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Last year, the song 50 Bag was a chart-topper for in-demand deejay Skillibeng. The official video for the song has amassed more than four million views on YouTube.
In a male-dominated industry, Tifah the Queen— a newcomer to the business based in the Sunshine State — is the producer for 50 Bag. She said the song’s success caught her by surprise.
“When 50 Bag took off, it was kind of a bittersweet moment for me. I don’t live here in Jamaica, so I’m not hearing the song on my radio. But the recognition that I got, it actually gave me that feeling that I could do this as a profession. It was more like gratification for me,” the Florida-based produceer told the Jamaica Observer’s Splash.
She continued, “Everyone started to give me more encouragement to put out more music and getting things done. Now, deciding to sign artistes and starting to mould myself a little bit more. I am fairly new to the game, but businesswise, I have a pretty good understanding of my vision and aim of where I want to go with music.”
After studies at Harvard University, the University of Tampa and the University of Cambridge, TifahTheQueen got into music based on a bet.
“Precyse (dancehall artiste) was the first artiste that I produced. He said that if we got good traction about the song, In It, from our friends, then I would have to become a producer permanently,” TifahTheQueen chuckled.
“A lot of people asked why I chose music; I tell them music chose me. The pandemic has showed us that some of the choices we make, if it wasn’t for music I wouldn’t have been able to make money,” she continued.
Born Latifah Tafari Fletcher, she moved to Florida early in her teens. She established her label TifahTheQueen Records two years ago. She holds a bachelor’s degree in pre-medicine and human performance from the University of Tampa as well as a master’s in entrepreneurship from Harvard University.
“My mother worked in music when I was younger. She was part of a record label in St Thomas called Peace in the East and she was a co-promoter of the event Summer Hype. Just seeing how she worked with the artistes gave me the drive to get into music. With me doing reggae and dancehall, it’s like an evolution of all of that,” she explained.
TifahTheQueen continued, “Music production started from just building beats. I play seven instruments. While I was in school, I played with the band and then I started making mixes using Virtual DJ. I started collecting acapella vocals from artistes and build beats around them. And, here I am today.”
Asked what she brings to the area of music production, TifahTheQueen said, “I feel like I’m bringing a fresh air. A lot of people reach out to me on social media saying its refreshing seeing a female producer doing this and it’s empowering.”
Aside from working with Skillibeng (she also produced two other songs, Can’t Stop Us and Scary which are featured on his The Prodigy album), TifahTheQueen has worked with Quenga, Rytikal ( Nuh Reason), Lavisch ( Better Days), Dkronicle, Kempo, Alpha Don and Jada Kingdom ( Yuh Better).
“I like working with younger artistes. They give you a different sense of drive and energy that kinda fuses me. It’s the vibe that you get and use that to create art,” she explained.
She said some new projects are in the works.
“I have some projects coming out soon and they’re a little bit different. Some of the stuff that people loved about dancehall, I’m gonna try and bring them back, like the juggling and medleys with a twist of course, so we can keep everyone engaged. I feel I’ve met the right amount of young artistes, who are hungry for the break. Who’s going to showcase their talent if we don’t give them an opportunity? Tomorrow, any of these artistes could be the next big thing. I don’t turn away artistes,” she added.
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