A voice note shared on Instagram has evolved into deejay Ninecea’s first recording, Nahmal, which has become a viral hit.

“The concept came about from a voice note that was posted on Insta story and a girl named Ebony replied and said, ‘Every click me hear, me hear nahmal’ and I decided to turn it into a song. I got the beat and wrote the whole song around it,” Ninecea told the Jamaica Observer.

Nahmal blew up on social media platform TikTok, garnering more than 2,000,000 views. An official video for the song was released on May 4.

“At first the song was a little gimmicks thing; it was one ah dem tings that popped up in my head. I never expected this to happen,” Ninecea shared.

He credits social media platforms like TikTok for playing a part in exposing several acts in recent years.

“I think TikTok is like one of the most important platforms nowadays. The impact on TikTok has been phenomenal for me,” said Ninecea.

Nahmal was produced by Ninecea’s brother Terique Johnson and released via 106 Records. A follow-up single, Brawlin, was released on May 31, a co-production between Ravazz Entertainment and Javdon Musiq.

“A lot has changed for me since the songs have become popular. I am more used to reaching out to producers but now they are reaching out to me like crazy. It’s a good feeling,” he shared.

A lower sixth-form student at Jamaica College, Ninecea (real name Tahge Johnson) is 18 years old. He records a fusion of music comprising dancehall and Afrobeats.

“Everyone has been supportive of my career so far — my family and persons at school. The school feedback is insane,” said Ninecea.