Jiggy D at the launch of his DND project.
Having grown up in a musical household it was no surprise that Delano Reid, aka Jiggy D, decided to pursue music as a career.
The top-flight producer, who is the son of legendary Silver Hawk selector Richie Poo, has dropped his debut all-star project titled DND.
Released via Jiggy D Entertainment, DND features a wide array of current and trending acts as well as newcomers and established names.
In an interview with the Jamaica Observer on Thursday, Jiggy D explained the inspiration behind the title of the 17-track project.
“The title was inspired by the fact that life and the entertainment industry can be so noisy. You need to disconnect in order to reconnect with yourself. My phone is always on DND (do not disturb) because it allows me to control the noise of my life. So, yeah, DND is something weh mi practice often and brawling,” he explained.
DND’s line-up includes Teejay, Skippa and Barbie J, Jafrass, Capleton, and Busy Signal, Kraff Gad and Chronic Law, Skeng and Skillibeng, Tommy Lee Sparta and Jahshii, Bayka, Beenie Man, Valiant (who’s song Wrong is among the bright sparks on the project), Pressa, RajahWild, Staggy YBC, Topmann and Plumpy Boss.
Asked if the inclusion of veteran dancehall acts was a strategic move, Jiggy D said: “Yeah, definitely. We’re in a time and space where the older and the younger generations tend to have difficulty seeing eye to eye, at least publicly, so the hope of adding that element to the project was to showcase that unity, especially intentional unity, leads to unexpected yet beautiful results — music that crosses over generations and hopefully has long-lasting impact. The impact being the understanding that rising tides raises all ships.”
He continued: “I hope to show everyone the power of unity, intentionality, and respect for the creative process. I also hope that the core elements of this project continue to inform my projects going forward.
Jiggy D is pleased with the reception to DND, which was released on October 10.
“I’m humbled by the reception so far. My fans and colleagues are loving it. They are pleasantly surprised by some of the collaborations, and they are already anticipating what’s next,” he shared.
The compilation took over a year to complete.
“This project was long time in the making and spanned over a year. Some of the verses were recorded over a year ago and some verses as recent as last week. They were voiced at various studios across the world although I primarily worked out of Shocking Vibes Studio,” said Jiggy D.
The track list, which sees Jiggy D credited on all tracks, reads: DND by Skipp and Barbie J, Do Not Disturb by Jafrass, Nuh Trust by Capleton and Busy Signal, Hear by Kraff Gad and Chronic Law, Mawch by Skeng and Skillibeng, No Joke by Tommy Lee Sparta and Jahshii, Die by Bayka and Kraff Gad, Lif Up by Skeng and Beenie Man, Haitus (interlude) by Jahshii, Wrong by Valiant, Na Na Na by Skeng and Pressa, Cause Fi Rich by RajahWild and Staggy YBC, Proud by Topmann, Hell or Heaven by Plumpy Boss, and Lock Off by RajahWild and Kraff Gad (bonus track).