Teejay Didn’t Expect ‘Drift’ To Be A Hit And Now He Released The Remix

Introducing Teejay, a Jamaican artist whose musical journey mirrors the rhythmic beats of dancehall culture. From the heart of Jamaica, Teejay has crafted a unique sound that resonates with audiences globally. His story encompasses the unexpected success of his hit song “Drift” —a track he nearly overlooked—and a promising collaboration with renowned artist Shaggy who serves as the executive producer for Teejay’s EP, I Am Chippy. Teejay’s rise is not only marked by musical prowess but also by the rich tapestry of his Jamaican roots.

Teejay joins EBONY for a conversation about growing up in Jamaica, the success of his single “Drift,” and releasing the remix featuring Davido along with a music video filmed in Africa.

EBONY: How was your experience growing up in Jamaica and at what point did your passion for music first develop?

Teejay: It was wonderful growing up in Jamaica. It was just like any other kid growing up anywhere in the world. It was always about music for us growing up in Jamaica. My family are my musical influences. My brother and my mom used to sing Christian music and Gospel music so they’re my inspiration. Growing up in a musical family, I always wanted to take the condition to the next level.

With the new success and being a father of 5, how have you managed to balance fatherhood and work life?

I never grew up with a father so I’m always going to spend time with the kids. I’m always working with them, making sure I call them to check up on them, making sure everybody is on their phone so we can still communicate with each other. Once I’m in Jamaica, it’s just them. If I’m going to the studio, I will take them with me anywhere I’m going. They’re always with me. You’re not going to see me with them everywhere all over the world because things in time change. You don’t want to be that friend with your kids these days. You want to be a father figure for them most of the time.

How did the process of creating your widely popular single “Drift” unfold?

Easy. “Drift” was a gimmick song at first. I just went back into the studio and tried to create something else under him because I was thinking about TikTok. I was at HOT 97 with Shaggy about two weeks before we finished “Drift” and Funk Flex was there saying, “Jamaican artists need to learn how to cheat the code or to crack the code.” That’s when I began listening to everything that he was saying, trying to find some more words that are simple, so the world can understand what you’re saying and then we just went back to the studio and we created that vibe, the same thing that Funk Flex was talking about.

How did the collaboration with Davido for the “Drift” remix and the video filming in Africa come about?

I think I have the best manager in the world. I always tell people that. As an artist, you need to have somebody who’s going to believe in your career when you are in your bed at night. The remix was formulated by my manager Sharon Burke. She reaches out to so many people just by connecting to her network. At the time, we were trying to do something different with our sound, so it was done through Sharon Burke and Davido’s manager. It was the vibes, there was just this connection. I don’t know. They told me before that Jamaican people are from Nigeria and Ghana so maybe that’s why we’re connected. The vibes and energy were just good.

What was the moment you realized “Drift” was getting club and radio play in the United States?

I was going to trash the song. I’m more of a hardcore dancehall artist but at the time, I figured that hardcore lyrics weren’t taking us anywhere at this point. So when I recorded the song, my friends were telling me they felt it was a number one song. I wasn’t convinced as it didn’t feel like me. Eventually, I told my DJ to go ahead and leak it and that’s when he came up with the idea to let the dancers in Jamaica do a routine for it. They just leaked the visual and dance routine for the song so people can get it and then it just blew up.

To what extent does Shaggy’s music influence your sound? How did the collaboration with him as the executive producer on your EP I Am Chippy come to fruition?

Dancehall music is something that is a hands-off experience. We have all seen other people doing Dancehall music and Reggae music over the years but having Shaggy as that person who’s going to guide me and teach me stuff is great. He even tells me how to answer a question in interviews or how to get everybody to love you in that room. I think it’s a wonderful thing and I always tell him I appreciate him for that.

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