Jah9
With a thick and rootsy sound, but an edge that suggests she's a Burning Spear or Mutabaruka for the 21st century, Jamaican singer and songwriter Jah9 combines reggae, dub, dancehall, jazz, and R&B with a strong sense of mysticism and spiritual awareness. Her 2013 debut, New Name, put her on the map and over coming years she gained a following and plenty of critical acclaim, signing with the VP label for albums like 2016's 9 and 2020's Note to Self. In addition to her music, Jah9 is highly involved in community activism, youth and arts advocacy, and teaches yoga.
Janine Cunningham was born and raised in the Western rural town of Falmouth. College brought her into town, the campus introduced her to Rastafarians, and the Rastas introduced her to dub, roots reggae, and artists like dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson. Taking her childhood nickname of Jah9, she became a staple of Jamaica's progressive poetry scene, while recording demos with producer Sheldon Bernard led her to the legendary Beres Hammond. Through Hammond, she signed with Don Corleon Records in 2010 and recorded the singles "Warning" and "Keep Holding On" with producer Donovan Bennett. Her breakthrough year came in 2013 when her track "Brothers" shared a single with Chronixx and his song "Smile Jamaica" on the flipside, then her debut album, the aptly titled New Name, landed on Rory "Stone Love" Gilligan's label, Rorystonelove. A year later she released the compilation Singles, and in 2016 she joined the VP label with the single "Bloody City."
Encompassing the power and symbolism of her namesake number, she released her sophomore album, 9, on September 9 of that year, deepening her "jazz-on-dub" sound. The album was later deconstructed with newly recorded dub-heavy versions as part of a 2017 collaboration with U.K. producer Mad Professor under the title, Mad Professor Meets Jah9 in the Midst of a Storm. Jah9's next proper studio album, 2020's Note to Self, featured guest spots from Chronixx, Tarrus Riley, and Pressure Busspipe.
© David Jeffries /TiVo
Discography
19 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Police in Helicopter
Yaadcore, Jah9, Subatomic Sound System
Reggae - Released by Subatomic Sound on 9 apr. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Mad Professor Meets Jah9 In The Midst Of The Storm
Dub - Released by VP Records on 8 sep. 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Heaven (Ready Fi Di Feeling)
Reggae - Released by VP Records on 30 nov. 2018
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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Hardcore - single
Reggae - Released by VP Records on 17 mrt. 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Life Joyful (The Autos Remix)
Reggae - Released by Easy Star Records on 13 mei 2022
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
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AFRICA (feat. Uncle Gentile)
Afrika - Released by Ocean_Acez records on 6 sep. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo