Empresses + Queens: An Interview with Jah9

Words by Tami Tsansai
Photos by Sameel “Kush-I” Johnson

“Empresses + Queens,” our spotlight on the often-overlooked role of women in reggae, continues with Jah9. Check out the first installment, featuring Etana, here.

Singer Janine “Jah9” Cunningham has firmly established herself as reggae’s strongest new female voice recently, with a string of well-received releases produced by famed selector Rory StoneLove. Recently, she’s released a refreshing video for her single “Avocado,” which strips away the focal seriousness and militancy of her earlier work to reveal more of her vulnerability, femininity and stimulating wit. Intrigued by this new development from an artist we’ve been following, we had to link her for a clearer picture of her current and future direction.

Dive in to the interview here for more playfulness, wise words and queenly vibrations from Jah9…

LargeUp: You grew up as the daughter of a pastor, then transitioned to Rastafari. Would you say your style and music are still somewhat informed by the Christian principles you grew up on?

Jah9: I know the church can be like that for some denominations, but the church has never really defined how I dress or act. There was actually a time when I wanted my bredren who play ball to forward, and I dressed down in jeans and T-shirts at church so they would feel comfortable. With my style, the idea of being comfortable is very important to me, and how I dressed in [the “Avocado”] video is not about Jah9’s image. It was about an image of what woman can be – as beautiful, regal, light and free. Sensual without the “spread out and dash out.” That’s something we wanted to capture in the video and my style in it and outside of it represents all of the things that I see as feminine.

LargeUp: You have always presented yourself as a militant and regal woman. With “Avocado,” we’re seeing a softer side. Which side is more you? Is there a difference between Jah9, the artist and the individual?

Jah9: All of the Jah9s are the same. There is no line between the artist and the person. Jah9 is always quite intentionally presented to the world as serious, reflective and militant and it is important as a woman to establish yourself that way. Now that I’ve introduced myself in the context of Rastafari consciousness, wellness, awareness, it is safe now to say ‘I am woman’ and all of the other things that means… playful, colorful, light, nurturing and to show sisterhood. Me and my sisters share the fact that we love food, we love our bredren, we love life and we love to play. It’s about showing your feminine side and not taking yourself too seriously. There will never be a Jah9, the artist. We just try to be as comfortable as possible.

LU: We never really see “Orlando” [from the song’s lyrics] in the video. Is “Avocado” really about your special “juvvie”? Take us to the place that inspired the track.

Jah9: Me nah tell no lie, most of it is about avocado [laughs]. I got a very nice one and it just inspired the lyrics because in my mind… a man that loves you will feed you, go out of him way to make sure you have food. He knows what you like and he will bring that. Those are the ways that I am impressed by a bredren. The song is just celebrating those things – a man that is humble, knows how to take care of a woman, his space. I applaud all of that. In the video, I haven’t made a spectacle of the bredren that plays Orlando… there are just hints of him. He represents a strong man. He could be my man, your man, anybody.

LU: Love the video. Though simplistic and fun, we get the feeling that there are a lot of layers and depth to the concept, execution and even the talent and styling. What were some of the key messages you wanted to bring forward through it and how involved were you in the making?

Yes and yes! I was encouraged to do a video for the song. I eventually passed it to Samo, Kush-I, who has done two other videos with me before. Creatively, we work well. He brought a story to I, it was more of a montage. I didn’t want to be very prominent in the video. My idea was that it didn’t even have to do with me. It could just generally be about women. Then one day I was steaming and the location came to me first, then from there the rest just flood een. A producer bredren of mine has a beautiful home at the top of Red Hills with five avocado tree inna him yard. It was actually his yard that I got the avocado that inspired the song… it was perfect, and I told them everything from beginning to end as I saw it.

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LU: Your music is usually quite passionate and profound. Are you hoping to reel in curious listeners with this track, then hook them with more hard-hitting, thought-provoking content?

Yes and no… it is that sugar that helps the medicine to go down. This is the song that people who don’t know Jah9 are likely to hear first and I did intentionally want it to be light, because it could have been treated in a more overtly sexual way…very grown up, but it needed to be so innocent that even a little girl singing along could understand that talking, laughing together and sharing fruits, etc. is a way to show affection. I remember the first time I saw the video for Jesse Royal’s “This Morning” and the feeling it left me with…so bright, so much love, and I thought “that right there is an awesome service to people.” Just beautiful, I loved it! Now I try to draw on that whenever I’m doing a video. Avocado’s lyrics are already so much to take in that with a lighter video, the intensity is better balanced.

LU: What are your thoughts on the reggae revival, and how do you define your role in that space?

Jah9: Marketing is a great thing… and when something’s time has come you’ll have many ones wanting to capitalize on it, defining it as opposed to lifting it up and actioning it. What’s happening now cannot be encompassed by that because it’s not just reggae. Profound things are happening in other art forms. It was all happening before, but the artists of that time, as great as they were, were not celebrated. This time is different. Labeling it is to limit what it is, like it’s new but it’s not. I know my role in it… I am doing it. My service is my worship, to act on the inspiration I get for a good cause. I don’t need any other title than Rastafari.

LU: What’s the most important message that you want to impart through your music?

Jah9: Is nuff tings. In the context of “Avocado,” to be feminine is not to be weak, you don’t have to be a woman to be feminine, and it is not something to look down upon. The balance exists in all of us. Man and woman is not different but we have limited ourselves so much that we do not see the fullness of reality. If we all start there, we’ll easily see that we can love our brothers and sisters with true, full love and the idea of beating woman is a repulsive thing. If we are all vibrating on a softer, deeper, richer, feminine love frequency, that is what earth needs right now. That is what Rastafari bring. If we follow those examples, we can manifest more out of even ourselves, grow and evolve spiritually… that is how you make a real contribution.

LU: What is your vision for yourself as a reggae singer and conscious messenger?

Jah9: I woulda love to see this idea that we are royal, blessed, limitless, powerful—I’d love to see more of my black brothers and sisters living that reality. Not nurturing ideas of poverty, competition and want but of immortality, Godliness, Christ-likeness—to meditate on these things and see what happens. When I move out into the earth among others I always try to remember that, embody that and humble myself because it is not about self… it is about a vision for the whole, and I am just a part of it. It may seem clichéd or insincere, but mi ah actively work pon dat.

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LU: Female dancehall acts speak of receiving different treatment in terms of their reception on the local entertainment scene. Is there a difference for conscious female artistes vs male artistes within reggae?

Jah9: It’s the music industry and mass media, not just dancehall. Some people want so desperately to make it that they will do anything to be in that space. If blonde hair or  shaved head or locks is in, that’s what it is. Then there are others who are called to it and no matter what they do or how they do it, they just do the work and rise. I can’t judge the person who is conforming; I would be arrogant… whatever is driving them to certain things dem have to work it out with demself.

LU: What’s next for Jah9? Are you currently working on any projects you can share?

Jah9: Nuff more music, albums that I will produce with others, for others and for myself, these are things to come in the near future. There are health, wellness and community development projects, some specifically geared towards women and at-risk youth… ideas are coming together for many levels of social action.

LU: Outside of music, what do you like to do in your down time?

Jah9: I like to steam and meditate, leave myself. I like to go to the mountains, the beach, go to places I don’t know, interact with the people and just be somebody who nobody dunno. I like to eat very much and I love avocado—it goes with everything! I’ve been to fancy restaurants, taken out my calabash with my avocado, cut it up and put it on the side of my plate. Love food.

LU: On a lighter note… leave us with three unexpected facts about you.

Jah9: I don’t even know what the expectations are, but I belch like a old lady. [laughs] I can fix anything. I like to take things apart and put them together… likkle mechanical tings. I will not stop until I figure it out. I’m also a nerd, I read manuals and learn how to do things and suddenly have a new skill. That might not be so unexpected, I recently did my own website.