The Style & Vibes Podcast
The Style & Vibes Podcast
Tifa Returns to Music on Her Own Terms
Resilience defines Tifa's journey through the music industry, and her return to the Style and Vibes podcast after five years showcases an artist who has not only survived but thrived through evolution. We discuss changes that have shaped her career since we last spoke—from navigating a global pandemic to celebrating a Grammy win with Kabaka Pyramid, and finding her voice again with her powerful new single "I Want a Man."
We dive into Tifa's writing process as she explains how her songwriting has remained remarkably consistent since age 15. Rather than writing solely from personal experience, she crafts stories from observations, emotions, and the collective experiences of women, creating music that resonates far beyond typical dancehall themes. "I Want a Man" exemplifies this approach, the song became a voice for women navigating complex relationship dynamics and societal expectations.
Her triumphant performance at Alkaline's New Rules Concert marked a definitive statement about her enduring relevance in Jamaica's music landscape. Despite industry attempts to sideline her, 15,000 fans singing her lyrics word-for-word confirmed what she's always known—authentic artistry outlasts social media manipulation.
As she maps out her future with multiple albums spanning different genres, Tifa's vision extends beyond personal success to contributing to the legacy of Caribbean artists who have achieved international recognition.
What makes this conversation particularly fascinating is Tifa's candid reflections on the value of stepping back. In an industry that demands constant visibility, her strategic break allowed her to reconnect with herself, relearn the evolving social media landscape, and fall in love with music again. For anyone feeling burned out or seeking reinvention, her journey offers both inspiration and practical wisdom about balancing authenticity with strategic evolution.
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Produced by Breadfruit Media
Welcome to the Style and Vibes podcast with me, Makayla. I'll be giving you the inside scoop on music, fashion, culture and more from Caribbean celebrities and tastemakers across the globe pushing our culture with authenticity and, of course, style and vibes. Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of the Style and Vibes podcast with yours truly Makayla, If you are new here. Welcome to another edition of the style and vibes podcast with yours truly michaela, if you are new here. Welcome to the family, if you are returning, like my guest today. Welcome back, family. We have t-i-f-a. Another building. I wanted them d-e-m.
Speaker 2:I still don't know, years later, and I still don't know.
Speaker 1:So the last time you and I spoke, you were in New York promoting the Silent Project with Relay and we got to chop it up. So we know your history, but what have you been up to since?
Speaker 2:I know it's a lot Do you know that since I A lot you been doing like literally, when we spoke it was right before the pandemic, like literally, right, yeah, it's been. It's been five years, pretty much it's been five years. A lot has happened in the five years. The pandemic happened um, I'm back in full force being tipa again. Um, I got a Grammy with Kabaka Pyramid on his album from Mr Raskaman.
Speaker 1:So much has happened in the short space of time it feels long but it feels short at the same time, and so I am so glad that you are doing music full force. You've also kind of done some other things in between, business wise, like you did radio for a little bit, I feel like you've been doing like some hosting for party. Talk to me about exploring all of those other creative elements about you, because Minos say you're gonna perform in art school, so you have plenty of talents, so how was it exploring those in that time frame?
Speaker 2:You know, as it is you just have to, like, in this day and age, you, if the opportunity comes and it makes sense, you have to just stick. You know, you have to just take the opportunity. Um, especially in this day and age, because you never know and the world is ever changing and evolving. And it's funny how I brought up the pandemic, like us doing the last interview right before the pandemic because life literally changed. You know what I mean. Streaming literally changed, um, how we perceive life. Tiktok became the number one app, like you know what I mean. Like so much has happened. So, when you're being presented with these opportunities, if you're good at it, if you're great at it, you just need to take them and you just need to run with them.
Speaker 1:Like you know what I mean which one were you was out of the most, out of your element for you I wouldn't.
Speaker 2:I wouldn't, any of them would be out of my element. Um, I really enjoyed radio. Um, not only was I a media personality, but I was marketing. You know what I mean, because I have a marketing background. I was doing a lot of marketing. You know what I mean. Connecting them with a lot of sponsors, connecting them with a lot of events. You know what I mean, given the fact that I've worked with so many sponsors and, you know, done so many events, like you know, being the connect. But, um, I would, I wouldn't say either. Our cooking is a part of my family. My family has restaurants. Like you know what I mean. If I couldn't cook with a worthless, I'd be a worthless woman, like if I couldn't cook, if I couldn't you know what I mean or have a catering business, like I'd literally be a worthless person so, in terms of just being an artist and being on the other side of the microphone, of of interviewing, how was that for you, like from an immediate experience?
Speaker 1:It was crazy.
Speaker 2:I really loved it and I got a chance to ask the questions that I would ask, because a lot of the time separate and apart from you and a few others, I don't think you know people just get these jobs and they're like so you know, how was it? What is it like being in a male-dominated business like?
Speaker 1:how do you like they?
Speaker 2:ask you the same questions over and over and I'm like why am I here? You know what I mean. It's a separate part from, like you and a couple of other people that like ask questions, like anthony miller's under you know what I mean, and winfa's like I really wanted to sit and ask the questions that I know would challenge artists and that I know would challenge prominent people and that I know people would actually want to answer. You know what I mean. Separate and apart from what it is that they sing and how it is that they started, like, who are you as a person? You know what I mean. What were you going through when you wrote, let's say, for example, I Want a man. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Like asking those type of questions that me, as an artist, would sometimes want other people to ask me. Well, speaking of, I want a man. You give me a good, nice segue, so the experience just come in. Blah, blah, blah. Um, tell me about your writing process from then until till now. How has that changed from five years ago to today? Like, how have you grown as a writer and an artist in that time frame? What's crazy.
Speaker 2:I have not grown since 15 or 14. I have not grown as a writer In the sense I mean sure, sure, you know literary devices and you know you. You go through high school, you go through college and you know what I mean. You learn about different things and different styles or whatever, but I always just wrote from a place of what I see and what I feel, and I can't, I can't necessarily explain it, but God just has a different way of expressing through me and I've always expressed fluently but differently.
Speaker 2:And ever since I was like 14 or 15 and I had this big you remember those big five subject books and I used to just write, like write poems, and I remember my cousins used to be like so enamored like them used to just tell them one of them teeth the book. You know, one of them teeth the book, but that's another story, find at that time. But since then, like, I've always just emoted the way how you know what I mean, I feel. I just emoted how I think persons feel because a lot of the times, like they hear a song and because people know that I'm a writer, they think, oh, it's automatically about me, but it's not necessarily about me, like kitty police was about a friend, about a guy that was stalking my friend's area. You know what I mean. Um me to wine was about just going to lime key on a sunday and realizing that it was the side chicks that were on these yachts.
Speaker 2:I'm not necessarily the wife and I'm like what am I live better life? You know what I mean. Right for the woman. So I just like to explore. You know what I mean. Different like I'm not necessarily the wife and I'm like what am I live better life? You know what I mean. Right for the woman. So I just like to explore. You know what I mean. Different like I'm not afraid to write.
Speaker 2:That's another thing, because as a dance hall artist or as an artist, you know they tend to put you in a box. You know you dress this way, sing this way. You know what I mean. Do things this way, like wear a a little tired, and if you don't, we're a little tired, you can't dress like. You know what I mean. And a uniform, but um, so I like to explore things from not only my angle, but like how other people see things and how other people emote things, and so I think, even though, as I say life has evolved, so you're gonna learn new things. But ever since I was 15 I don't know, god, just give me, maybe that's why I'm gonna get one in english and literature. And you know, ever since then, god, just from 15, it's been like this I think that that is I like.
Speaker 1:I really like that because the strategy hasn't changed. The material has. As you have, experienced life, but that skill of writing and continuous writing just naturally progresses the more you experience and observe about life, and I think that that is amazing. Given your penmanship, have you ever and would you write for other artists? I actually do um. I've written for tell me about that tell me about that.
Speaker 2:I can't, unfortunately. You can't even. No, I've even no. Let me tell you the truth. I've even written for hip-hop artists, but you know you gotta sign them.
Speaker 1:Ndas girl, you have to sign a little envy I need the 20 years for past because it's in a yabuka minosa, you can't just write and not gonna write your life. Let's put it this way.
Speaker 2:I've written for even men.
Speaker 1:I've written for even men just make sure it's in the biography, please, and thanks, I mean eventually.
Speaker 2:All right, I'm just proving up the business and you sign those NDAs and you know, just as long as my publishing good my good.
Speaker 1:And that, I think, is key. But the reason why I asked about songwriting and songwriting for others is I think Jamaica is full of talent, caribbean people are full of talent and I think sometimes, as we are coming up, we're only seeing this one way to be in the industry. It's the reason why, you know, I've taken on the stance that I love the music, I love the industry, but I am not an artist. But there are so many different avenues beyond being an artist or even a producer. I don't hear a lot about songwriter women, songwriters in the business, and I think that that's really why I wasn't trying to be messy. I just want, you know, to expose the, the your talent, beyond just doing it for yourself an idea because I'd love to do like a, like a writing workshop.
Speaker 2:It do happen, you know, to me, like every now and again, I know, um one of the days, I think, for probably like two hours, um, when shaggy does his emc thingy, um, they have like a writing workshop, um, but I'd love to, as a woman, I'd love you you've literally just given me an idea to like sit even with other women because, as I say, we are literally put in a box when it comes on to, especially if you are a dancer artist or even if you sing this. But how many times am I going to sing about my vagina? How many times am I going to sing about I can take your man? How many times am I going to sing about I want to whine on your mickey and tiktok.
Speaker 2:The world know that I already have a girl, but I need something good. Like you can literally pay $10,000 and get vaginal rejuvenation, like with, like you've heard, like you know what I mean. So, um, and you find that it's funny, and you find that because you're talking about real topics, it works, because you're talking about, you know the situation behind. I want a manner because I Tanya Stevens is saying these streets are because you know what I mean. You're talking about these real topical things and people can identify with them. You find that it lasts longer. You find that it has a sturdier impact.
Speaker 1:So tell me about. I Want a man because the people them want to know. Is this a personal story or is it inspired by it's not necessarily a personal story for me.
Speaker 2:Big up to Richard Digital One, he literally sent me a bunch of tracks. Just picture three months ago, three or two months ago, and picture Richard sending me a folder of just beats and me going through these beats and then, for some reason, this one in particular, can you know, most I do do the slower type stuff, but most times it's dancer. For some reason, this just connect with me, like I'm playing it in the car, I'm playing it while I'm showering, like, for some reason, this particular beat just connects with me. And I'm gonna walk you through a week.
Speaker 2:This is the week that, um, the DD trial started and like a whole bunch of stuff was coming out. You know, I mean it was crazy to see the dynamic between, like men and women. And you know the men saying, oh, she deserved it, she's not a victim, and the women saying she's a victim. And then the women are saying, oh, these men don't love us, these men don't love us. And then, I kid you not, from the Monday to Friday, every single girlfriend that I had was complaining about either situation. She, our relationship, like the group chat, was like, yeah, dirty man, and this, and that I'm a camp but I, when I want make woman, just like what is going on, like, like literally the entire week, like everybody had a complaint. And then I saw something that same week that said one in every four women will remain single. Wow, this is not good for me.
Speaker 2:I think, over this one and then see, a week there was another murder suicide in Jamaica. I know I've been having quite a few of those. There was another murder suicide and it's because and when they get to the root of it, it's always okay, I can cheat on you as a man, but you can't cheat on me as a woman. Like men don't know how to process getting born, it's the end of the world for them. So you find that there are a lot of murder suicides and I kept seeing in the comments again, these men don't love us, these men don't love us, these men don't love women.
Speaker 2:That's why I'm staying single and I was like wow, I said but and then the friday night, um, somebody that I was trying to date we were trying to date each other, I guess um, he literally just aggravated my soul. He literally like, just pissed me off and triggered me and he said the trigger why trigger me? Like you know, you know when it was like I said it brought me back to Monday with my friends. It brought me back to social media. It brought me back to the media, brought me back to everything that I was thinking. My friends were thinking, the women were like, literally the Friday night I wrote the song and the Saturday morning it was recorded and the rest is history. It literally is the voice of women. So it's not always my personal, it literally is the voice of. I literally took the different pieces of what I was seeing. These men don't love us and them money. I want your baby, them. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:If you listen to the entire song, you hear me talk about even I can't have a baby. I'm baby. Oh, there's so many topical conversations with it. We didn't even the song, cuz it's like you find us, a lot of relationships break up. I had a during or after the pregnancy because, oh, she know, she know what I did? I should have sexy again are a lot of these men want to compete with the baby, because before the baby came they were number one and now it's all about the baby. You don't, you don't make time for me anymore.
Speaker 2:Like there's so many things and I'm just like, but, sir, if we just birth a baby, like what do you think is going to happen here? You know what I mean. It can't walk, it can't talk, it can't feed itself. It is going to have to take precedence over you. You know what I mean. You're gonna have to wait the six weeks till I'm healed, like there's so many things to explore. And then, even then, I say, yo, what kind of trauma you got you. Because a lot of these men have unhealed trauma from childhood. You know what I mean. A lot of these men are projecting unhealed trauma from their childhood, from their parents, from their dads not being there, from their moms who babied them for so many topics within the one song. It's literally, as I say, the voice of women. I literally just took everything that I saw, that I felt that I was hearing, and put it in one song it's almost like a manifestation, if you will, of like you know the type of person that you're looking for.
Speaker 1:You put it out there and hope it kind of comes back to you. But you mentioned and I wrote down the word trigger think that social media and the community that women now have.
Speaker 2:That is public, triggers us or do real situations trigger us to react certain ways.
Speaker 2:I think both, because a lot of times it is real situations you turn on. You know. I mean you open the app and you're. We're following the news outlets, we're following the blogs, we're following. It's not like before where we had to wait until seven or eight o'clock at evening to watch the news, to see what's going on or the entertainment. We're literally seeing the things in real time. If a man fling a stone and bust somebody's head, we literally can't pick up the phone and say watch that. You know what I mean. So I mean, I think a lot of us have been, some of us have been desensitized, but a lot of us are still healing from a lot of things, even the pandemic.
Speaker 2:It's funny because I was in New York. I think it was two weeks ago. I was in New York and my cousin is a nurse and I was just like yo, this is where it started Like, and a lot of persons passed on. A lot of persons are still dealing with trauma from five years ago, from working in the hospitals, from seeing people buried in nine mark, like life literally over the past five years has either traumatized you and you're sensitive, or has either desensitized you and you're like okay, so that man food shopper. Cool, no problem. Seen it, you know what I mean. So I think I think it's a. It's a double-edged sword.
Speaker 1:It just depends on what side you're on what feedback have you gotten so far, from both men and women?
Speaker 2:listen everybody loves the song um. As I said, I sparked. It's viral and it has sparked a conversation. I have gotten the years as well as I've gotten there. Okay, okay, okay, maybe we're girly, but at least we don't give jackets.
Speaker 1:Jamaican woman give jackets, so you know what I mean I think I think there was a stat that got published in one of the newspapers about the mountain. Yeah, it's turning them on them often, I know it's, but it's really sad.
Speaker 2:It's 70 percent, I think it's over 70 percent, I think you can't blow the price of mandible alone. It's 83. Paternity fraud, like the kids don't belong to the people that. You know what I mean. But then it's wrong. I do not condone it, um, I do not condone you giving, you know, the wrong child to somebody else. But let's play devil's advocate.
Speaker 2:For years women were abused. For years women get born. For years women get bad treatment. For years grandma stayed with grandpa because it said till death, do us part. But then grandpa had three children in that house, six children in that house, and we were expected to take it. Because that's what we do we ride or die for our men. You know what I mean and I think the dynamic changed and a lot of women that saw that, that saw their mothers and their grandmothers and their aunts go through that, just decided, hey, I don't want to go through that anymore.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. I'd rather be alone than be with the drama. Art, sure, you can't handle me sexually. So them got the bond but then a child end up coming, which you know I mean. Give the man where the child come to. But you know what I mean. We've become so liberal that we have actually become the men, and it's sad. A lot of us have become the men that we want to be and a lot of us have even become the men that we don't even want to be, but you know what I mean. Like a lot of. There are a lot of women players out there. There are lots of women that don't have any feelings and okay, you've seen it, okay, all right. You Tuesday, never Rasta, you Friday, you Sunday. Because they don't want to be like the women at them, see, growing up. Why is it a beaten and then still have a lie down with a man?
Speaker 1:they become the main that is a whole other it's not say so many conversations within the ones.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we could be here all day, all day um me can't take it today.
Speaker 1:Um so, mega, five, mega, rewind the smells. Um, again, I I'm really glad to see you in this exciting space, like even your energy is is so vibrant coming through the screen. Um, you were recently on new rules with alkaline's new rules. Performing, rules, performing. What is that like for you, just getting back on stage and performing in Jamaica? I'm sure you've done other stuff before then, but I feel like that's the one that I've seen most recently.
Speaker 2:Exactly a year ago from New Rules. I did I think it was Paul of a Days's like 450 them show with Javi and pretty don't show big show, and I had not performed in Jamaica for a year, had not touched a mic, had not. I did. What's it called? Excuse me, I did. I want a man and we had already planned a promo from Miami to Jamaica to New York to bury the plan, the promo, like we knew what we're gonna do, and in the midst of it they called like would you do it? I'm like, yeah, it's like up. You know, it's a good, good cherry on top, because I already, I had already planned to be in Jamaica that week and I was just like. You know, this is an opportunity for me to have fun. This is an opportunity for me to shut the naysayers up. This is an opportunity for me to show people that Tifa is a staple. Stop listening to those crazy people that are sending out their promo girls or that are hiding behind the fake pages. People that are sending out their promo girls or that are hiding behind the fake pages or that are trying to block you know, block Tifa out of stuff because they have the multi-remotes or they have the other artists where they are pushed. And I literally just went out there and, unfortunately, I didn't get to use the band because, due to conflicts that we had with the scheduling, I didn't get to use the band. But you know, I got together with my DJ, got together with my dancers, we planned it and we executed it and the rest is history. For me to be doing this for so long and still receive the love that I receive, it tells a story.
Speaker 2:My break wasn't a normal break. My break wasn't a normal break. My break wasn't a social media. Remember, in our boss, when instagram wasn't like, we had to literally do the grown work. We had to literally do them school tours, them, road shows, them, like. You know what I mean. So you find that we're embedded in the people's hearts and a lot of people have used social media to manipulate the truth and to see 15,000 people singing their song word for word, remember, you know I go up on the stage and I say I cannot leave here without singing Jamaica's second national anthem and for me, if I go out there and say me a, the B-A-D-D and everybody else, you understand, is singing the rest.
Speaker 2:It shot down a lot of misconceptions that they were trying to put into people's brains, that they were trying to use social media and the media to manipulate people, to tell people, oh, tifa's time is done, or Tifa is this, or she's too old, mind you, younger than a lot of the women that are still out there. But so why are you saying you know? So I literally just used it as fuel and for it to be that particular platform, because I identify with alkaline in the sense that you get a whole heap of fight too. You know what I mean. And they literally strategically picked persons, like literally picked the underdogs, like they I literally had that conversation with them like you were picking all of the people, that people, notging them just do and shine. And if you if I mean like, if you watch my slides, you will see I put that in there.
Speaker 2:That was one of the biggest fire they want me get and I admired and respected that about them and what they were doing, and I just literally he is one of those people that he respected the fact that he's a ghost, he has a huge platform and I just do what I have to do, like I know this was gonna be my sun face and I just do what I have to do Black pantheon, all. But that's God. They're gonna do what I have to do and whether they like the black pantheon or not, they're gonna talk. So it works. That's what the DEM is.
Speaker 1:Performing is going to be what sets the next phase apart, especially because ai is cut, is here, right, and, and anyone can be manufactured at this point in a studio, um, but live performances are going to be where the best of the best really shine, and, and I I don't mean to cause it, but it's two things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you realize that, literally, like the mother, so the king and the second up with, like literally the five kings, within the space of six months, got my their visas. Bujo, gatel, beanie, bounty, like, and I don't know if it was strategic, I don't know but literally, like, yeah, you had these people that came out and no disrespect to anybody like I love a lot of the younger acts, but they didn't like when the pandemic, when the pandemic, like we never really learned how to perform and emote with people. You know what I mean, and I think that there was a cry for that in and it and it and it was it. It in. In some way, it kind of killed, kill the thing a little bit, because we are known for live performances. You know you can't go viral, all I wanted, but if the dj don't play it in a dance, I will come from a dance hall culture. If you don't play outside, it don't really really count. It's a good speed. You know what I mean. So that's the first thing.
Speaker 2:We are in a recession. People don't have any money, so if I spend my money for a concert, it doesn't make sense. That's the next thing. You know what I mean. And with AI I think I don't mean to cut you, but with AI is a double-edged sword, because this week I'm hearing that, well, from last week, as of the first of august, um, videos that were recorded in ai will no longer get paid on youtube. So it might work for some, but it might not. Grandma don't recognize it. And um, yeah, I heard that they're cutting out trending. They're putting out a lot of stuff, so we are coming back to the we. They're gonna have no choice but to come back to the real world they might have come back at the real world.
Speaker 1:Me like that, definitely me like that. So, in terms of music, you have this single. Now what are you? Are you just having fun, enjoying the moment and seeing what? What is coming next? Are you planning for a EP or an album like what I have a few albums she says she have double album. I've been crazy possible.
Speaker 2:I've been working all this time and yeah, as I said, even do you not pandemic somebody? That's somebody else. What did like me or me did idea, try whatever. They actually bought me, like a little studio set up in the pandemic. So the whole time you were shut down, I was literally in my house recording yeah, I forget things.
Speaker 1:You know, I wanted the em so.
Speaker 2:So I was literally in the house recording um, you're gonna get a reggae album. Um, you're gonna get quite a few projects. You're gonna see, I'm working the song. We as germicans we don't work songs. We love put out this and put out that I'm working. I want them. I want a man has a leg. We just start with. I want a man.
Speaker 2:So, working the songs, you're gonna hear a couple of remixes, maybe different genres, who knows, you're gonna hear a couple of remixes as well, as I do have other new music coming out because we have a few different. I want a man is a slower type reggae. You know what I mean Uno Usto, kranigal Basama, de Barrels, pelletote. We know what you're gonna talk, the things there. We're not gonna get that. Um, we just dropped the bugle and really just dropped, but we just re-dropped the bugle and myself. That was on his album Inside Warm. Um, people love that song there because they really hear bugle talk like that. So I mean they love that. So there's quite a few projects to come out Like, yeah, I'm excited. I'm excited. It's the first in a long while. I'm excited about music and what I'm gonna do. I feel like I'm just starting again.
Speaker 1:How do you ride that wave of feeling really good about music, then feeling not so great and then coming back? I think that as consumers, we don't think about that from the artist perspective. How do you ride that wave?
Speaker 2:Sometimes breaks are necessary and I think that a lot of people get caught up in the fact that, oh my God, iifa, and because I'm tifa and because I have these endorsements and because I've seen these, people expect this of me and people expect that of me. But at the end of the day, you're human and if you are not good, you're no good to anyone else. You know what I mean. Breaks are necessary. Um, hopefully it's a situation where you can get to plan, plan the break. You know what I mean. You can plan the break. Okay, I'm gonna drop this now and then, you know, probably take a six months or. But breaks are necessary. You can't just keep going, going, going, and that's one of that's about.
Speaker 2:Again, because we are so accessible now because of social media, people get tired. I don't know. People do get like lord my time to see her. Jesus christ, she again on the blog. They can't make somebody else like you've seen it in the comments. I'm tired of this. You know what I mean. You have to know what. Even what's your name? It's funny. You know who's great at this? Nikki minaj. She will not post for six months and then, all of a sudden, there's a challenge with people across them foot, and then she pop out a cute picture and then, oh my god, queen mother. Like you know, what I mean bricks are necessary.
Speaker 2:So people pace yourself. You are not. You are not a robot, you are not immortal. Like, bricks are necessary. You know what I mean, and even though the brick that I took was not like, it was somewhat forced upon me and I had to force myself to take it, I'm grateful for it. Um, breaks are also necessary because sometimes you need to step back from things. Sometimes, when you're in the thicker things, you can't really see what's going on around. Sometimes you have to take a step outward to see what's going on inside, and I really need to.
Speaker 2:I really needed to do that because your business was changing and I had to relearn a lot of things, even with social media. I had to relearn a lot of things because I wasn't one of those people who are posty, posty outside, like you know, my shows my, but people need people, people want that show, people need. I mean, it's clearly not like getting everything, but people want to see your personality, people want to know who you are, people want to. You know what I mean. I had to relearn social media and how people are using social media, and even even, even yes, a style of writing wasn't even necessarily the style of writing, but it's the topics I was never drawn to, like the hip-hop trap something, because you know that. Never did I go.
Speaker 2:People expect certain things from me with regard to dancehall and reggae. You know what I mean, but just to see, like you know, you know what. What were we singing about? You know what direction we're going to, what's happening. You know what I mean because you can't. We grew up on, let's say, for example, 9-11 and anthrax, and you know what I mean. These kids know they're not gonna talk about chopping. They're not gonna talk about chopping. They're not gonna talk about scamming. They're not gonna talk about pills, because that's their reality. You know what I mean. So how do we strike a balance between? So it took a lot of relearning and I'm grateful it happened and I'm grateful I got the opportunity to recharge, do other things and slowly fall back in love with music again, like slowly fall back in love with the dancehall and the reggae again?
Speaker 1:What's the most regular thing that you do that people don't expect?
Speaker 2:Oh my god, I love to go to the supermarkets, I love to.
Speaker 1:Can you take my list please? And tags can be 8 black market.
Speaker 2:There's nothing like when it's almost closed and it empty, aren't just open. I'm gonna like it. Sometimes I look for, not not have no reason. Listen, you can catch me. There's this one particular Jamaican guys, like you know, just pass your public's where do they start target like what you know by? No, you know it was a little walk up on the, but I just love you know. You know you don't have to walk up and down. Can you leave me alone please? But I just love. You know what I mean. I think I'm becoming my mom, like comparing prices and especially when it's empty and we can't think. I mean I remember nothing at all when I go in there, but I might just come out with that can of soup because I'm like, so what more?
Speaker 1:I know if the music in a few publics I go on the music where I play it, but every time I'm I'm like, I'm in there like dancing sometimes definitely, sometimes definitely.
Speaker 2:But there's some vibe like and it's funny because where I chose to live is not the typical part where you'd expect, you know. I mean like like a cowboy tone, like people say Latifah, miss Brown, nobody says Latifah like we can just be a regular person. You know what I mean. So it's it's like even that brought me back to myself, like just to do the regular things, like cuz, I couldn't do that in Jamaica, couldn't do it in Jamaica, couldn't do it, couldn't I drive to somewhere and say you that you, that I just sick do it. I was driving and someone said you that I was just sitting there.
Speaker 2:That time I signed to Minnie, I had a car with eyelashes you that didn't have a lot of shoes on. They said you didn't have this, you can't hide. You have to remember I needed the break. You have to remember this is a woman that was literally on the walls in the national airport and every bus stop, on every billboard and every like we can't go away on people. You know, tifa, where's my foot them, care, hide. We can't have a disguise because we can't hide my foot them.
Speaker 1:So I mean the justice care idea exactly I need, like I needed the break to just find back me I think that is necessary and, like, like you said, I do think in today's, the pace at which we consume media and our favorite celebrities, definitely a break is always needed. I want to go back to your writing. If you could write for any artist and be known for writing for that artist, who would it be? It could be dance, sorry. Any genre, any, any, any genre bob coming rich, richer not god but I'm not gonna.
Speaker 2:Let me get a piece of my publisher okay, okay, all right.
Speaker 1:somebody who's living living Any younger artists?
Speaker 2:that you know, you know, I don't know if I'd like to sing for Naomi Cohen.
Speaker 1:Naomi Cohen. I can see that. Alright, naomi, fix it up now, please and thanks.
Speaker 2:Naomi Cohen. I like her.
Speaker 1:She just dropped a song too.
Speaker 2:I like it Cherry on.
Speaker 1:Top Cherry on Top yeah.
Speaker 2:I do love that Mutsi Nkukuda do like a wow factor, kind of like wow, but then people kind of still expect it from her. But wow, but yomi, like you know what I mean, mutsi Nk, we could have something nice and in terms of like collaborators we've had.
Speaker 1:We've seen a lot of collaborations from crossover. First of all, let me rewind what does crossover mean to you as an artist?
Speaker 2:I'm gonna start there, yeah, cross, cross over. When I live in america, well, I can't believe it anyway. But crossoversover I mean from a Jamaican standpoint means when your song has hit. To me, when your song has hit the Billboard Hot 100 in the 50s up, that's a crossover to me In the 50s, 20s up. Crossover to me is when your song is not only playing on urban stations but playing on the stations that people be in Caucasian. That's crossover to me. When you cross to the pop market, when you're not only have Shelly and I sing the song, but Miriam is singing the song also you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what crossover means to me. Like Sean Paul crossover. Like Sean, you crossover. You know what I mean. Crossover, that's what crossover means to me like sean paul crossed over like shaggy crossover, yes, crossover. Like only crossed over, like only once in a jet with like taylor swift yes yeah, that's that.
Speaker 1:To me that's a crossover now, if you, if you take like what be has done, crossing over into country from, from R&B and pop, would you, I think a few, quite a few artists have, I know Romaine Virgo has done like a country's album and songwriting wise. I think, we've never really lived in that R&B space. What's happening? Who's an R&B artist that you would collab with?
Speaker 2:Yeah, pause, was my internet. Hold on, no, is my internet. Is that my internet?
Speaker 1:So, from an R&B standpoint, have you ever thought about crossing over that? In that realm, who is somebody?
Speaker 2:I'd love to. As I said, I've done quite a few projects. Some of them come out, some of them don't come out, Some of them are waiting to come out. As I said, I've written for hip-hop. I've written for R&B. Even if I don't sing the song, as long as it boasts caracass, I'll take it. I'll take my rights as credit. But that has always been my dream. It's like how some people aspire to be queen or aspire to be princess, a dancer. That was like. My thing was always just to be like on the billboard. My thing was always. I remember seeing patra on lad mega, give me age. I remember seeing patra on what was it?
Speaker 2:planet groove, bt b you know what I mean I'm like whoa like, and I realized that the regular people they make their video saturday and here's, here's patra in the braids, and you know what I mean on cable, like that's what I always wanted to do and I thought it was so cool. And then you know, I mean here she in the in in in a video with tupac, with biggie, with. You know that that that was what I always aspired to be, that's what I always wanted, that was what I always wanted. So even if I don't get to see it and go to the top of the charts, even if my right is I'm going to the top of the charts, I'll be fine. But as long as I get that, then we can't retire. No, that was always my aim.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that and I could see that. I think for me personally, I think Dancehall has done, outside of Bob and family affiliated Dancehall has done what reggae hasn't been able to do is really penetrate that American market. I think in Europe reggae is outside of it. It's very, very popular but outside of bob, marley and the marley family, maybe a few you want me to tell you.
Speaker 2:I'll say a few like. Oddly enough, it's women, you know like I'm shaggy, but I think shaggy's dead, like I think but like, for example, dawn pen with no, no, no, that's a reggae track that did really well um sister we can't forget her bam bam I I was. I forget how women did that. I miss me. Um bam bam, come on in a carti commercial. I'm like what. You know what I mean. So like like them and Marcia Griffiths that did Electric.
Speaker 1:Boogie.
Speaker 2:I think you're right, it's mostly Dan Sal.
Speaker 1:So I think you're in a good spot to kind of one foot over your or one foot over this.
Speaker 2:I really, really, that's all I've ever wanted to do. This is the command from kings and that's literally all she's ever dreamed about. And I said it in an interview. Like, listen, when I greedy, I used to be like, oh, I want, I want to be the you know, the female sean paul. I shock you. But listen, just give me a charlie block. You know, give me a charlie block, just give me a party animal. I'm not greedy, me. Take that, give me, even Egyptian, all of you me. Take that. You know what I mean Me. Take that Me, yeah, me, all of us.
Speaker 1:I say, all right, at least we'll do that, but that's all I can say, especially as you say, that I'm like Charlie Black's, like he's done some really amazing things, egyptian same. But because there's no drama centered around them, as artists I feel like they kind of even like a Sham or a Sparga Benz. There's not like a whole lot of drama surrounding them and they are some of the most talented because there's no drama surrounding them.
Speaker 2:I think that you see, you me like you, Because, as you know, certain conversations you can't really have because not everybody are gonna get it. And it's funny because even the same thing with exploring about the kings Shamma for inner the conversation Hello, get her story. Sprague for inner the conversation with, with, even when he was signed, and you know even the song with F, with Faxi Brown, and there's so many things that came up. You know what I'm saying. I'm going to cover off the conversation with Flex and with the remix and then roll it back for Fresh Trigger. But they don't like when people talk like this.
Speaker 2:That's why sometimes I'm a public enemy, because they don't like like this industry doesn't like real and I am a real person. But we have to bring Cabra into the conversation. He had a major crossover hit with Flex and the song Tony Braxton remix, Making Me High. You know what I mean. We have to talk about Capetown. We have to talk about Tour. Tour is a huge record. I'm a music nerd, so okay, we have to talk about. Let's not get started on even Shabba and supercats like that.
Speaker 2:People tend to forget. People tend to forget like a lot of these men. Would you like major crossover success and major crossover hits. Like people tend to forget that you're the money beats. You know what I mean? And they it's funny to me how they're not a part of the conversation more. But again, as you said, maybe because they're not really into the drama you know what I mean and maybe because a lot of other persons just know how to. It's not even drama in and of itself. I'm gonna kill it. Social media and the media will you know where I from? And a lot of other people is just like. They just want to sing the songs and make their money and go home.
Speaker 1:I also think that there is a big difference between being popular and being of value. So I think that they, to your point, do their music, collect their money, value accordingly, consistently, and just live their life.
Speaker 2:And you have to remember that they're coming from a school where legacy is everything and for them they want to preserve that legacy. They don't want, at the end of the day, even if I sell 50 million records, I'm known for jumping in a swamp. Yes, I mean they want to preserve that legacy and hold their stories written. But a lot of these men need to be a part of the conversation, because even women they did it. I don't think even people don't talk about Diana King enough.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and what she's done, my brother's I'm gonna go crazy when she hear that one line, because she always talk about that, but it's the truth, yeah people don't speak about these things enough.
Speaker 2:People don't give these people credit enough for opening doors and championing for us. You know what I mean? It used to be before we knew our history. No, them people had no issues. So them talk about anything, but, at the end of the day, guess what history care about, done, create already, and if you know, look. And if you know, google, you know, we see it, it's there, it's factual.
Speaker 2:But again, people just gravitate to what they see in the present, what they see in front of their face. So a lot of people can come onto any foolishness and telling the data oh, I am this or oh, I have this amount of data, or I sold this or a stream and in a belief and in a dough, in a dough, fact check. But a lot of these people, they sold units, a lot of these people. It's just. It's funny because even last night I say what I mean world music, music put up katya is the only female dancehall artist with a gold record in the united states, with a gold album, and that was 32 years ago and I was just like this is motivation. You know what I mean. But we get caught up in again social media and what's put out there and facts are, they did it, and in a time where they literally had to sell physical copies of music.
Speaker 1:It wasn't about streaming well, it's probably, if you equate it, value wise, number wise it's going to be less today because streams are valued. Each stream is valued less than an actual physical sale of either a single or an album, but the public, most of the public, don't understand that they did it, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:They did it in a time where, when they have internet, like no, we could not do this Like they literally had to okay, we have. We have to go to. You want to do an interview in japan.
Speaker 2:you have to fly to japan, you know what I mean like they did it in a time where life wasn't as accessible and beat when it did harder, like you know. I mean, when you suffer, pay for phone calls and I know it, bungalow, we have unlimited calls, yeah, so I mean, a lot of these people need to be a part of the conversation and we need to educate, and I think the onus is upon a lot of these. If you say you're an entertainment blog or you say you're an entertainment journalist or you say you're an entertainment news outlet, you need to educate the people about what has happened in entertainment well, that's also a whole other podcast.
Speaker 2:Tifa, you have to come back, we have to talk more things, because that in itself we can't tell you about that you educate the people and it shouldn't be only about the controversy and who said this and who said that and who never approved it.
Speaker 1:Come on, yeah, I mean controversy sells, it gets clicks and it gets that.
Speaker 2:But I also think yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm.
Speaker 1:I'm driven by different. More purpose, more like this is archival space, right. So when we are long gone, this platform will still exist to teach somebody something who want to learn. That's you. That is my legacy. What is your when you think about legacy? What do you think about your legacy? What do you want people to kind of remember you in the future? I feel like you're not done, so it's kind of early, too early, to ask that question, but have you thought about it?
Speaker 2:It's funny. I think about a lot of things about it. I want. I want to be known as the one that never gave up. I want to be known as the one that's, despite everything, still push through. I want to be known as the warrior princess literally. I think.
Speaker 1:I want to be known as Well, I'm not going to end it there because if I go any further, I have about 35 more minutes and I know I have things to do. I mean, I'll hold up the people them time, but, tifa, you can come back any time you're ready. All right, tifa, always love, love. Thank you so much for being on the podcast. I always love having you again. Welcome anytime, and you guys make sure you stream.
Speaker 2:I want, I want, I want a man, but the entire catalog yesterday I was searching my songstacks and I realized that I think it's itunes we will go into 10, and not only was it on the regular us charts, but it was charting globally at 10 number one please. I want a man buy.
Speaker 1:Buy the single, please, and thanks, stream it, yes, and we are looking forward to whatever you have coming up. So please make sure you share with us and, of course, we're going to be sharing. So thank you so much again, tifa, and to all of my listeners. Leah Tomepi, thanks for listening to the latest episode of the Style and Vibes podcast. If you like what you hear and I know you do share it with your friends and family. If you want more, make sure you visit style stylingvibescom and follow us on our social channels, twitter and Instagram at stylingvibes. Until next time, lea tummy peeps.
