KINGSTON, Jamaica  — Healing music, that’s what Zac Jone$ is all about.

Interestingly, the 25-year-old had been on the healing path all along, albeit of a different type, having left Jamaica in 2016 on a scholarship to study medicine at the University of Southern California.

Jone$, however, stunned his family when he hung up his plans to wear a stethoscope and picked up the microphone instead.

“I went to the University of Southern California for medicine. I dropped out when I realized that I could no longer do what my parents wanted and what I wanted at the same time, which was music,” Jone$ said.

Jone$ shared that his decision to switch majors didn’t go down well with his parents, adding that despite the dramatic change he was able to retain his scholarship.

“I mean, at first they were angry. I would say my dad and I had a very strong conversation the day I told him that, that was my decision,” Jone$ said.

“But they eventually understood. And they are now my biggest supporters,” he added.

While the dramatic shift came as a surprise to his family, Jone$ said looking to his childhood; he had always expressed an interest in music.

Jone$ said he was particularly fascinated with music’s ability to affect, and in most instances, improve mood.

“Music is just my calling. A big part of it is how just listening to music, and my favourite artiste when I was young, and how that music would make me feel; it would really just take me out of what I was going through at the time,” Jone$ said.

“I remember even at a very young age, Shaggy’s ‘It Wasn’t Me’ my parents had that CD. I would come home from school, I would be in prep school at this point, and I would listen to that song for hours on repeat. I even learned all the lyrics. That’s what I admire about musicians, they have the ability to take people out of their immediate reality and just bring them into a new energy,” added Jones.

Similar to the great musicians before him, Jone$ is hopeful that his “Man a Yard” EP slated for release in 2022, will have a positive impact, helping to lift spirits as the pandemic drones on.

“I make music to help people that in turn also helps me, “ Jones said .

The Womerian further shared that so far his tunes such as ‘Lonely’, ‘Miss Jamaica’ and ‘The Weed Song’ featuring Jesse Royal, are achieving the desired results.

“The Weed Song that was in the moment. It helped me, writing the song and listening to the song.  I feel like it could help a lot of people,” he said.

 “In fact, a lot of people have come to me about it saying that it is a vibe and saying it is taking me out of whatever I am going through and I am enjoying myself,” Jone$ added.

In addition to his upcoming EP, Jone$ also recently released his own strain of ganja through a collaboration with medical cannabis company, OHJA.

Jone$, whose real name is Zachary Jones, also serves as creative director for OHJA.  

Denieca A Brown