THE Issa family in Jamaica is renowned for their contribution to the business and hotel sector. Noah Issa, however, is carving out his name in a different space. He has thrown his hat into the arena of music.

Issa, 29, debuted five years ago with New Stylie (a fusion of dancehall, dub, trap and experimental EDM), which was featured on BBC 1Xtra’s Diplo and Friends compilation. The singer/deejay has continued to deliver his own unique blend of reggae, dancehall, hip hop and electronic music with the release of his most recent single Rude Awakening.

He explained the inspiration for Rude Awakening.

“Most of the time my lyrics are inspired by the music, so I usually start by building a riddim and then I get inspired to write the lyrics based on the vibe I get from the music. So while making Rude Awakening I started by building a riddim which was kind of a fusion of ska, reggae and electronic music. Once I made the basic skeleton of the beat, I just started improvising some vocals. That’s how I came up with the first verse and then I just built the rest of the song from there,” Issa told the Jamaica Observer.

“I think the song relates to my life in several ways. To me it signifies a new beginning and a letting go of the past. It also serves as a reminder to acknowledge all the positive things in my life and to be grateful. I think it can be a very energising song when it finds you at the right time,” he continued.

Issa has been involved in music for close to 18 years.

“I’ve been making music for about 18 years. I started writing lyrics very early on in my life and then I started making beats shortly after that and eventually started constructing together full songs. My first independent release was a song called New Stylie back in 2016. That one is kind of a mix of dancehall and electronic music. Since then I have continued to put out songs like Broken Wings, No Long Talking, Circles, Overdose, and Body Language, which are all available on all streaming platforms,” said Issa.

Issa is the son of one-time Royal Palm Estate actor and businessman Paul Issa. The younger Issa says he hopes to play a significant role in highlighting local talent.

“Sonically, there are many styles I like to explore and mix together so I’m looking forward to collaborating with other local musicians. Jamaica is full of talented artistes and producers so I hope to be able to play a part in helping to shine a light on all the talent who aren’t getting the attention that they deserve,” he said.