Fast-rising reggae act Yaksta added an accolade to his relatively young musical career when his track Ambition was named Song of the Year by the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA).

The announcement capped off JaRIA’s annual Honour Awards, held last Sunday. The award, which was decided by public vote, saw Ambition topping the other nominees in the category — Go Dung Deh by Spice, featuring Shaggy and Sean Paul; Run by Shenseea; West Indies by Koffee, Virgin by Jahvinci, and Laalee’s Dirt Bounce.

“Big up to JaRIA and the voters who actually nominated Yaksta. Just want to big up the team. Big Up DJ Easy. Big up WussMuzikk, Afro Boi. I want to say big up First Nation, Indian Bads, all the necessary intricate individuals who play a major role in Yaksta’s success now and in the future, mi jus’ want to express mi gratitude in abundance… and yuh done know, many more to come,” Yaksta shared in his acceptance speech.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, Yaksta shared that he is humbled by the nomination and the win.

“In all honesty, the nomination was a surprise to me personally, and the win also. I never really saw it coming in such a short time, anyway. I knew the song was good, but never knew it was this great. It made a cultural shift and not just spoke about Jamaica but universally… it’s an honour,” he noted.

Released in early 2021 the track Ambition, produced by Marlon Easy and Afro Boi Entertainment, took Yaksta from obscurity to the recognition he has been seeking for the past five years.

“The win is just an accolade to the greatness that I am. I’m just a big bunch a greatness and I believe in myself and know that Yaksta can do way more than what I’m doing now but I’m very patient with myself. When you make a positive move independently sometimes it may take a time, but it’s all what is expected of Yaksta so I’m just grateful.

“It is a universal message which reaches far beyond the shores of Jamaica and touches the diaspora. It speaks to an epidemic that touches so many of us as humans. It’s just a song that had to be done.”

Born Kemaul Martin in St Mary, Yaksta emerged during the height of the global health crisis as one of the artistes to watch. His tracks, including Humans and Ambition, resonated with an audience who were under lockdown.

“I wanted to show di youths that there are innovative ways to make money [other] than through scamming. The inspiration for di song was a self-reflection and revolution experience. I started looking into myself at the things dat I used to do. I spent money lavishly to fit into a particular circle. Looking back in 2020, I decided it was time to make a difference an’ to take a shift from what I was doing,” he shared in a previous interview with the Observer.

JaRIA’s Honour Awards also recognised the contribution to Jamaica’s music and culture by national hero Marcus Garvey, musical icon Bob Marley and folklorist Louise Bennett (Miss Lou).