New York-born singer Nefatari Cooper believes that if she’s to truly embrace reggae music, she must start at its source — Jamaica, the island that inspires the sound, and the birthplace of her fashion maven mum Constance White.

With skin kissed by the gods, a winning smile and a gait that betrays her modelling background, the 20-something confesses she’s more content with earning ‘street cred’ across Kingston than at 1515 Broadway, the home of the fabled MTV network.

“I’m starting locally because I think players and producers here have a greater respect for the craft,” Cooper says in a matter-of-fact tone. “And I believe the Jamaican market is much more open than in the States.”

Her passion to chase her dreams in her mother’s homeland isn’t unfamiliar: she follows along the veins of reggae acts like Bar-Bee, Chuck Fenda and Morgan Heritage — all foreigners with Jamaican parentage who’ve achieved success locally before doing so abroad.

And it seems being a background vocalist for former Spice Girl Emma ‘Baby Spice’ Bunting and child actress-cum-of-the-moment-train-wreck Lindsay Lohan influenced her to be a pop artiste.

“Music has always been my first love, and working with Lindsay was my first big break,” Nefatari shares, noting how guarded the now embattled star would be.

“Lindsay was so protected by her management. We’d just walk into rehearsal, then she’d come, sing and that’s it,” says the singer, who has been doing gigs for the last seven years.

Though it’s undeniable that Nefatari is influenced by pop, dancehall-reggae is her thing!

One need not look further than her recent track Taking Over, a collab with deejay Erup (of Click Mi Finger fame) or Want Him, which made the playlist on Zip 103 and New York’s Hot 97.

“I’ve got a new song that I’ve recorded here, it’s called All The Boys,” she shares, striking up iTunes from her MacBook. It’s an ambitious track, featured on the Ice riddim by producer Digi-Play, is to be released this week, and hosts works from more-known dancehall acts like Macka Diamond and Munga Honourable.

Nefatari drops other names like ‘Izes’, who worked on Sean Paul’s megahit Temperature, ‘Pay Day’ from the Alliance camp, as well as several others she’s eyeing — Don Corleone and Big Yard’s Robert Livingston. She holds just as much respect for those on the other side of the recording booth, too, noting that she was weaned on a steady diet of Dennis Brown, Sanchez and Freddie McGregor classics.

“I have pictures of me at five years old, strumming my little red toy guitar I

got for Christmas,” Nefatari reminisces. “There’s never a time when I didn’t want this.”

Indeed, but when mum serves as eBay Style Director, it’s hard not to want fashion, too.

“My first love is music and my second, fashion,” the chocolate beauty quips.

“I grew up seeing my mum be a player in the fashion industry,” Nefatari tells SO. “Fashion influences my attitude and moods and that definitely comes out in my music.”

And having a curriculum vitae boasting modelling jobs for Tommy Hilfiger, Vogue, Glamour, WWD and being photographed by celebrated fashion photog Gilles Bensimon certainly helps Nefatari’s credentials… not bad for a girl who puts the fashion industry second.

But it’s music she’s enamoured with — the pulsating beats, the infectious style of our island that keep her constantly inspired and equally busy as a singer/songwriter.

“I’m a huge believer in following your dreams,” Nefatari says, sharing that her destiny is on The Rock.

“Recognise my approach to reggae… I have a fresh international sound; even though I’m not from here, my roots are here and that means a lot to me,” she says.