We speak to up and coming artist Jada Kingdom about her exciting musical style and what it’s like to be a promising talent from Jamaica, looking to make her mark on the music industry. With ambitious tracks, such as current tune ‘Banana’, and her determination to succeed and help the ones around her, Jada Kingdom is surely a name you’ll be hearing a lot of very soon…
Hi Jada! Let’s start from the beginning; you grew up in 7 Miles in Bull Bay, Jamaica. What it was like growing up in Jamaica?
Jada Kingdom: Jamaica is an island that always vibrates with incredible energy. The way we interact with each other with language and wit just makes it a fun place to live. Music is a part of the fabric here – you cannot escape it, every turn you turn you will hear music so it’s very inspiring and natural to be creative. I grew up in an economically deprived situation but I never wanted for love from my family. One of my main driving forces is to be successful as an artist and entrepreneur so that I can uplift my family. My grandfather, one of my favourite people the whole world, has worked as a Red Cap at the airport for 40 years and I need him to retire ASAP. When I was a little girl he would give me his last dollar so I am working to make his life a lot easier. Growing up with this body that God blessed me with has been very challenging at times but I have embraced it and turned it into a powerful force.
Jada Kingdom is your stage name, rather than your birth name. What made you choose this?
JK: My body is my kingdom, simple. All women should feel that way no matter the shape or size so hopefully it also empowers others.
What made you want to get into music and are there any artists that particularly inspire you?
JK: Growing up in Jamaica, you are exposed to music almost constantly. I started off writing poems to express my inner feelings and they quickly evolved into songs. I have been singing since I was eight, and have been inspired by a set of artists that have no doubt, subconsciously or not, had a profound influence on the way I approach my art. I love Jazz: I love Nina Simone, Sam Cook, Deniece Williams, Minnie Riperton classic soul songs sung with such texture and emotion in the voice that you feel it. That’s the level I want to get to.
Your music has been described as delivering a fresh approach to Jamaican music. What would you say is your style of music and how has it come about?
JK: There’s no doubt been shaped by the artists I grew up listening to. Growing up in the 2000s with access to the internet, we have the chance to discover new music from any country and era so it’s constantly inspiring. Those different styles and genres all blend into my music – we haven’t put a label on it but its almost like we are creating a new genre. Elements of Jazz, Trap, Reggae, Dancehall and Afrobeats all permeate my music and the fresh approach is something people seem to like. It’s difficult because we are coming with a new sound so selectors aren’t going to play all my songs in dances and parties in Jamaica but we try to release diverse tracks so that there’s songs you can just chill and listen to or songs you can f*** to or songs that Boom Boom (sector) can play at Uptown Mondays (one of the hottest weekly street parties in Kingston).
We’re big fans of your catchy song, ‘Banana’ and the music video too – so catchy, and colourful! What was the inspiration behind the song and its name?
JK: I was at the studio with my producer Jaxx and we were all there getting high and got the munchies. We went to the gas station and there were fruits there so I bought a banana, cashew nuts, and coconut water. We went back to the studio and when I was in the booth I said ‘Yo Jaxx, pass the banana for me’ and the sexual connotation just came in my head. When I said ‘Yo pass the banana’, everyone in the studio started aligning and making a big deal about the asking a man for a banana. So I just started troubling Jaxx the whole night about ‘needing a banana’. People always remark about the way I pronounce ‘banana’ in the song but it was because I was so high that I was literally singing through my teeth. I couldn’t open my mouth. But yeah, I was literally eating a banana and nuts so the innuendo was pretty unavoidable…
Are you working on any new songs currently and are you planning on releasing an album?
JK: We are constantly working on new music and visuals and a longer project is the goal. I think that my music lends itself well to a body of work as a standalone entity, so we are really looking forward to finishing and presenting that in the near future. Even though I have only released 10 songs, my direction is pretty defined already so we really want to just keep upto that high audio-visual standard we have set for ourselves. My team and I go through the songs and production in minute detail and we want to continue to make incredible music that is fun and evokes emotions.
You’ve been touring with Kranium; what has that been like?
JK: It’s been wonderful! I have had the chance to get to perform in places such as Seattle, Santa Ana, Sacramento and Oakland very early in my career. For a Jamaican artist to reach those territories, it usually takes a long time, but I was able to perform and win new fans in those markets because of this opportunity. And obviously, the diversity of the audiences were far different from the core crowd back in Jamaica or New York etc so that has also been inspiring. I am definitely looking forward to headlining my own tour on the West Coast next time out, I love it out there.
What is the goal for your music career? Would you like to have your own tour one day?
JK: I’m only 20 and have just started my musical journey but the aim is to headline my own sold-out stadium tours and get hundreds of millions of streams and views and to know that people appreciate my art. As a Jamaican female artist, it’s a lot harder because we have the extra task of fighting for spots on these platforms – streaming or radio, that don’t traditionally offer a lot of high profile slots for us. They have us in a box and see us as niche, but hopefully we can continue to break barriers as other great Jamaican artists have done before us – get on that elite level and also help other Jamaican and Caribbean artists who will come after me.
Jada Kingdom’s latest single, ‘Banana’, is available to buy and stream now
