Jay-A racks up 2.4 million streams with ‘Quick7’ EP

Miami-based Jamaican dancehall artiste Jay-A is celebrating the success of his new EP, Quick7, as it surged past 2.4 million all-time streams across multiple digital download platforms. Released three weeks ago, the Quick7 debuted at No 3 on the US iTunes Reggae chart, and that momentum has carried forward allowing the young hitter to conquer new markets overseas. "When I check my analytics, a lot of my streams come from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Germany and France. I get streams from African countries like Kenya, Malawi and Ghana," he said. Outstanding singles like House and Beast (123,085 streams), Ambition featuring Dexta Daps (36,101 streams), Deep Emotions (15,535 streams) and Pain featuring Dexta Daps and Mavado (2,281,253 streams) have boosted the artiste's international profile. "It's a great look. My team is gearing up to release Ray Charles, the second video and single from the EP. We had a very successful roll out and we're going to turn this up to the next level," he said. The Quick7 EP is backed by a formidable production crew including Justus, Spongmusic, iamwav and Starzplus, while Jay-A himself steps behind the boards as a producer. For Jay-A, born Tarik Morris, the impressive numbers following a high chart debut is particularly satisfying because Quick7 was designed to capture exactly where he believes he is in his life and career: hungry, spiritually grounded and ready to move. “The ‘Quick’ represents the urgency. It means I’m ready right now,” he explained. Jay-A's dancehall education has been years in the making. Raised between Montego Bay, St Elizabeth and Kingston, he inherited his earliest musical ambitions from his father, entertainer Peter St Patrick. He later became part of the Gullyside movement alongside Mavado, gaining an invaluable education inside one of modern dancehall's most influential camps. But Jay-A has increasingly been carving out his own lane. He is ready for the next step of his evolution. "Now is my time," he said.