Inpha Reblitive finds musical purpose through pain

Inpha Reblitive is an emerging dancehall-reggae artiste whose ability to turn his pain into melody has ignited a solid career for him in music.

Formerly known as 'Infrared' due to the 'gun lyrics' he used to deliver, he said he felt the need for something "different" and decided on rebranding himself with a new image and name. As a proud native of Clarendon and a past student of Clarendon College and Vere Technical High School, the artiste, whose given name is Montie Martin, started studying marketing and economics at the University of Technology, Jamaica. But that only lasted one week, as he quit to professionally kick-start his music career. It's a career which blossomed from finding an escape route to cope with his depression, hurt and emptiness, after violently losing his father, who was his "role model" at age 11.

"I didn't really have many people who really checked on me to see if I was doing okay mentally, and I realised that it was really music that I could use to soothe my pain," a teary-eyed Inpha Reblitive recalled. "Before funeral, people used to seh 'It hard fi yuh lose yuh fadda' and all di regular [condolences]. But as soon as di casket go inna di earth and cover up, nobody neva really deh deh fi really check up on a little young youth fi see weh him a deal wid and music was my source of escape." He said he discovered his singing talent at age 14 and later assumed the role of the family breadwinner at age 18. He noted that, at that age, he decided on pursuing music as a way to "help other people to escape their trauma".

During that devastating journey, he created songs such as Rose & Wreath - a musical burial of his feelings - and Papa Proud, which was a musical tribute to his late dad. Inpha Reblitive said his persona is a unique marker of his brand that makes him stand out, giving him a distinctive, versatile blend to his music.

"It's basically my interpretation of things that's happening around me. So it's how I put it together whether [through] the flow or my voice itself - how I utilise it or mek my voice sound, that's what really makes me different. But [overall] it's really me the individual which makes it really different," he said.

The artiste believe that his individuality and being true to himself and his fans also keeps his supporters hooked on his music.

"Yuh know it's the realness, because sometimes people tend to sugar-coat things. But a lot of what is in my music are things about me or things within my close circle. But in order for people to connect with it more, sometimes yuh mek it broader, suh more people can relate to it," he said. Inpha Reblitive did not hide the fact that not everything he sings about is positive.

"I grow up in a volatile community, so I have made music from things that I've seen - whether it's police 'unaliving' friends/associates of mine or [them] unaliving each other. So there are a lot of things that are graphic in the music that are things happening in society today. But on the other side, [I have] songs that are motivating, for relationships, students. So we don't limit the music, there's a message for everyone," he said.

In a professional career that is just over six years long, Inpha Reblitive has already been forging a space in dancehall for himself, securing major collaborations with established acts such as Shane O and Sikka Rhymes, and was also featured on Tommy Lee Sparta's 2021 Transition album.

As he looks to forward to a brighter future in music, Inpha Reblitive said within the next five years, he sees himself touring internationally, and making his name a "household brand representing Jamaica worldwide".