For most of his 15-year career, rapper/deejay King Jazzy has experimented with different sounds which has endeared him to fans of hip hop, dancehall and trap in Detroit where he is based.
He sticks to genre-bending for Trap Betty Baby, his latest song, which was released in April by the Electric Sticky label.
The track is co-produced by King Jazzy and motorcitymelo.
“This is actually our second release this year. We released a song called Valentine on all digital platforms close to Valentine’s Day but our radio liaisons chose Trap Betty Baby as the lead promotional single,” said King Jazzy. “So Valentine, though rivaling Trap Betty Baby on Spotify streams, didn’t get the radio push (but) we’ll get around to that one.”
While it has a strong hip hop flavor, Trap Betty Baby’s video captures urban Jamaica at its grittiest. It was filmed in Tawes Meadows, a community of low-income high-rises that resembles projects in Detroit where King Jazzy spends much of his time.
After his mother remarried, he moved to Jamaica with her and grew up in hilly St. Mary parish which has produced some of dancehall music’s biggest acts such as Ninja Man, Josey Wales and Capleton.
During his time there, King Jazzy grew to appreciate the country’s culture including roots-reggae and dancehall music.
In Detroit, he embraced music that was rocking American clubs including electronica and trap. Many of his songs are a blend of those beats along with dancehall and what he calls Afro Pop.
He is aware of the influence Jamaican music carries.
“I believe dancehall/reggae is where the pebble drops for so much music worldwide. We are the trendsetters, it’s true,” said King Jazzy.
You must log in to post a comment.