Merchant (reggae artist)

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Merchant, also known as Musicaly Merchant, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist, deejay, writer, and producer. He was born Ricardo Renford Nicholson on March 18, 1981, in Manchester, Jamaica, and later moved to Portmore, Jamaica.

Growing up in Manchester, he attended Kayda Primary and Drew's Avenue All Age school before moving to Portmore at 15. He came from a musical family and was inspired by artists like Busy Signal, Bounty Killer, Konshens, Mavado, and others. In 2004, he joined the B-mobile Star Search in Portmore and finished as first runner up to Gyptian, which helped launch his recording career. He also performed at the West Kingston Jamboree that year, boosting his path as an artist.

Early in his career, Merchant released singles such as Rise Up Mi People, Badness Nuh Pay, and Dance the Time Away. In December 2012, he released Move Out Mi Tings, a song about a breakup with his baby's mother; the video gained heavy rotation on local TV and drew significant attention. He has since collaborated with his uncle Derrick Parker on Why Did You Have to Go Away, and with Kirk Davis on Love a Bubble Up and Freedom Fighter. In May 2015, he released Bun A Fire, Freedom Fighter, and I Wish on NVUS Records.

Merchant has expressed interest in signing with major labels like Cash Money Records and has talked about working with a wide range of artists. Move Out Mi Tings brought controversy by airing private life publicly, but it also helped raise his profile as an artist.