10 Jamaican Artists To Watch (2019 Edition)

Get to know.

10 jamaican artists to watch
Publicist

Jane Macgizmo

10 jamaican artists to watch

"Wi likkle but wi tallawah!" is a common phrase used amongst Jamaicans, meaning that, despite the country's size, its people make up for it in spirit, energy and pride. Ultimately, we are not to be underestimated, and this is doubly so for the talent borne from our shores. It's no secret that all eyes and ears have stayed on Jamaica; its food, fashion and its music have been sampled and people have attempted to recreate what can only be found, made, and produced on the island.

But now, more than ever, people are looking towards Jamaica and asking: What is next?

With Popcaan's staging of his (hopefully) inaugural Unruly Fest that concluded with him being signed to OVO, a recent overwhelmingly impressive homecoming show by reggae superstar Buju Banton, and the infectious sounds of newcomer Koffee sweeping airwaves across the globe, the land of wood and water continues to be the home of some of the most exciting music around. The good thing is that Jamaica has never been short of talent. The island's emerging crop of artists are making an assortment of addictive dancehall, soul-baring reggae or disregarding completely what people expect them to make by fusing genres together to produce genre-bending, boundaryless records.

If you haven't been keeping up to di times with who they are, take a page out of Bob Marley's songbook and, "don't worry". Here are ten of the next artists leading the pack.


 

Jane Macgizmo

View this video on YouTube

youtu.be

If you've listened to Koffee's Rapture EP, then you have definitely heard the enchanting voice of Jane Macgizmo (see: "Blazin"). But that's not all: the multifaceted singer, songwriter, designer and photographer—hailing from the outskirts of Mandeville—has been immersed in the arts, having attended Sybil's Music School and later Northern Caribbean University for film. Though Macgizmo has only shared a few singles, her latest being the infectiously hypnotizing "One Away", this gifted artist inspires hope for tomorrow.

Sevana

View this video on YouTube

youtu.be

It's very easy to get lost in the soulful vibes of Sevana, and you should because she is incredibly gifted. An artist under Protoje's In.Digg.Nation collective, Sevana's rise to fame was propelled by her appearance on the Jamaican talent show Digicel Rising Star, in 2008, where she became one of the top finalists. Since then, the Savanna-la-Mar native has released a steady flow of singles and features, including a self-titled EP, and has been doing live performances all across the world. Her melodic mashup of reggae, soul and R&B is highly infectious.

Tessellated

View this video on YouTube

youtu.be

Tessellated joined forces with Amindi K. Fro$t and Valleyz to produce a 2017 summer anthem in "Pine and Ginger". His genre-defying music blends reggae, jazz, R&B and soul for a truly unique sound. Having worked with infamous dancehall producer Rvssian and emerging talent Krs to produce a refixed "Beach Front Riddim", they created "Hallucinate"—while Tessellated's latest single, "Freeza", saw him team up with dancehall stars Shenseea and Zac Jone$. He's on their radars and he should be on yours.

Lila Iké

View this video on YouTube

youtu.be

Lila Iké, labelmate of both Sevana and Protoje, is reminding you about everything you love about reggae. Hailing from the hills of Manchester (in Jamaica), her love for music grew exponentially while attending Manchester High School. Highly skilled at spitting freestyles as she is at singing, Lila Iké has flirted with dub in her third and latest single "Second Chance", and her debut reggae single "Biggest Fan". Though she's yet to release a full body of work, Lila Iké has been garnering a bigger fanbase from her local and international performances.

Dee Dré

View this video on YouTube

youtu.be

Dee Dré is an emerging dancehall musician hailing from the streets of Kingston. A close affiliate of Aidonia's Fourth Genna camp, Dee Dré poetically transcribes the hardships and celebrations of his life atop dancehall riddims to create records that are both relatable and catchy. His music hits home.

Naomi Cowan

View this video on YouTube

youtu.be

It's only right Naomi Cowan steps full-force into music. With her parents being renowned gospel singers Carlene Davis and Tommy Cowan, the singer/songwriter's love for music started at home and she's channeled that love into her recently released mixtape, Paradise Plum. Naomi's love for soul-baring songwriting shines through and has brought her many accolades. Though her career is still in its infancy, she entered The Foundation Radio Network (New York) Reggae Charts and was able to perform at one of JA's largest music events, Reggae Sumfest. Watch Miss Cowan's star rise.

Royal Blu

View this video on YouTube

youtu.be

Royal Blu's intoxicatingly refreshing, conscious approach to creating reggae makes him an artist you should definitely indulge in if you haven't already. He's been a feature on a number of songs—including my favourite, "NTN", with fellow Jamaican musician iotosh—in addition to releasing his own records. Sing With God, his 2017 joint project with German producer Foresta, is also worth a few spins. 

NeeQah

View this video on YouTube

youtu.be

A rising name in dancehall, NeeQah is steadily making her way to the top. Her breakout song "Ms. Melanin", along with the 300K-directed visual featuring Charly Black, has been gaining attention for its message promoting black women of all shades embracing their melanin. NeeQah's raw and uncompromising lyrics, which liken that of City Girls and Megan Thee Stallion, have allowed her to be a standout and promising act amongst the new crop of dancehall acts.

iotosh

View this video on YouTube

youtu.be

He's a lyricist, producer and multi-instrumentalist whose combined penchant for dancehall, trap and hip-hop is the thread which weaves his music together: iotosh is someone that continues to redefine expectations when people hear the words 'Jamaican music', and his production credits are equally as impressive as his wordplay, showcasing how wide his musical breadth is. Get to know!

Blvk H3ro

View this video on YouTube

youtu.be

Blvk H3ro's music is full of good vibes, and if he's not already on your playlist—be sure to add him. Another artist trying to take reggae to another level, though he raps and does dancehall as well  his talents have brought him to many stages, including BBC 1Xtra and popular Jamaican podcast, The Fix. Blvk H3ro is destined for big things.

Latest in Music