit Mevon apart from the beginning was his refusal to be boxed into a single genre. His diverse background — producing hip-hop tracks, pioneering new soca parang sounds with Rome (Jerome Precilla), and working across multiple genres — gave him the ability to blend different musical worlds effortlessly. That sonic fluidity became his signature. While many producers stake their reputation on a specific sound, Mevon’s calling card has always been versatility — the ability to move between parang soca, power soca, groovy soca, hip hop, and everything in between without losing a sense of identity.
His riddim work has been particularly celebrated. Productions like the Sweet Sorrel Riddim, the Good Oye Riddim, and the Happy Papi Riddim demonstrated his understanding of how to create a sonic landscape that invites multiple artists to inhabit it. Each riddim arrived with a distinct character — something producers sometimes struggle to articulate, but which listeners feel immediately.
A Catalogue Built on Anthems
Over the years, the credits have accumulated into something remarkable. His catalogue includes anthems like “Come Home” by Nailah Blackman and Skinny Fabulous, “Anxiety” by Patrice Roberts, “Everytime” by Nadia Batson, and “Take Me Home” by Freetown Collective. Each of these tracks represents not just a hit but a moment — a song that captured something specific about the mood and culture of its carnival season and refused to let go.
The Freetown Collective collaboration is particularly telling. “Take Me Home” and, more recently, “Kaya” — which instantly resonated with the public and whose music video crossed 1 million views — demonstrate Mevon’s ability to draw the best out of artists who operate in the more cerebral, literary end of soca. The idea for “Kaya” came from a conversation in which Mevon told the Freetown Collective that “a lot of women see them as intellectual sex symbols” and encouraged them to deliberately write a crowd-pleasing dance track — resulting in a song that somehow felt both effortless and exactly intentional.
“Pardy”: The Road March That Changed Everything
In Carnival 2025, Xplicit Mevon reached the pinnacle of his career to date. He co-produced “Pardy” with Badjohn Republic for Machel Montano, winning his first Road March title. The journey to that win is a masterclass in patience and faith in the creative process. The track’s journey began months before Montano even heard it. “I started working on ‘Pardy’ around June or July,” Mevon recalled. “I was just building beats and sending them to different writers. I sent this beat to multiple artistes, even to Machel directly, but no one really bit at first.”
It was only through a casual studio session that the song found its feet. When it finally reached Machel Montano while he was on the road celebrating his 50th birthday, the response was everything. “He told me, ‘Put this on ice. I played it for my team, I played it for international people, and everyone is saying this is special. Nothing else I’ve heard this year feels like this.'”
Carnival 2026: Powering Through
If winning the Road March could be expected to prompt some reflection and rest, Mevon has shown no sign of slowing down. For Carnival 2026, from Bunji Garlin’s “Still a Road Man” and Machel Montano’s “Encore”, to Mical Teja and Patrice Roberts’ “Capital”, XplicitMevon has been powering through the season with a remarkable depth of output.
The story behind “Encore” — Machel’s 2026 Carnival contender — is particularly revealing. Montano had told Mevon at the 2025 Road March prize-giving ceremony that he already had a song prepared to defend his title and wasn’t looking for anything new. But Mevon, alongside co-producer Kyle Phillips and songwriter Andre Jeffers, figured it wouldn’t hurt to pitch something. “We know Machel gets hundreds of songs every year but we said, ‘Let’s do something for him to see if he will take it.'” Montano fell in love with it instantly. He recorded it on Christmas night. “We were late to the party,” Soodeen said — but he believes it all worked out.
When asked about more members of the public now giving credit to producers, Soodeen said it’s a great feeling, crediting friends and fellow producers Kasey Phillips and Nikholai Greene for paving the way and shining a light on “those involved in the background.” He reflected, “I think that’s a really beautiful thing to see because we are the driving force behind a lot of these songs.”
The Coolest Nerd in T&T Music
Mevon Soodeen has described himself as “the coolest nerd in TT” — a self-deprecating but surprisingly apt description. He is a man who thinks in systems and processes, who brings a tech mindset to creative work, and who is already looking ahead to the role that AI and new technologies will play in music production. “I have a tech background, so I’m all for advancements. People are scared of AI, but I see its potential,” he has said — the perspective of someone who has always found opportunity where others see disruption.
His philosophy is grounded and direct: “Trust in yourself, trust in God, trust the process and your team, which should be aligned with the vision — and have a plan. Without a plan, it will be more of a challenge. The process can be difficult, but don’t be afraid. It is going to be hard, but continue to show up every day.”
In a music industry often defined by loudness and self-promotion, Xplicit Mevon has built something rare: a reputation based entirely on the quality of the work. Every hit he has produced speaks for itself — and right now, in Trinidad and across the Caribbean, those hits are everywhere you turn.