Young M.A. Teams Up With Kojo Funds & Red Cafe For Dancehall-Inspired Single, ‘Tunn Up’: Watch

Hip-Hop has always been heavily inspired by Jamaican culture, but in recent times, more and more rappers have been meeting at the intersection of hip-hop and dancehall to create more dancehall-inspired banners.

Hip-Hop artist Young M. A. is the latest to do this, teaming up with Kojo Funds and Red Cafe on ‘Tunn Up’.

The title alone is an indication of the single’s Jamaican influence; but on all verses, each rapper showcases their individual flow as well as their ability to code-switch from African-American/British slang to Jamaican patois.

During her verse, Young M.A. tried her hand at the local dialect, rapping “Bad gal turn up/ Spliff mi ah burn up, pull her skirt up /Toes, dem a kill out /Mi freaky, make them girls wet like Fiji.” The Jamaican-inspired hook is also contributed by Foreign Geechi, who is missing from the Youtube credits.

All three rappers represent regions where Jamaican culture is intertwined with the local culture: New York and London. Though hip-hop originated in New York, Jamaicans had a huge influence on the origins of the genre, starting with DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican immigrant.

Across the waters, the migration of Jamaicans to Britain has had an influence on every aspect of British culture, including music. Popular British rappers like Stefflon Don, Wiley, J Hus, among many others, have not shied away from making the Jamaican influence heard in their music, so it is no surprise that British rapper, Kojo Funds, doesn’t either.

The accompanying music video is shot in London, the Libertine Club. The video is very appropriate for the themes of the single: clubbing, dancing, and women.

Watch the video for Tunn Up below: