Jahvillani Says He’s Naturally Distant, But “His Fans Understand”

Jahvillani might be known for hardcore Dancehall tunes that speak about ‘badness’ or his charismatic flair that makes many ladies flock him—but beneath all of that is a quiet fellow, who prefers to avoid the spotlight outside of performances.

DancehallMag caught up with the Nuh Reason deejay at Thursday Night Live’s Acoustic Inna Di City held at The Cove, in Kingston last week, where he explained that contrary to popular belief—he’s a man of few words.

“Mi fans dem know seh mi ah waan introvert still, suh dem understand how mi deal wid di music suh dem neva leave, don’t?” he asked rhetorically with a touch of confidence.

The 27-year-old, whose real name is Dujon Edwards, was the co-headliner at the Thursday night pop-up alongside the Fireman Capleton, whom he refers to as his ‘uncle.’

Jahvillani’s set was under an hour, but he made every minute of it memorable. He maintained a calm composure while rendering the lyrics to fan favourites such as  Money-Power-Respect, Pro-gress, Clarks Pon Foot, Nuh Rate Dem and Wile Side Government.

After his performance, he quietly tucked away backstage enjoying the rest of the show, and was visibly in his own world.

When quizzed about his latest whereabouts, he revealed that he has been active on the international scene.

“We ah tour…Mi jus’ leff di US. But we ah do some overseas shows an’ dem ting deh inna America,” he said, adding that he is working on new music and accompanying visuals that will be released shortly.

He will also be celebrating his birthday weekend in America, starting with a bash on September 3 in Miami. Featured acts will be Moyann, Prince Swanny, Stylo G and Vanessa Bling. On September 4, the party moves to Atlanta, where Yaksta will be joining him on stage.

When he just emerged on the scene, the Richer Than Ever artist sported twists or cornrows. He has, however, reverted to a shorter cut, which he says is all about rebranding his image.

“Inna Dancehall, more while wi haffi reinvent an’ change up wi image suh a jus’ dat,” he said.

Over the last few years, there has been an emergence of multiple new deejays in the Dancehall arena. While some like Jahshii, for example, have publicly condemned the more seasoned acts for lack of encouragement and support, Jahvillani said he is pleased with the new flock.

“Dancehall mad right now. A fuss mi see suh much yute a buss an’ mi love dat. A di maddest ting right now…mi love dat,” the Rubberband deejay said.

He added that he would not hesitate to jump in the studio with any of the up-and-comers.  “Yeah man, definitely. Wi respect an’ rate all a di young artist dem cause dem ah do di right ting.”

Jahvillani released his debut album Dirt to Bentley via VP Records, last year. 

The visuals for his latest release single, Richer Than Ever, has amassed over 620,000 views on YouTube.