Dancehall Star Teejay Set to Take the Stage at Yaad Vibez

With performances by reggae legend Capleton and dancehall stars Masicka, Teejay, and Starr Gyal, Yaad Vibez will bring yaad ("home" in Jamaican Patois) to Mana Wynwood on Saturday, December 23. The show, hosted by 103.5 The Beat's Papa Keith, will be event organizer Vibez Inna Dis' first yard experience in South Florida.

"It's important for event organizers and communities to support platforms that showcase Jamaican artists to celebrate the culture and music to ensure the genre's future success both locally and abroad," Yaad Vibez's marketing director Leigha A. Hager tells New Times.

On the heels of his latest album, Generation of Kings, Masicka's set will include the live debut of songs from the new album, which debuted at number two on Billboard's Reggae Albums chart. His summer hit, "Tyrant," currently sits at 13 million views on YouTube.

Joining Masicka's "Tyrants" as a recent breakthrough dancehall smash, Teejay's viral "Drift" marked his first Billboard entry when it debuted at number 47 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. Scoring the biggest hit of his career also earned him a major label deal with Warner Music, an achievement the 29-year-old Montego Bay native says he's been working toward since he first started releasing music.

"It means everything to me," he says. "I've been doing music from a tender age. I've been doing the research on how to tap in with the kids so everybody can love my music and make sure it's friendly to the world."

Last week, he dropped a remix of "Drift" featuring Afrobeats superstar Davido, signaling the growing overlap of Afrobeats, reggae, and dancehall. Teejay says they teamed up for the remix after Davido heard the viral song and reached out to his team for a collab.
"He seen the song going viral on TikTok and everything. He reached out to me and the team and said, 'Listen we need to go to the studio and do some work,'" Teejay recalls. "It was authentic vibes. After he voiced the remix, we decided to go to Africa to shoot the music video."

Teejay is following up the remix with a new EP, I Am Chippy, named after his childhood nickname, which will be available for preorder on January 26 and is scheduled for release a month later on February 26. The record will feature rapper French Montana and one of dancehall's most prominent voices, Skillibeng.

"Everything is just a vibe, I swear, and I'm grateful for everything," he says. "Working with Warner Music means everything to me just to have a label. The label will push dancehall music and our culture further to the world."

During Yaad Vibez, Teejay says attendees can expect his set to feature his well-known hits as well as deep cuts.

While Teejay and Masicka's performance signal a new heyday for the genre, which has yet to experience a mainstream successful stint since Sean Paul's reign in the early 2000s, Capleton's performance will anchor the genre's foundation. Known for his 1992 hit "Alms House," he has been a mainstay in reggae and dancehall since the late 1980s. The dancehall pioneer's performance will bring nostalgia for the genre's early days and signify that it will always be one of Jamaica's most influential cultural exports.

"Our team is excited to fuse reggae into the lineup with one of the genre's legends, Capleton," Hager says. "As a music veteran, he has released many hits throughout his career that will have the crowd jumping and singing along with his staple high-energy performances."

Yaad Vibez. With Masicka, Capleton, Teejay, and others. 8 p.m. Saturday, December 23, at Mana Wynwood 318 NW 23rd St., Miami; yaadvibez.com. Tickets cost $100 to $200 via eventbrite.com.