Projexx marries love for dancehall, hip hop, Afrobeats on ‘Grim Tape’

Rapidly rising Jamaican artiste Projexx, despite his still-emerging status in the industry, has already been making tsunami-level waves. As the son of producer Lloyd ‘John John’ James and the grandson of legendary dub producer Lloyd ‘King Jammy’ James, he grew up between Canada and Jamaica, where he witnessed the likes of Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, and Vybz Kartel recording in the family studio.

Those early memories sparked a fiery passion: At age 15, he started teaching himself how to produce, and at 17, he created his first song. Since emerging in the late 2010s, Projexx has pushed against dancehall’s boundaries, imbuing the genre with a worldly perspective. His most notable tracks include Bigga League, featuring Bakersteez; Sidepiece (including a version featuring prominent African artiste Ruger); and in 2020, he collaborated on WizKid’s True Love, a standout on the Grammy-nominated album Made In Lagos.

On Friday, he will release the seven-track Grim Tape Vol. 2, which is described as “an eclectic yet cohesive glimpse of an artiste with a completely unique vision”. He has already released Top Speed, a bass-heavy banger, featuring UK artiste Giggs and Jamaica’s own Verified Choppa, Marksman.

The offering marries Projexx’s love and appreciation for dancehall, hip hop, and Afrobeats into a cohesive whole that sounds unique to his mission. He infuses these different genres with his bevy of life experiences, giving his work a personal sheen that is highlighted by his infectious personality. “ Grim is a mixtape that is a reflection of what I see every day. It’s about the hardcore street life in Jamaica, young life, money-making, girls, hustling, violence.”

He then elaborates on his dizzyingly inventive sound. “The project is about fusing different genres together and to show his versatility from start to finish. It’s a mixture of afro, dancehall, hip hop, and something very intimate for the fans.”

Projexx began teasing the project earlier this year with the explosive Brawlin’, featuring Artikal and Top Speed, a collaboration with Giggs & Marksman. Other standouts include the Alecia-assisted Grim Song, bone-rattling club anthem Jiggle, and the menacing Mercy featuring Simon Said.

These releases were preceded by a thrilling 2021 and 2022 for Projexx. He released his last body of work, Queen Hill, two years ago. That EP was headlined by cuts like Sidepiece, which was a continuation of the genre-blending songs Projexx began releasing in 2021, and the remix. That includes his banger with Bakersteez titled Bigga League, which documents his ascent as he takes over Jamaica’s National Stadium in the video.