Producers Krs. and J.L.L. are two sound and genre benders who have been successfully able to blend the expected with the unexpected and are key creators of a new sound and possibly a new genre in Jamaican popular music. Moving from relatively unknown local SoundCloud favorites to now having tracks reaching the Billboard charts.

Video by Very Culture (full production credits at the end of the article)

Jamaica has gifted the world with Ska, Dancehall, Reggae and several other revolutionary genres of music and timeless sounds that continue to stand-out in the global music world. Often times Jamaican musicians are faced with the pressure of having to conform to what it means to make ‘Jamaican’ music, but at its core Jamaican music has always been about tapping into that raw individualism and creative energy.

In this our first Very Culture exclusive we learn how supportive peers, the internet and SoundCloud played a major role in giving these young producers a platform to share their music, find inspiration and collaborate with like-minded individuals from all over the world. Pushing far past their comfort zones and boundaries these two have been able to create ingenious and experimental sounds that have marked a new place in Jamaica’s musical history.

Summer hit and crowd favorite Pine and Ginger by Amindi & Tessellated, Cancelled by Bryson Tiller were all brought to life with Krs in the mix. With projects like “Soca & Blues” in 2017 Krs has long been setting the tone for his undeniable presence and sound design in the music industry. Collaborating with the likes of Jhene Aiko, Roy Woods, Odunsi , Raye, Konshens and multiple Grammy winner Shaggy, Krs is definitely a heavy hitter for his age. Krs and J.L.L have seamlessly collaborated on multiple projects not only locally but internationally just the same, most recently including Smino’s project Noir and “No Odda” by Kranium.

J.L.L is the masterful producer behind a catalog of dynamic and soulful music including Navajo by Masego, “Skin Toned” by Royal Blu and Runkus, “For You” y Jazz Elise and a remix for “I Can” by Chronixx. A big time favorite in the dancehall Breadfruit by Ching Ching and Wicked Man Ting by Popcaan also the handy work of this young producer. With his unique style he has been able to sample and recreate classic music from pioneers like Bob Marley in his “Vibes with Bob” project released this year, doing significant justice to these timeless favorites.

Consistently making huge waves locally and internationally with their unique sounds and ear for cultural fusion Krs. and J.L.L explain that it has not been the most smooth process.The unfortunate situation of not getting credit for work or even being duly compensated for their work was ever present, particularly on the local scene.

As they look to the bright future, the two speak a bit on their personal goals and what they would like to see for the local music scene and offering some final pieces of advice for other young musicians. Looking to work on producing movie soundtracks J.L.L has plans to create accessible platforms and systems for upcoming producers to access information and learn the business of music and its history, where the music is coming from and then where they can take it.

Full Video Credits:

Video Production Credits

Director & Editor : Yannick Reid

Director of Photography : Novia “Nickii Kane” Prince

Producer : Travis-John “Habibi” Bailey

Producer: Kangwa Sambo

Location: Anchor Studios

A Very Culture Exclusive-Krs. and J.L.L - From Soundcloud Favorites to the BillBoard Charts