Words by Jesse Serwer
Last year’s “Steamers a Bubble” was a big tune for singer Janine “Jah9” Cunningham, and one of our favorite female-sung ganja anthems since Rita Marley’s “One Draw.” For her latest single, “Avocado,” the Falmouth, Jamaica native turns her attention to a different sort of green. An avocado might seem like an odd object to serenade, but the track, produced by Rory Gilligan of Stone Love, is the latest in a long line of reggae songs celebrating healthy eating (see Chronixx’s “Spirulina” for another recent example).
Besides, it isn’t just about eating—it’s rife with double entendres brought to life in the humorous, lighthearted video directed by LargeUp contributor Sameel “Kush-I” Johnson. The clip, which premiered on the Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy blog today, shows a different, almost bubbly side to the typically serious Jah9. It’s a fun visual that should go along way towards bringing the singer—already one of the brightest new female stars in Jamaican music —to the wider world.