Teejay Blurs The Line Between Dancehall And Afrobeats With “I AM CHIPPY” EP

It is impossible to be conversant with today’s music industry and the TikTok sphere without knowing Teejay’s “Drift”. The trending Jamaican Dancehall flagbearer has not just taken the world by storm with his song “Drift”, which charted on Billboard’s R&B/Hip Hop Airplay, Rhythmic Top 40 Airplay, and Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, earning more than 75 million global streams, and also with over 15 million YouTube views on the official music video. Today, with the success of “Drift” Remix featuring Davido, Teejay is receiving well-deserved acclaim for blurring the lines between Dancehall and Afrobeats. His 10-song debut, “I AM CHIPPY” EP, executive produced by the legendary Shaggy, the unassuming impresario Sharon Burke, and Steve Carless, serves as a testament to Teejay’s music artistry.

With over a billion TikTok views for its viral dance video (created by Gabi Don) and earning a spot on the Billboard Digital Cover, Teejay continues to drift towards the upper echelon where legends reside. The 29-year-old is among the most innovative musicians who have made genre descriptions increasingly tasking to analyze. During his billboard editorial, he stated that Dancehall and Afrobeats are the same and seamless to integrate. He also said “I want to do something as happy as Afrobeats music. With “Drift”, the Drum pattern is a Dancehall beat, and the Vibe is Afrobeats: a rhythmic happy moment and a joyful tune that people can dance to and enjoy.”

In addition, he described how “Drift” has successfully fused Dancehall with Afrobeats; he said that “Dancehall and Afrobeats have the same tempo and beats per minute. The only difference is the African lingo and Jamaican patois. For several nights, I studied the similarities between Jamaican Dancehall and Afrobeats. I said to myself, what is needed? What can I do so the world can hear me? I put my knowledge of both into experimentation that gave birth to Drift. I gave them a Dancehall beat and spiced it with an Afrobeats vibe to sing along to. The world needs happy music. Songs like “DIP” featuring Tommy Lee Sparta and the entire “I AM Chippy” EP attests to that.

Speaking about working with Davido, he said that his energy is on a different level. “He’s a real G. He believes in talents and loves Dancehall music. He also said he wants to be the first person on the “Drift” remix. I told him to come to the studio. We got into the studio in New York. Working with him was all pure vibes. He said to me, I want to take you home. I asked where his home? he replied Africa. It was a long trip, but it was worth it. The experience in Lagos was breathtaking. We made a stunning video. Once we were in front of the camera, everything came out well. Being in Nigeria was a beautiful experience. I met one of my uncles. You know the Jamaican people have African heritage. Maybe the “I AM CHIPPY” EP, released on 2 February 2024, reflects the characteristics from that lineage – a fusion of Dancehall and Afrobeats.”

It is not rocket science that the 10-song “I AM CHIPPY” EP will take Teejay to cloud 9. He said, “with this EP, I am heading for greatness – a contemporary El Dorado. The body of work is a product of unity. Featuring the likes of Skillibeng on “NEVER”, Bayka on “FULLY AUTO”, and Malie Donn on “CHOP LIFE”, we exhibited unity in Dancehall – this is big for Jamaican music. The EP shows a lot of growth. I focused on feel-good music, girls, dancing, and money songs. I don’t want to sing about any-violence related theme. I am trying to keep my music clean. Shout out to Tommy Lee Sparta on “DIP”, Davido on the” DRIFT” remix, and Jaydon & Quada on “TEEJAY STAR”. I’m grateful to Shaggy, Sharon Burke, and Steve Carless for co-producing this project.

Although Teejay hails from Montego Bay, the international acceptance of Drift and the viral explosion on Tiktok has transformed him into a global citizen. Speaking about the time it took him to record Drift, he said, I recorded the song in 45 minutes. Every single person in that room was telling me that this was a hit. In Jamaica, we call it a Big Song. I said to them I would trash it, but they said No. He also said, “after we created a dance routine for the song, my Deejay leaked it on TikTok, and it blew up. It became a monster hit. Drift is like a drug. It’s addictive. The tune will continue to grow. Timbaland once told me that a great song would take about five years to reach the heights. We are just about nine months in. I feel so good about all the songs on the EP.”

Finally, he further stated that, “with I AM CHIPPY EP, I’m glad that Dancehall is staking a claim on the mainstream industry. We have about four Dancehall artists gaining traction. That is good for the culture. We know about the history of the clashes between our artists and the various fans. But over the years, things have changed for the better. Everyone needs to be loved. My artist, your artist, and their fans should be on tour together. Imagine Teejay on tour with Skillibeng, Malie Donn, and the legendary Shaggy. We need to unite to export the culture. With Dancehall, we can break barriers. That kind of reality is good for the music. This good time is what “I AM CHIPPY” EP” is all about.”