Features : New artist Jermin showcases in “30 GZ” his unique American-Jamaican hip-hop fusion

“I don’t really consider myself, or want to be considered, a rapper or a reggae artist or a pop artist or R&B. I can do all of that,” he said.

In the considerable body of work he has produced in the nine years since he became serious about his music, he makes his Jamaican heritage evident.

“I am, obviously, incorporating the Caribbean into my own sound with songs like ’30 GZ,’ where you are getting the Caribbean aspect.”

In “30 GZ,” as in much of his other work, he alternates Jamaican Patois with U.S. English. He grew up with both. Songs like “30 GZ” have verses in both:

My girl you fi nice and done 
Cah di place get hot when di summertime come

And: 

Folks came from 3rd world 
Knew they had to hustle

The music, too, often has an Island vibe, hip hop lyrics and beats punctuating melodies with a Caribbean lilt.

Jermin was born in Philadelphia after his parents immigrated from Jamaica. His mother eventually moved to New York, and Jermin now lives in Los Angeles. His Americanized culture comes from all three cities, but his formative years were lived in a Jamaican household.

“I started  making music at 15, around eighth grade, transitioning into ninth grade. Obviously, me being a first generation, we kind of grew up in an Americanized culture, but my parents’ Jamaican culture was prevalent in my life growing up. My parents spoke to me in Jamaican my whole life, so I try to incorporate that into my music.”

Jamaica figured heavily in his early exposure to music, as well. 

“I didn't really get around to American music until I was, like, 5 to 8 years old, when I started actually playing rap and pop and stuff like that. I was really brought up on dancehall and reggae,” he said.

The first rappers who caught his attention were 50 Cent and Jay-Z, even though they were before his time, so he never got to actually see them perform during their peaks.

“I feel like I was too young to really appreciate it, but when I started doing music, a guy like Drake was really on fire. Drake really implements a lot of that Caribbean stuff into his music, and I gravitate toward that a lot.”

He draws a lot of inspiration also from Sean Paul, the great Jamaican artist.

“He was one of those big, obviously reggae artists that actually made a transition where he had an impact on American culture, although a lot of his music was considered dancehall at the time.”

He is currently working on a new song, “Double RR,” that he considers his “first true shot at something that is very Sean Paul-esque,” in the sense of showcasing both his talent and his Jamaican roots, but in his own, unique blend of “the new-school bounce and vibe that's currently going on.”

Any listener can clearly hear that he has in abundance the lyrical and musical talent and the voice to be a success, but what he believes makes him stand out as an artist is his adaptability to culture, style and musical forms.

“I feel like, given any challenge, I can always adapt. I’m not in a box where I can only make rap or I can only make reggae. I feel like I'm very well rounded,” he said.

With his concentrated push to promote “30 GZ” he is also trying out a new way to approach his music. His production to date has been as an independent, creating and releasing music himself on various channels (links below). But Jermin, who has a day-job selling suits, wants music to be more than a hobby.

“If I can live off of me just doing what I love, then I think that's the ultimate goal of life.”

“30 GZ” is out, “Double RR” is coming, and so, he says, are live performances. He has a lot of music out and more to come.

Once those two singles are out, “I want to put together an actual project, an album or an EP, and make more progress in this industry.”

Follow Jermin’s progress by connecting on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.  

Websites:
Amazon Music
Apple Music
SoundCloud
Spotify
YouTube

Socials: 
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