Diva Divo - Dance Magazine

Lucas Prata Singles In March 2007, Lucas Prata earned the unique distinction of being the very first artist to be crowned "DIVO of the Month" on the site. He was a natural choice at the time, riding high on the success of his single "And She Said," a recent stint on MTV's "My Sweet Sixteen" hit show, and enjoying a reputation as probably the most popular male dance artist to bravely grab a microphone instead of a set of turntables.

Now it's May 2008, and Prata has earned a new distinction with DIVA DIVO: he's the first artist – male or female – to receive the monthly honor for the second time. And in just over a year, a lot has changed.

"I quit my job," says Prata. But don't worry, fans; he's not referring to his work as a singer. Rather, Lucas left his behind-the-scenes day job as a music executive to focus entirely on his stage career. And as he reflects on the year that's passed, he's happy to say it's working out well.

"I just bought a house," he adds. "This is a huge thing… to be able to survive, doing what I'm doing and living life the way I want it… The biggest change for me in the past year is being able to rely on music as 100 percent of my income."

There's been one more change this year (and one more source of income, too): in May, Lucas Prata released his second album, Never Stop Dreaming. The title reflects Prata's drive, ambition and yes, his dream: to take his beloved dance music into the stratosphere of the pop world, and to serve as its leading ambassador.

But ironically, while the album's first single is titled "A Girl Like That" (featuring Jeannie Ortega), it was a girl – a former fiancé, no less! – that was almost responsible for putting an end to Lucas' dream.

"I was engaged once," recalls Lucas of his former flame. At the time, he was still working that day job for a measly salary, and trying to get his name known; "And She Said" hadn't yet hit the charts, and MTV was yet to come knocking. His fiancé, meanwhile, was enjoying a successful career and making "crazy money," says Lucas, working for rapper Jay-Z's Rocawear clothing line.

"She gave me an ultimatum," said Lucas of the moment his fiancé decided she couldn't see herself marrying a struggling singer. "She said, ‘I think this is more of a hobby for you, and that you and I need to move on in our lives and be normal… so I think you should keep this as a hobby and focus on a career in the executive world.'"

And for a moment, believe it or not, Lucas considered doing just that.

"I started second guessing myself," he admits. "I'd never proposed to anybody, and it made me look at things differently when there was another person involved. It made me think to myself, ‘Maybe you should stop dreaming and think about someone other than yourself.' It can be a very selfish business [music]. You have to be willing to sacrifice."

And in the end, Lucas made his sacrifice; but it wasn't his dream.

"I woke up one day and said, ‘How can I live my life saying, What if?'"

So Lucas ended his engagement and continued plugging away at his career. But, he said, no hard feelings.

"We parted ways in a very civil way," he remembers. "It's a sad story because it didn't end the right way for her… but the music took to the next level. She's open about it now, and supportive, more than I thought she would be."

"The dream was something I had to go for," he says. "If you don't do it, you'll regret it forever."

That's the message Lucas tries to convey with Never Stop Dreaming. It's also reflective of his musical mission, especially following the cross over success of "And She Said," to take dance music back to pop radio.

"I've always had a pop edge from Day One," says Lucas. "I was that guy who used to go to the New Kids on the Block concert and made sure no one knew I was there."

And for an artist who came up through the ranks by dancing for dance/freestyle legend George LaMond, it seems unnatural that the pop and club worlds can't collide. "Around the world, dance music is so big," says Lucas. "It's accepted by every culture."

In fact, Lucas' latest promotion is a cross-cultural exploration with Coca-Cola. The soft drink manufactured drafted a slew of Ultra Records artists (including Prata, Jes, Tiesto and more) to write a thematically inspired song for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Each song on Games' soundtrack is accompanied by a corresponding Coke bottle design, prepared by an Eastern artist. For his assigned theme of "human collaboration," Lucas rewrote his hit "And She Said," as the inspirational "Just Say Yeah."