Drake’s in-house producer/ OVO business partner OVO40, given name Noah Shebib, has given credit to Jamaica for its influence on global culture and music. According to the producer, who made a long post on his Instagram page to his more than 500,000 followers, Jamaica is one of the most influential countries in the world.
“Thank you Jamaica, you have given me so much … my favorite food next to Lebanese, obviously. The coffee, the culture, the dance, the talks and of course the sound. The vibes, the feelings, the cadence, the timing, the rawness, the meaning, the influence, the guidance and the politics,” he wrote.
Jamaica is credited as being one of the first countries to create bass-driven music, and OVO40 made sure to include this aspect of Jamaica’s musical history in the mix.
“Bass … all this bass today, we can thank Jamaica for that. My mentor and teacher … Jamaica gave us Sly, Robbie, Beres, Peter, Bob, like what? Dancehall, these are real tangible influences in my life and my music and who I am as a man in my heart. One of my favorite places on Earth, no question. There’s nowhere as real. Jamaica literally made me who I am thousands of miles away in a cold city in Canada called Toronto. If that’s not a testament to the power and influence of that culture, then I don’t know what is,” the Lebanese/Canadian wrote.
Quality and depth
Curator for the Jamaica Music Museum, Herbie Miller, believes OVO40’s comments are accurate.
He also added that Jamaica’s contribution to music, especially the bass, cannot be overstated.
“The fact that hip hop and new age American pop now rely on bass can be attributed to the Jamaican influence. Master of the bass, Lloyd Brevett, was superior as it relates to his quality and depth. It took our musicians (to use) a special kind of skill because they went to no schools to learn about hertz and maths. It was all a feeling to know how far you could go with the bass without destroying the speakers,” he said. Miller also described Jamaica as the base of the bass.
Drake’s OVO camp is no stranger to the Jamaican music industry. Drake himself has collaborated on songs with dancehall artiste Popcaan, and also donated money towards the creation of a library in Cassava Piece.
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