ENOUGH OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
FRIDAY NIGHT CRU is quickly emerging as one of Jamaica’s hottest new acts. The duo of Dash D and KinDah have a fresh sound and a dynamic creative approach that are hard to ignore. The Cru began their journey just two years ago with the release of "Monáe" and have since made a mark on the local scene with singles "Follow My Lead" featuring Tessellated & Amaarae as well as "LAYB" featuring Zac Jone$ and PRG Kid. They bring a cultural vibrancy and energy to the new blends of music emerging from the island. Infusing Rap, Dancehall, Afro-beats and Reggae into their sound, FRIDAY NIGHT CRU has continuously pushed the boundaries of defined genres while at the same time remaining true to their roots. Their latest singles have seen the duo featured on Protoje’s Artists to Listen To, NPR Music’s Heat Check playlist and many more.
FRIDAY NIGHT CRU HAS HAD “ENOUGH” IN THEIR LATEST VISUAL
By Alysia Francis
FRIDAY NIGHT CRU is quickly emerging as one of Jamaica’s hottest new acts. The duo of Dash D and KinDah have a fresh sound and a dynamic creative approach that are hard to ignore. The Cru began their journey just two years ago with the release of "Monáe" and have since made a mark on the local scene with singles "Follow My Lead" featuring Tessellated & Amaarae as well as "LAYB" featuring Zac Jone$ and PRG Kid. They bring a cultural vibrancy and energy to the new blends of music emerging from the island. Infusing Rap, Dancehall, Afro-beats and Reggae into their sound, FRIDAY NIGHT CRU has continuously pushed the boundaries of defined genres while at the same time remaining true to their roots. Their latest singles have seen the duo featured on Protoje’s Fresh & Clean Playlist , NPR Music’s Heat Check playlist and many more.
We sat down with the CRU to discuss their most recent release, "Enough" and the visuals that just dropped! Check it out below!
Enough (official music video) - Friday Night Cru | Dir. by Adam Armond
NW: ‘Enough’ seems to tell a universally familiar story about the ups and downs of relationships, and the internal mental battles that come with them. It’s a personal story for many. Can you tell us a bit about the story behind this track?
FNC: It’s definitely a familiar story known to all. The main topic that runs throughout is about a couple in love and because of their differences in personality, but most importantly their love language, become emotionally exhausted and flirt with the idea of calling it quits. Honestly, love sometimes really isn’t Enough,
pun intended. In writing it, we often thought it was “A little bit too personal” but we really have fun finding an a story, experienced by all, and creating good melodies around it.
NW: Tell us about the process of translating the intimacy of such a personal track through the visuals and establishing the dynamic of Dash and the video’s leading lady, Kiana.
FNC: Firstly, Kiana is amazing, not just as a person but her energy on set was so transferable that it made the music match the visuals perfectly. We met her two weeks before shoot day and she just fell perfectly into character for each scene. There was definitely a level of trust and comfort, without that some of these scenes wouldn’t have been possible. We see an Oscar award in her future.
NW: From Monáe to Date Night to Enough, you’ve not only written all of your songs, but you’ve also conceptualized and directed all of your videos. Tell us about how your working relationship and creative dynamic have grown over the years and the support from your team behind the scenes.
FNC: Though we appear as a duo, there’s the unsung hero, Adam Armond who makes it a trio. It really starts with Adam. He’s our creative director/manager/graphic designer/director/video editor/ whatever you need him to be. We write songs in hope that he likes them. If not, then we get sent back to the drawing board. We often create as the trio. The industry is so visual focused now that as we’re writing we’re also thinking of the best ideas for a music video. We have too much to say and too many ideas in our heads to have people writing and creating for us at the moment.
NW: So speaking of creative dynamic, what was the process and experience like shooting this video within the limitations of COVID-19?
FNC: With Enough, we were already six months into the pandemic so we knew anything we did would be limited to few people. Thankfully this song is super intimate so most shots were just with Dash and Kiana. Again, Dacx was our go to videographer for this project since we worked and trusted him with many of our past videos. Other than Dacx and his team of Ajan and Aliyah, we also had Hayley and Zahra doing make up and wardrobe. Funnily enough, that was it. Those five people plus the artists and Kiana were all the people on set. Adam, the director was on an iPad or iPhone the entire time because of the travel restrictions that left him trapped in Florida. That led to him directing most of the shots with KinDah virtually so they would come out as envisioned. It was definitely an interesting process. What was awesome was getting a few of our homies to come through for the party scene as extras. That always brings more vibes to the shots.
NW: Would you say you took a bit of a risk sonically and visually with ‘Enough’?
FNC: Definitely. As much as we love making rap, dancehall and afro-beat tracks we also have a deep love for R&B/Pop music. We knew after releasing all the dance songs lately that this would be a risky switch but the moment Dash sent the voice note idea of Enough we knew it had the potential to be a hit. It transcended the genre conversation and was just great music. We knew this song would connect on a personal level with someone and just told a story that we could all resonate with. Luckily, we started off with this mix of rap and R&B music so our audience gives us that space to move around genres and not be surprised when we release something like, Enough or Fever. Really grateful for those people who love both sides of our music.
NW: And finally, what’s next for Friday Night Cru?
FNC: Honestly, it’s time for us to take that next step in the industry. We plan to slowly transition to releasing music in small projects. As new artists, a full album isn’t in our sights just yet but definitely would like to give our growing fanbase more than just one song at a time. We see the light at the end of the covid tunnel and we got some bangers for people to dance to before and after.
Video Production Credits: Adam Armond (Director, Editor, Special Effects), Dacx Foster (Dir. of Photographer), Atelier Ajan (Assistant Dir. of Photography) , Kiana Wong (Lead Female) , Rohan Paisley (Special Effects), Aliyah Atkinson (Production Assistant), Hayley Miller (Make-up), Zahra Warner (Wardrobe)
RIGHTEOUS OFFICIAL VISUALIZER
Protoje jogs through a road in a mountainous area of Kingston, Jamaica, bursting his illustrious dexterity of lyrics to the camera. In signature Protoje fashion, his effortless stream of thought motivates the listener to echo the harmonious layers of each bar.
PROTOJE HEADS FOR THE HILLS FOR IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME: DELUXE RELEASE
Righteous (Official Visualizer) - Protoje | Dir. Yannick Reid
Today, Protoje’s perspective on his life’s most pivotal events expands with In Search of Lost Time: Deluxe. The influential Jamaican recording artist’s groundbreaking fifth studio opus makes an encore presentation this year repackaged with new artwork and three additional tracks. “Still Blooming” (featuring Lila Iké & IzyBeats), “Still Royal” (featuring Popcaan, Pa Salieu & Toddla T) and “Righteous” continue the album’s narrative of introspection. Protoje’s latest release of music follows the 2020 launch of his first LP In Search of Lost Time for RCA Records in a partnership with his label and artist management company In.Digg.Nation Collective facilitated through Six Course Music.
Photo by Yannick Reid
The conscious artist, dubbed a leader of the “reggae revival” movement, colored outside the lines for his cinematic, ethereal, multi-genre LP, which was released on August 28, 2020. Protoje’s In Search of Lost Time stays in rotation. He executive produced the entire project and co-produced five out of the thirteen original tracks.
Ziah, one of the album’s core beatsmiths, is at the helm on the brand new song “Righteous,” which is accompanied by a new visualizer today directed by Yannick Reid. In the one-shot visual, Protoje jogs through a road in a mountainous area of Kingston, Jamaica, bursting his illustrious dexterity of lyrics to the camera. In signature Protoje fashion, his effortless stream of thought motivates the listener to echo the harmonious layers of each bar.
In addition to “Righteous,” Protoje freshens up the album with two remixes.
Righteous cover art - Photography by Aaliyah Hinds, Art Direction by Yannick Reid
Protoje’s notable collaboration with Popcaan gets the UK’s royal treatment through Toddla T’s production and a new verse by rapper Pa Salieu on “Still Royal.” The crown is big enough for all of the aforementioned talent to wear as they celebrate their accomplishments, from Protoje’s 2019 GRAMMY nomination, to Popcaan’s ascent to worldwide acclaim, to Gambia’s own Pa Salieu making noise on the UK music scene.
IzyBeats, the hit-making co-producer of Koffee’s “Toast” and Lila Iké’s “I Spy,” reunites with Protoje and Lila to spruce up “In Bloom.” The result is “Still Blooming,” a more spacious mid-tempo remix where Lila Ike’s vulnerable tone whisks against a laid-back reggae-styled medley of guitar strumming; plus Protoje is in tandem as he matches not only Lila’s heart-felt sentiment, but also aligns with the nimble bounce of IzyBeats’ hypnotic bassline. The animated visualizer brought new life to the original gem thanks to the creative minds of Joshua Solas, Acquille Dunkley and Yannick Reid.
TRACKLISTING + PRODUCTION CREDITS
Switch It Up feat. Koffee [Prod. by Winta James]
Deliverance [Prod. by iotosh & Protoje]
Still I Wonder [Prod. by Supa Dups & The Grei Show]
Weed & Ting [Prod. by Supa Dups & Di Genius]
A Vibe ft. Wiz Khalifa [Prod. by Supa Dups & Di Genius]
Same So [Prod. by Ziah & Protoje]
In Bloom ft. Lila Iké [Prod. by Natural High & Protoje]
Self Defense [Prod. by iotosh]
Like Royalty ft. Popcaan [Prod. by Ziah & Winta James]
Strange Happenings [Prod. by Ziah & Protoje]
Still Blooming ft. Lila Iké & IzyBeats [Prod. by IzyBeats]
Still Royal ft. Popcaan, Pa Salieu & Toddla T [Prod. by Toddla T]
Righteous [Prod. by Ziah]
Visualizer Video Production Credits: Yannick Reid (Direction, Cinematography & Editing), Habibi (Video Production)
GOOD OVER EVIL OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
In the midst of missing live music and performing, the freshest face of the In.Digg.Nation Collective, Jaz Elise, is back, this time with an experimental reggae single entitled “Good Over Evil” that highlights the songbird’s grit and determination to push through in these trying times.
A Return to Self For Jaz Elise
Good Over Evil (Official Music Video) - Jaz Elise
In the midst of missing live music and performing, the freshest face of the In.Digg.Nation Collective, Jaz Elise, is back, this time with an experimental reggae single entitled “Good Over Evil” that highlights the songbird’s grit and determination to push through in these trying times.
Produced by the dynamic duo Natural High, the song’s soundscape fuses traditional sound system reggae with modern trap drums creating an eclectic new sound that compliments the echoey, vibrating tones of this track.
Audiences get a taste of a new sound and side of the artiste as she reveals the boundless space of strength that she finds within herself as she reflects on her artistic journey so far, creating for herself and her listeners a new kind of self-redemption song.
At the core it a seh fi in all things lead with good intentions, bun evil and to speak life
- Jaz Elise
Through the nostalgic tones of these new visuals, directed by Yoram Savion, Jaz Elise gives us a raw, real look into her journey of self-introspection. The meditative anthem reverberates across a complex memory of moods, reflections and reminders of how we can get through by “staying strong and holding on.”
Focusing on Jaz, the visuals take us from rooftop sunsets, to beaches, to studio scenes where her sound, presence of mind and intensity fill the space. She notes, "it was a very small team of people that were involved in the accomplishment of this song and video and we wanted it to feel really honest and organic - so me and a couple of my friends just came together to hold a vibe and a likkle energy.”
Jaz Elise, in this time of all-encompassing uncertainty and stillness, turns inwards reminding us of the importance of solitude in not only connecting with ourselves, but in solidifying our purpose and making meaningful connections with others along the way.
Good Over Evil Cover Artwork by Yoram Savion
Song Production Credits: Natural High Jamaica x Protoje
Video Production Credits: Alex Chin (Producer), Yoram Savion (Director of Photography), Ben Tarquin (Editor), Jik-Reuben Pringle (Camera Assistant), Annastazia Chin / Aife Iyahtah (Production Assistants), Danielle Rookwood (Hair), Tonisha Kong (Makeup)