Spain Town Badness was the song that gave him recognition within underground circles in 2021.

Now, two years later, dancehall artiste Roze Don has bagged a mainstream hit with First Night, his collaboration with producer Russian 1st Class Musiq.

First Night, which has been trending for the past few months, first blew up on social media platform TikTok.

The 22-year-old Roze Don is ecstatic about the song’s popularity and the doors that it has opened for his emerging career.

But his journey hasn’t been an easy one for the artiste, whose real name is Jayvon Rose.

“As a young artiste, and just out of school, I needed cash to invest in my career. So I got a call centre job, and I did that for a year. But while working I still did my music, because I used the money to invest into the music,” Roze Don disclosed in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

He recorded his first professional song, titled Affi Mek It, produced by Royalty and Respect Management.

“I was studying for an associate degree in business at the Portmore Community College and the dawg dem love di energy and dem did believe inna di ting. Dem gimmi di push same way. I didn’t complete by degree; maybe one day I might do so. Mi get a lot a strength from mi dawg Bugzy Too Flashy and we push out di song and the response was positive,” said Roze Don.

Describing his music as a hard-core dancehall, with fun and vibes, Roze Don says his style of music easily sets him apart from his peers.

“The flow dem crazy still, as well as the lyrics dem. We find a crazy rhythm fi match up back with the lyrics, and when we do all a dat now we get a vibe. From we go beat selection we nah fi say much,” he reasoned.

Roze Don, who graduated from St Catherine High School with six Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate passes, said music has been his dream since high school.

“Music was always the dream. We just go school and do the school work, caw we haffi have knowledge. Mi get the CXC passes, but music was always di pree,” he said.

He said Spain Town Badness was an unexpected hit.

“I didn’t know it would’ve been a hit. It happened so fast. It was a hurry-come-up song. Mi post it on mi Instagram and drop asleep, and by the time mi wake up mi si mi IG a go viral. I was in New York at the time, but di reaction and love mi get from di streets was surreal.”

Roze Don says the support from his community of Biggs Lane in Central Village has helped to keep him focused.

“From a younger age dem always a support mi. Even when I came out of my shell and showed them I could deejay, they were surprised. When mi get di exposure, a just mad love and joy,” said Roze Don.

Other trending songs that he has released include Upstairs, a collaboration with Teebone and Countree Hype, and Little Bit (remix) with Marksman.

Last year, Roze Don released the EP titled Back at It which featured four tracks.

His latest single is White Rum, which was produced by Romeich Entertainment.

Asked what he felt can be done to get more dancehall acts to collaborate, Roze Don said: “Yaw fi get rid a di vlogger dem. And di likkle corruption people dem inna di streets weh love say some likkle tings. More while a di vlogger dem a push certain tings [negative narrative]. But fi mi, once the vibe, the chemistry, and the money is right, I have no problem collaborating with anyone.”

He also listed dancehall artiste and fellow Spanish Town-based entertainer Govana as one with whom he would like to collaborate.

“Di man a di G. Di dawg know di craft and him gimmi motivation,” said Roze Don.

Critics have often argued that the lyrics of some dancehall artistes contribute to crime and violence. However, Roze Don says this is not necessarily true.

“Music is influential, so it might have a slight percentage towards it. But I wouldn’t say music a di root. Crime and violence a gwaan from long time. Politics, religion, and from the country divided, fight ago deh deh,” he said.