5 Questions with ... Jada Kingdom
Published:Friday | March 10, 2023 | 12:22 AMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer
Jada Kingdom has generation A to Z hooked on her every word. The soft-spoken entertainer is not afraid to tell it like it is, from behind or in front the microphone. Her music is diverse, a creative cauldron filled with emotion, metaphorical messages and is sometimes loaded with stinging lyrical bullets, that leaves everyone trying to investigate who they were aimed at when the singjay was putting her pen to paper.
Known in the dancehall industry for hits like Heavy, Love Situations, GPP, Pretty Gang, and Tek It, featuring Skillibeng, she continues to stir the pot on the international scene. She is featured on Speak In Tongues, on John Legend’s double album titled Legend, which debuted in the top 10 Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart. She also joined Scrptiid for On My Way, which also earned a spot on the Billboard World Digital Singles and the Billboard US Afrobeats Song charts.
She has been a little quiet on the local scene, though in December, Sting 2022 patrons would have had a taste of the Jada Kingdom’s peppery performance. She is slated to return the island in a couple weeks for West Igloo, with promises of delivering a more diverse platter of music and to create memorable moments inside the Catherine Hall Complex.
Speaking to The Gleaner, Jada Kingdom shared that one of her plans for this year is to engage her fans more.
“I’m trying to give my fans more because in 2022, I feel like I didn’t do everything I was to [so] I’m trying to drop more music, along with visuals and more content and stuff like that,” she said, while admitting that she has also purposely stayed out of the media. Certainly, the sit-down over Zoom was a rare occasion, but the Perfect Timing singjay shares what she has brewing for 2023, in this week’s Five Questions With... .
1.Let’s start with, how have you been doing, what have you been busying yourself with and are you enjoying like overseas?
There’s not really much to speak talk about. I’ve just been working and staying focused. Sure, I’m enjoying life overseas. I mean I been here for past two years, back and forth from Jamaica as I said, just working, living, playing and enjoying myself.
2.In 2021, you signed a deal with Republic Records, home to stars of the pop and hip-hop community, like Ariana Grande, Daddy Yankee, Florence and the Machine, Nicki Minaj and the list goes on. Have you connected with any of these artistes and can you give us some insight as to what you and the label have in store for listeners?
Well, I have new music real soon. I just finished my album … so yeah.
3. So, is the album skewed towards reggae-dancehall or more versatile, while still keeping it in mind for things like submitting it to Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album category?
It’s about 14 songs, but I don’t want to disclose the title as yet. I’m stuck in between two possible titles [choosing one] will all comes down to feeling and which best fits the album. I’m just doing what I feel, not really putting any one category on it. It features producers like Di Genius and De Nuzzo.
4. Do you occupy your time thinking about earning those accolades?
I don’t really focus much on those things really because I don’t feel like I am where I want to be yet. So, I don’t dwell on it too much. I wasn’t aware [of the recent collab with Scrptiid hitting the Billboard]. I believe it’s doing well, but it’s his song and that’s dope. We a take we time climb. I don’t get up and think about it. It’s not something I plan out it just comes so I just make music because I love it and it so happens to get me this and that, and takes me places but I don’t calculate much.
5. March is the month the world celebrates Women’s History Month. Is there any woman in history who you would say has been influential in your life, and she does not have to be in entertainment?
My mom, I definitely always choose just her for many reasons. She also loves music and has that talent. Growing up she has been a fan of music.
Brawta: What songs are a must in your set … is it different for local versus overseas … in terms of what fans demand?
I can’t perform and not sing Win. I never had a performance without that track and for some reason, Heavy. I definitely have to leave my mark with those.