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…