Jah9 reveals a cinematic masterpiece today entitled Note To Self | An Introduction to accompany the release of her third studio album Note To Self (out this Friday March 13th via VP Records). The 13-minute documentary short, directed by Fernando F. Hevia & Samo Kush, combines the album’s core themes into a series of visual tales that connect at the root of self-awareness. As a non-conformist and visionary, the Jamaican singer, songwriter and yogi pushes the envelope with pure ingenuity and conviction on this refreshing visual that combines all her art forms into a musical meditative journey.
“Getting to know one’s self can seem like an obscure pursuit, but the study is indeed rewarding. Get intimate with your boundaries and the ways in which your essence is contained. In many ways, surviving can be like a war against a vast unknown world, it will prove invaluable having an intimate understanding of yourself and the materials, talents, flaws and gifts you are given. A proper inventory is key. The Note To Self documentary gives context to the album which I do my best to share myself in this state of consistent inventory management,” Jah9 states.
“These themes and transitions are visited on the songs throughout the album, and then revisited in narrative form through this documentary. Together they present a summary of my latest effort, a self thesis,” she adds.
As one of the leading forces in contemporary Jamaican music, the multi-talented artist and yogi blends her signature “jazz on dub” with reggae, soul and afrobeat into a rich concoction that celebrates self-care and love through Jah9’s lens of clarity and strength on Note To Self. Following her previous albums New Name (2013) and 9 (2016), the 15-track release is co-produced entirely by Jah9 featuring Jamaica’s top producers and musicians, including Clive Hunt (Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Peter Tosh, Maxi Priest), Jeremy Harding (Sean Paul), Romario “Runkus” Bennett, Iotosh Poyser and Romaine Arnett For Zinc Fence Records. The album contains her previously released hits “Heaven (Ready Fi Di Feeling),” “Feel Good,” “Field Trip” and more recently, “Ma’at (Each Man)” and “Highly (Get To Me).” Ripe with collaborations, Note To Self will feature fellow “reggae revival” icon Chronixx on the title track “Note To Self (Okay),” spoken word lyricist Akala on “New Race (A Way),” Virgin Islands’ reggae artist Pressure Busspipe on “You And I,” plus Jamaica’s esteemed soulful singer Tarrus Riley on “Ready To Play.”