Kaay Jones: The Jamaican who joins region in singing ‘We Got This’

Up-and-coming recording artiste Kaay Jones says she did not know she was becoming part of a transformational music project that would connect her to a wide cross section of talent in the Caribbean.

Jones carries Jamaica's flag in a unified Caribbean project dubbed We Got This, which was released on social media last Friday. It features 25 artistes from 14 countries, including Billboard-charting singer Shontelle, who was born in Barbados. The song aims to create a unifying message of hope during the time of COVID-19.

Jones said the songwriter, Ian 'iWeb' Webster, reached out to her to lend her voice to the project, and she was glad to answer the call.

"Maybe a month ago we spoke, and he explained that I could bring the Jamaican flavour to this song," Jones shared.

"This is the first project like this that I have been on; seeing Soca Monarch winner, Grammy Award-nominated artistes and songwriters all together on a track, it is eye-opening that more music like this is possible."

She flows on the beat in Patois, urging persons to stand firm and take the steps to protecting themselves, while she expresses that "we have faith, hope, strength and the protection of the Almighty," in her section of the song.

"I am overwhelmed by the feedback and by all the love everybody on the track is getting."

Though not popular on Jamaican soil, the St Ann-born says the authentic sounds of her birthplace still have a major influence on her music.

"I still feel with my Caribbean brothers and sisters, because we are viewed as Third World and may not have what larger countries have, but we are here for each other," she said. "From the verse, you can hear my sound as a reggae and dancehall artiste, but my music on a whole is a mixture with R&B and hip hop - I deejay, sing and rap - naturally influenced by music in the US, where I have been for over 15 years."

Her start in music was in 2014 where she entered the 'Dancehall's Got Talent' competition in New York, where she is based, but at the time focused on singing rather than deejaying. Since then she has released several songs, such as Climb Up, Wine Pon Mi, and Paradise. Her most popular single, titled Slim Ting, is not part of her catalogue of music for sale, due to restrictions with the use of the Showtime riddim.

Jones says she awaits the end of the pandemic to release a new single, titled Mi Baby, for which she shot visuals at Blue Hole and White River in St Ann.