Yaksta

Born into modest circumstances in St. Mary, Jamaica, reggae and dancehall artist Kemaul M. Martin, known as Yaksta, drew motivation from an early passion for creating music. Raised there by his mother in the company of his sisters, he rejected the criminal routes common among his peers and devoted himself to his craft instead. He sustained those efforts at first through side income from clothing sales while delivering performances at multiple island resorts, until the video accompanying his opening single “Home” spread rapidly online. That exposure secured airplay on stations throughout Jamaica and the U.K., opening the door to his breakthrough 2019 release “St. Mary.” The momentum carried him to his first album, 2023’s 22.