Meet JahRiffe
JahRiffe, a first-generation Jamaican, is a solo artist and the lead singer of the Jah-N-I Roots band. His eclectic background and lifestyle are what make up the type of music he creates which he calls: World Roots Reggae.
He grew up listening to the greats like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Black Uhuru, and Jimmy Cliff. Influenced at a young age by his stepfather who had a big Sound System called Supersonic in Queens, NY, he started his own Sound System called Poison Clan at the age of 13. “I ran the streets when I was young and rarely went to school; it was all about the music. Every day we went to Moody’s Records and New Looks Records and Jammies to get our new music. I drove my mother crazy with my craze for music.”
JahRiffe left New York when he was 17 and headed to Boston where he soon started his musical journey. Music became a healing comfort after his tumultuous teenage years. “Discovering Rastafari really changed my life. The book Blood Posse written by Robert Walker was basically the first book I read from beginning to end. It was about a young man who traveled here from Jamaica. Through these written words I was exposed to Rastafari and Spiritual Mysticism. I then started to write songs that created a positive change in the world.”
His first album came out 2005 "Rastafari Love". This album gave the band and JahRiffe some popularity as the numbers climbed and they started to get more shows. The second album came out in 2013 titled "Check Your Timing" and lead to doing even more shows and festivals appearing with the likes of Kymani Marley, Mighty Diamonds, and many more.
In 2016 he had his major break out single, "Rasta Can't Fade" which propelled him to a status of sharing stages with the likes of Jah9, Kabaka Pyramid, Ibamar and more stars. The video for the single quickly amassed a 100k views in its first week on Reggaeville.com.
“In 2019, after opening for Jah 9, I connected with her bass player Jah D (David Goldfine). I flew to Florida, and we recorded my new album called “Reflections". It is about my journey, and at that time I was feeling a little defeated and was trying to get to know myself more. On this album I choose to discuss my journey… the things I have seen and felt: the break-ups, the make-ups and all the other ups and downs I had experienced through my work, being a father, musician, and Black businessman. The first single from the album is also titled ‘Reflection’.
My most recent single release was also produced by Jah D called ‘Were Groovin ’. Its message is that if you don’t go through struggles, you can’t find glory. “Struggle makes it right; if you don’t have a reason to stretch out your hand to God, you don’t do it.”
“Reggae is a genre based on a vibe, an aura, a frequency that transmits messages through our inner ear and being. A message that reminds us of who we are. Because of the struggles that I went through, I wanted to make music that helps others, especially the youth… to create music that help others find the light in the darkness that they might find themselves in.”
JahRiffe is an energetic performer. His shows are like a musical divining. When he is done, the audience feel free and rejuvenated. He touches on healing points. He wants you to walk away with feelings that you carry with you.
His music can be be found on SoundCloud and most other platforms.
