Barbadian gospel singer/musician, Jaicko Lawrence, says he is looking forward to meeting Jamaican gospel/dancehall star, Marion Hall (formerly Lady Saw), before too long.

“I believe that where music meets, it’s a melting pot for culture. So you will have the artistes being the examples of unity, in a sense. So there is really no need for competition. Everybody brings a piece and we all enjoy it,” Lawrence said during a listening session for his latest single “For Your Grace”, a captivating christian/inspirational song.

“You know you got soca in Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados we have soca, and calypso, as well, and Jamaica is heavily in dancehall and reggae. I think that if I was to narrow it down, I would say that I prefer reggae music, but, just because of the musicality, you know,” Jaicko explained.

“I came from a music background. Funny enough my dad is a bassie (bassist). Yes, mi fada is a bassie (Phillip Forrester), and what we used to do when I was a kid, my dad had a band in Barbados called For the People, a cover band. So they were very popular in the local nightclubs and the local arenas and stuff like that, and when tourists come from Europe and stuff like that, they actually ended up touring the Caribbean,” he recalled.

“But, my father is also a reggae fan. Whenever we had the reggae festivals here (in Barbados), and all the guys come down from Jamaica, that was something that my father and I used to do,” he said, recalling that his father also played with Jamaican artistes and musicians like Dean Fraser, Tarrus Riley, Jah Cure and the Browne Bunch.

Jaicko grew up in St James, Barbados, where he learnt to play various instruments, like the piano, from his father, and started recording at the age of nine. He eventually gave up secular music for the gospel in 2019.

“Me born and grow up inna this thing. My father nurtured my gift of music. From the age of five, I started piano lessons and, between the ages of five and seven, I really started to take this thing seriously,” Jaicko admitted.

“I can say that my success in following up has not been anywhere near the level of Lady Saw. I did have somewhat of a fan base, you know. Internationally, I pursued a career in music, professionally, and I spent a lifetime between nine and 17 years old recording demos, albums and taking my music to the United States to be released,” he poked, recalling Hall’s sudden shift from secular to gospel music.

Jaicko had broken into the North American recording scene, focusing on Rhythm and Blues music then getting a major breakthrough with US-based Capitol records, which released his single, Oh Yeah featuring American rapper, Snoop Dogg.

“That kind of gave me some traction in the Caribbean and different parts of the world. I toured the United States and I really began to build up a following through that song, ‘Oh Yeah. I eventually did a remix with Vibes Kartel for Black Chiney. So I had a bit of a following around the world at that time,” he noted.

Jaicko said that having started from a secular base, he was still making that kind of music, until 2019 when he turned to Christianity, and all his songs which emerged after that were virtually hymns praising God.

“In 2019, God helped me to make a switch. That was what I was thinking about instead, making inspirational gospel music, not only for other artistes but for myself, too. That’s when the switch happened. The main thing I liked about Jamaicans, is that once the music is good they embrace you and the culture is very rich here, too,” he admitted.

“I became a Christian in 2014, and when she (Lady Saw) became a Christian, for me that was powerful, because you are thinking of someone like her: The Queen of Dancehall, and still revered as something like the Queen of Dancehall, because it means you have it all. You have the blessing of the people. You were going in a totally different direction from me. So, I was encouraged being a believer myself that there must have been something that she saw as being valuable enough to give up all of that, in order to follow on a new journey,” he confessed..

This encouraged him to record “For Your Grace”, a Godly anthem which not only reminds listeners of the great gospel soloists of the past, and which has kept him on a heavenly road to success. It was released recently by his company King Minded Music Group, also featuring the voice of his close friend, King Minded, which has been attracting thousands of streams since.

“It is the record I am currently promoting, because this is the one that really set the tone for my sound and my voice. It is the record I am currently promoting. So again, for her to give up all that legacy to follow a new journey, for me that was very inspiring and so impactful I would say we are both blessed,” he concluded.