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PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GREGG/COURTESY OF DEF JAM RECORDINGS

Dancehall superstar Masicka has reignited the genre with impassioned storytelling paired with bombastic beats. Following a Def Jam signing and last December’s Generation of Kings album, the Portmore, Jamaica, native is unveiling the man behind the music with his new Pieces documentary.

Your latest Generation of Kings album feels even more triumphant. How do you think you've grown from 438 to now?

438 was an introduction. So with time, with all the errors that we see that we've made and just growing as a person and wanting to better musically. So what we did was listen back to 438, went into the studio with a more positive mindset and more direct mindset. We had an idea of how and the direction of how we wanted the songs to go. So with experience with stuff like the selections and the collabs, I think I've grown tremendously as an artist. So the album was a true testament to that.

I saw you perform at Reggae Sumfest in 2022 and you headlined last year. That growth onstage just within a year has been massive.

To be honest, I wasn’t one who loved performing onstage shows, but over the course of time, I wanted to do more for the fans. If you want them to accept you more and love the music more, you have to just give them everything and master all the arenas of music. It was just as a development. I did shy at first to perform onstage, but people didn’t really know that. But through di love of di music, I went to rehearsals and started engaging with fans more and more. Then, over a period of time, because you’re doing it every day and traveling, you’re getting more comfortable and reaching different audiences. So it’s just growth and wanting to do better.

“Triumph” is one of my favorites onGeneration of Kings.You talk about wanting to set a legacy like never before. What do you envision your legacy to be?

I mean, the sky’s the limit. I just think that my music and my talent have no limitations. Shaggy, Sean Paul or Bob Marley have done it. Mi have a good team, and with the right mindset, working hard and just trying fi better mi self and [strengthening] my craft every day, I think it can reach that level. But that’s just the level mi wan fi set so mi kids, mi family, everybody can just look up and be proud long after mi gone and can just create a wave musically, so even if any of mi kids or family members want to do music, there’s already a starter.

I've watched your past interviews and there's a running theme where you speak about manifestation and envisioning your dreams . I think that's so important to not only think about what you want to do, but also set a plan to make it happen.

Consistency is the most important thing in achieving anything. So the actions have to be consistent. Saying it is one thing but you have to believe it also. Then you have to apply the necessary work that it takes to achieve it. So working consistently is the main thing. You yourself have to believe it. But you have to take action because time waits on no one. You have to make due while the sun is still shining, you know what I mean? Music is changing every day rapidly. The sounds, the beats, just everything. So the more you sharpen your brain, the more you're able fi adapt, the more you read, the more you watch older artist interviews and performances, it just gives you an edge up and room for growth.

Another song I want to talk about is “Angels Don't Cry”. I appreciate that you take the time to uplift and celebrate us Black women.

First and foremost, my mom is a Black woman and mi grandma is one of mi favorite person on earth. So my love for Black women is different. Sometimes you just to say, ‘Be proud of who you are.’ Proud of your hair, your skin color, you don’t need to change. We’re in a society where altering yourself is very massive. It's not that I'm saying that doing any surgery is an issue but it's just my appreciation to Black women. Unnu can move mountains. I'm from Jamaica. That's my background. So we're just uplifting the Queens dem in the rightful way.

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Regarding the upcoming documentary, why do you want to share your story with the world now?

So that everybody who has a dream can see that it’s possible and that once you have a voice, you work hard and stay consistent, you can be heard. I’m just proud of where I’m coming from, proud of my struggle, proud of my strengths, and proud of the initial stages of my career. So it’s just something I want to share with di fans dem, seeing me being vulnerable, seeing the good and seeing the hard times. Not just of Masicka in the limelight.

PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GREGG/COURTESY OF DEF JAM RECORDINGS

It’s cool to see that even when you were a kid you had that musical mind, with your grandma saying you started singing at a younger age. It seems like you were you're destined to do this.

Yeah, definitely. Nobody in my family has pursued a career in music I just got up and did it. That's the greatest part about it. My whole career doing music just felt like magic.

Do you still feel like you have something to prove and dancehall? I'm just thinking about the song “Black Sheep.”

No, definitely not. I think I've done my fair share yet. I will continue doing what I do best: writing hit songs. There's no retiring or quitting. It's no competition, it's just putting out good music. I think the fans have really loved me. So I think I've done my best and I've accepted it.

What are you most proud of about your career at this point?

Mi never quit and mi could I change my family life. Mi could move mi mummy, brother, sister, everybody outta di ghetto. Mi family can just see me as a true definition of success. And I'm coming from not just, doing it with clean and hard work, commitment and consistency. Nothing was handed out. So I think being able to move mi family and being able to change people's life is the most impactful thing about my journey.

I want to talk about your Def Jam signing. Of course, you're going to be exposed to an even bigger audience. But do you think there's any other way that your career is going to shift now that you're signed to a major label?

I think the label understands what I'm about and it's vice versa. I understand the vision of the label and the people in charge — big up Tunji [Balogun, the CEO of Def Jam Recording]. I think have a clear view of what we want to achieve. He 100% believes in the music and in my creativity as an artist and allows him to work independently and jointly. So I think it's going to get better, I think with the direction and with the mindset of everybody on board. I think this is a perfect team. He's really a music person. Everybody surrounding the team, my A&R, they believe in it. So we just have to work hard and stay consistent.

What I appreciate about you as an artist is you’re not so in the mix; you stay to yourself and let the music speak for itself.

Something I’ve always tried to do is separate myself. Not necessarily separating myself from my career, but just my private life—my son, my family and other things going on. The music is one thing, and the internet is a very dangerous phenomenon. Not everybody has that mental capacity and strength to use the internet without tearing down on others. So I think maintaining that privacy and that exclusiveness also allows me to grow as an artist. That’s something that I definitely did deliberately. I don’t try to be everywhere. I don’t try to be too inquisitive in everything. That is just my personality. I’ve seen artists like JAY-Z do it. When you want to become a real superstar, sometimes engaging in that so much will make you not seem exclusive, if you’re always in conversation. Promoting is the key. You just have to know how much you are willing to give and focus on the music. The music is the most important thing. When you gone, the music will still sell. Once the work is done properly, that should be enough. I don’t have to merge it with the personal stuff.

“I JUST THINK THAT MY MUSIC AND MY TALENT HAVE NO LIMITATIONS.” –MASICKA

PHOTO BY NICHOLAS GREGG/COURTESY OF DEF JAM RECORDINGS

The way that you write your lyrics, you're more of a storyteller than anything.

Yes, like a poet. I like writing and reading. Back in school, literature was my favorite. I like learning.

I know music is your big passion. But when you have a day off, what do you like to do?

Cooking definitely. Just like music, I can cook really good. (laughs) And just chilling with friends, playing Dominos. I like to travel. Family time is very important to me, so I'm always with my son. I hardly have a day off, so even when I'm not doing music sometimes I'm doing music.

What's your some of your favorite dishes to make?

Ackee and saltfish, fry fish, curry goat, pasta, fried chicken. I can cook really good, mon.

You’re a part of a very exciting generation of dancehall music. How do you think the genre could elevate?

I just think the artists have to work; that’s the first thing. And realizing that unity makes everything better. Once the dancehall space unifies more and once we have that consistency, we will start to do more business in the dancehall space because talent is not an issue. The demand for the music is not an issue. We just need to put the music back on the forefront, put out more albums and see the bigger picture. We should see that growth tremendously in a short space of time because music is there. We’ve seen Sean Paul, Shaggy, Shabba Ranks, Beenie Man, Bounty Killa and whole leap of greats have done it in areas where we never saw done before. We have to focus on and do the work. We have that task in our hands right now as the new generation.