J Capri’s Father Remembers Late Dancehall Singer For Her Impact

Every December, the number 4 looms large in the mind of recording artist Kenneth ‘Glamour Murphy’ Phillips, the father of the late dancehall singer J Capri. Born on December 24, the Wine and Kotch singer passed away on December 4, 2015, and was buried on December 14 that year.

“This month is punctuated by dem kinda memories de. It hard, you can imagine, ah eight years now, you have to be skilled to navigate da month ya,” Glamour Murphy told DancehallMag. 

“She is still remembered by Dancehall fans. Sometimes mi wonder if she did still de ya, can you image in the impact? She pave the way for the Jada Kingdom dem and the Stalk Ashley.”

Capri currently has an impressive 780,000 monthly listeners on Spotify despite passing away eight years ago. Singles such as Wine and Kotch (90 million streams), Pull Up to Mi Bumper (49 million), and Boom and Bend Over (13 million) continue to resonate with fans, showing off her singular ability to seamlessly blend dancehall, hip hop, and R&B. 

She racked up over 52 million views for the video for Pull Up to My Bumper with Konshens, and also collaborated with Vybz Kartel on Mamacita.

“That is not a regular occurrence for straight dancehall to cross over that way, just straight dancehall. She was going to be huge,” Glamour Murphy said. 

J Capri, whose real name is Jordan Phillips, is the daughter of Glamour Murphy and Oradell Carwin. During her teenage years, she often accompanied her father to studio sessions after school, sparking her love for dancehall. She eventually signed on to producer Rvssian’s Head Concussion Records, where she would soon find stardom. But then tragedy struck.

Reports are that the Wine and Kotch singer was traveling on November 23, in the Barbican area of St Andrew, at about 3:00 am when she reportedly lost control of the car she was driving, which slammed into a wall.

The 23-year-old was rushed to the University Hospital of the West Indies and reportedly underwent surgery after suffering from what is said to be a fractured skull as well as brain damage.

Following an autopsy, J Capri’s father, Glamour Murphy, stated that an infection, allegedly contracted after her surgeries, led to lung complications and a failed kidney, which contributed to her death.

The singjay was just 23 years old when she died twenty (20) days before her 24th birthday, a death that sent shockwaves through the industry, creating a ripple effect that changed dancehall forever.

Former ‘Queen of Dancehall’ Lady Saw attended J Capri’s funeral in 2015, an event which partly inspired her subsequent baptism.

“Lady Saw still a hold it, so you can see say it wasn’t no fluke. People thought it was just a stunt but eight years later, it couldn’t be a stunt. Saw still in her ministry,” Glamour Murphy observed.  

During a recent sermon on Facebook Live, Minister Hall said she believes that J Capri is in “heaven.”

“There’s forgiveness because before she passed, she had time to speak to God in silent prayer and ask for forgiveness, cause is right there I went and God used the pastor to preach about three people who made it to heaven, so, God bless her soul. I believe she made it in. Amen?” Hall said during the recent session. 

In the meantime, Capri’s legacy is further immortalized through her eponymous foundation, which was launched in 2018 to help young female artists.

“Work still a gwaan man in the Foundation. There are scholarships for primary school children at Manchioneal All Age in Portland where her grandmother used to be principal,” Phillips said. 

Phillips said he hopes to do more “once the family is able to get certain digital things in order with her estate.”

He is pleased that the world has not forgotten his beautiful daughter, known for her rock-star fashion sense and purple-streaked hairstyles.

“She is not forgotten. She had a song, Pull Up to Mi Bumper in Rihanna’s fashion show, so the legacy is alive,” he said. In November 2022, Rihanna paid homage to Jamaica’s dancehall culture in the latest installment of her SavageXFenty fashion show. Scene 15 of the 40-minute show features the 2013 hit.