artist talks about some of his favorite musicians, like Bob Marley, Shabba Ranks — and Lukas Graham, the sensitive Danish pop band that scored a string of hits in the 2010s? “I like artists who sing from their souls, and Lukas is one of those who have a different reproach,” Masicka says. “You might think, ‘Oh, it’s just lovey-dovey,’ but I’m hearing words I can connect to.” And don’t get him started on Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler,” which he heard long ago by way of his grandmom and more R&B .
The intermingling of styles shouldn’t come as a surprise. As a kid in Portmore, in the southeast of Jamaica, the artist born Javaun Fearon grew up on Eminem, 2Pac, and 50 Cent as much as on classic dancehall by Bounty Hunter and Sean Paul. 50 Cent actually inspired Fearon’s stage name after an aunt lent him a portable CD player and a copy of 2005’s. “When 50 Cent came out, that’s when I knew I’m going to be an artist,” Masicka says.
After winning a few contests with his live performances, Masicka moved into making his own records and found his voice with 2012’s “Guh Haad and Done,” a street-survival epic that set his spitfire delivery to a blend of dancehall and electronica. “After I did that song, I knew I had something in me,” he says. “I knew I could do something different.
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