Jah Vinci rings in birthday with new release
Published:Saturday | February 11, 2023 | 2:07 PMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer
Dancehall artiste Jah Vinci was overwhelmed by the turnout at the Sea Deck Restaurant and Lounge as family and friends gathered to mark his birthday.
The arrival of dancehall entertainer indicated that three things were about to begin: a birthday celebration, memorial and listening party for the single titled Birthday Glow which he chose to release on his own birthday.
“This was a big, big, massive surprise,” Jah Vinci told The Gleaner. Imagine, I was talking to some of my relatives and friends, who me not even did know dem deh here and show up here specifically to support me – they kept this from me.”
Not one for celebrating birthdays, Jah Vinci, whose real name is Kirk Rhoden, showed a mixed bag of emotions as he allowed the moment to sink in. He has grappled with the idea of celebrating life, while the birthdate still reminds him of the death of his brother, Mark Anthony White, whom he still mourns since 2005.
“I usually associate this date with the [memory] of my brother passing tragically. [I] took a visit to the graveside. For it to happen on one of my birthdays, even though it has been years, still makes it very challenging to celebrate. Every year it has been a memorial, but my family and friends, who have become like brothers, like Kram and NotNice, among others, who are here with me, have reassured me, by saying ‘Mark would want you to be happy’,” Jah Vinci shared.
Recording artistes, including Singer J, Bugle, Aidonia, and Jah Vinci’s labelmate Nordia Mothersill, as well as social media influencers and industry professionals like Dancehall Queen Carlene Smith and producer Seanizzle, surrounded the Heart Too Clean artiste with positive energy and presenting physical gifts.
The I Am the World Singer wants to make a global impact with the story of pain, love and loss through his music and the legacy he is building.
He said, “I haven’t counted, but I have millions of tracks out there and I’m working non-stop. Persons who are tuned into my music will see the direction I have been going and risqué or not, it has made an impression on the people.”
The latest single, Birthday Glow, follows a stream of steamy R&B-infused, dancehall tracks including Virgin, Pretty Like A Rose, and Worth It. It is featured on Jah Vinci’s EP, which has been branded Rated M, which guests had a chance to hear a little of at the party.
“It came out of a reasoning with my woman, and she advise me to try the birthday flow and out of that conversation, more inspiration and so happens it give birth to Birthday Glow. Myself and the team said the birthday was the right time for the release,” Jah Vinci.
Billboard-charting dancehall producer Ainsley ‘NotNice’ Morris said he was content knowing that his artiste enjoyed his birthday. He also said that Jah Vinci has been experimenting with different sounds, and even topics but now, he is in the “mature chapter” of his recording career. “He has been on the scene and since 2008 we have seen different songs, like Watch Yuh Friends and No Boundaries, as well as bad man tunes – he has proven he is diverse, but a couple years ago, while analysing the industry, we wondered what was music from his career,” he said.
“With that said it enter the conversation that we need to give the females some songs because everybody out there chopping this and that and we never wanted for him to sing no hardcore bad man tunes and the slower songs sometimes, are underappreciated. In truth and in fact, not many artistes are representing for ladies, you hear of a Dexta Daps, but that side of the industry is not saturated, that’s how we drop the Passion EP in 2021 and here we are again with a seven-track EP, with five fresh songs and two re-releases Passion featuring Nordia Mothersille and Soul and Body. I have faith in the work and even see it in the audience that comes to his performances,” NotNice continued.
The party closed off with a performance from Jah Vinci and other acts.