Teejay Interview On His Summer Hit ‘Drift’, Signing With Warner Records, And Fatherhood

Dancehall artist Teejay has ‘drifted’ his way into success on more than one front over the last couple of weeks, the biggest of which was the signing of publishing and record deals with Warner Music Group and Warner Records.

The St. James native, 28, also graced the stage at the recently held BET & Sandals Resorts Present: A Special Treat Featuring Shaggy at Sandals Dunn’s River, and he’s preparing to rock the stage at Reggae Sumfest later this month.

He remains as humble and accommodating as ever when DancehallMag met with him for an interview in Kingston, Jamaica. It was business as usual at the studio where he creates magic. He was surrounded by close friends and family, who were all busy refurbishing the structure.

Congrats on your record and publishing deals! What made now the right time to sign with Warner?

Well, yuh cyaa guh roun’ wah God plan enuh. Yuh cyaa question wah God plan, yuh know? Suh once God seh dweet, yah fi jus’ dweet an’ we ah Godly yout an’ ah our time because yuh know ah long time mi ah put in di work, suh ah jus’ my time now. An opportunity only come once suh just take it.

They (Warner Records) reached out to you, or was it a mutual connection? 

Well honestly, they reached out to me enuh. Management always doing a good work. Once you have a good management team weh ah reach out to people ah try sell di product an’ di brand same way; once people see it an’ feel like dem like it an’ weh yuh have fi offer can market den yeah, an’ management team ah do dem job an’ di call jus’ reach an’ we do di do.

Drift. That song has taken over… How did it come together?

It wasn’t planned enuh, ah swear—it jus’ happen outta nowhere. 

Mhm, and what is your reaction to the success that it has been getting, especially now in this social media era where it has taken off on TikTok, versus a couple of years ago when TikTok wasn’t so popular?

Ah swear to God, mi happy! Happy, happy, happy. At di same time, mi still haffi remember yout haffi feed an’ wi haffi tek di ting to a next level suh not because we get a big sign an’ ray, ray, ray, ray we jus’ laid back an’ mek label alone do wah dem supposed to do—no. We aguh work same way an’ put in di work same way an’ try find other song like Drift or bigger dan Drift but if ah Drift ah Drift.

Would you say that social media has helped to push your career? 

A lot. I’m trying to get even more into this social media thing but most ah di time mi post tings pon Instagram, an’ people like mi character an’ dem likkle ting deh suh mi jus’ keep it up. Mi nuh really up pon di TikTok yet…but soon.

Besides the deal, you performed on the BET Sandals special with Shaggy. What was that experience like?

It’s just the work. That’s called networking and promoting myself to know that it’s different promotion. That’s work, too, and that’s out the box, suh I’m always glad and willingly open to work for any corporate company.

What can people expect from your EP—I Am Chippy?

Only greatness, honestly. That’s just a phrase of mine and a friend. When mi seh greatness only, I mean, greatness only.

Can you say when the project will be released yet?

No (laughs)…mi jus’ ah gwaan work Drift fi di moment ‘cause when yuh have a song like Drift, yuh cyaa just worry ‘bout follow up. Yuh have to work di song; promote di song suh it reach weh it supposed to guh.

Would you jump on an Afrobeats riddim?

Right now! 

For real?

Yeah man! A music enuh, suh jus’ do music.

Is there something in the pipeline or not yet? 

Not yet.

OK. Do you think that Jamaican artists do enough to maintain the authentic Dancehall sound? 

Well, dem do weh dem can do. Is not only di artist. Yuh haffi remember seh artist need a team, suh if artist don’t have a proper A&R and the country back ah dem, dem haffi jus’ work demself. Yeah man. 

Besides Ishawna [MOOD] and Shenseea [Car Seat], I don’t think you’ve collaborated with many females. Are there any in the near future?

Yeah man. A lot more. I think we have a song wid a Spanish artist called Maria or something like dat, but she big.

When you go about doing your collabs, do they usually come about organically or does somebody reach out to somebody and make it work?

Most time producer reach out to artist, artist reach out to artist…more while artist and artist link up but ah modern time now. Mi voice my part, mi send it in an’ you voice your piece an’ we just mek it work.

Would you mentor up-and-coming artists?

Yeah man! Any one.

Have any reached out to you?

 A lot of times, but you know sometimes we busy but once mi hear di song and it bad, mi aguh voice it. 

What can we expect from your Sumfest performance?

When yuh see it, yuh aguh tell mi seh, ‘Teejay, yuh do yuh ting! Bad!’ 

OK. So, Father’s Day was a couple of weeks ago. Everybody was so stunned that you have quite a number of children!

(Interjects) Father Abraham…man of many sons.

Yes, so, how do you split your time between work and traveling and your children? 

Well, when mi nah work mi jus’ give mi kids dem attention an’ time. Even when mi deh pon di road, mi call dem all di time right roun’ di clock. Mi still try fi keep dat communication between me an’ mi kids dem. Whenever mi get di opportunity fi have dem around mi, mi jus’ mek dem do weh dem wah do.

When you face challenges in your career, how do you combat them?

Jus’ work enuh. Jus’ get to di drawing board wid mi an’ mi team. Jus’ try work pon wi craft an’ approach di music different.

Would you say that your affiliation with Solid Agency has been your golden ticket? Like, have you hit the jackpot? 

Yeah man. Is a family ting, yuh know once yuh guh family yuh cyaa mash up dat. Blood thicker dan water, don’t? Yeah.

If you could say anything to your fans, what would that be?

Stay focused. Get rich. Level up inna life and run weh poverty!

Alright, thank you so much!

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