Jesse Royal

Jesse Royal stands out as a Jamaican singer and composer whose work echoes the classic period of roots reggae through its steady, driving rhythms and lyrics shaped by Rastafarian beliefs that honor insight and the sacred. After dancehall, computerized reggae, and hip-hop had largely displaced traditional styles, he emerged as a leading advocate for the earlier sound. Born on April 29, 1989, in Maroon Town within St. James Parish, he grew up in a Rastafarian family where his mother directed the choir at their church, prompting him to begin performing vocals while still young. In 1997 the household relocated to Kingston following his father’s employment with a telecommunications company. Royal kept singing in church and soon formed the goal of pursuing music professionally. He formed a close bond with Daniel Bambata Marley, son of Ziggy Marley and grandson of Bob Marley, which in turn connected him with other Marley relatives. Another acquaintance introduced him to a mentor whose father was the noted producer Fatis Burrell. Burrell oversaw Royal’s first single in 2010; after Fatis passed away in December 2011, Royal began collaborating with Burrell’s son Kareem. Through performances and the release of tracks such as “Gimme Likkle” and “Modern Day Judas,” he gradually cultivated an audience, aided by the parallel efforts of like-minded artists including Protoje and Chronixx that proved demand for conscious reggae persisted in Jamaica. Royal issued his initial mixtape, Misheni, in 2012, followed by In Comes the Small Axe the next year. His support eventually reached mainstream levels, leading to the May 2017 single “Always Be Around,” which achieved widespread success on the island and drew international reggae attention. In October 2017 he delivered his debut album, Lily of da Valley, which swiftly reached the top of the American reggae charts.