In April 2023, when she first visited Jamaica, Anna Marie was blown away by the culture and the music. A year later, she returned and hosted a talent showcase at Elevate Nightclub and Lounge in Montego Bay, St James, with the intention to discover new talent.

From that talent showcase she decided to work with 10 artistes. That number has now been reduced to six.

“My passion for Jamaican music didn’t happen until I came to Jamaica. That was when I was introduced to the culture, the music, and the vibe,” Anna Marie, who launched her label Empress Ann Recordz, shared in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

Among the artistes under her management are St James-based dancehall artistes Jah Bloodz, Gothic, and 300 Savage.

Anna Marie, who previously had a label operating in Atlanta called Local Talent Entertainment, intends to make her latest charges global stars.

“I take challenges in my life. Gothic and 300 Savage are from Granville in St James and I decided to work with them. Gothic blew us all away at the showcase and he sang from his heart; I heard the passion in his voice. A week later, I had him open for Jah Vinci on a show and he has been doing shows since then. [For] 300 Savage, I met him through one of his friends. He knows how to entertain and to perform. He pretty much-needed management to push him,” said Anna Marie.

She continued: “Coming here, to Jamaica, I wanted to give back to the community; all of this is coming from my heart and my aim is to make my artistes superstars.”

Asked about her plans for the artiste, she said: “Right now, we are doing promo for 300 Savage in Los Angeles and he’s getting some spins on mainstream radio there. I’m also working on a tour with the artistes in Atlanta and Los Angeles. I have promo teams based in Atlanta and Hollywood who are pretty much putting things in place, so it’s just a matter of time,” Anna Marie reasoned.

Born in Panama, she presently resides in the state of Washington, United States. She has had over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, where she steered her three children to success.

“My children are dancers, and I took them to Hollywood to do a six-week course with Debbie Allen. An agent signed my daughters, and we were in Hollywood for five years. They did billboards for Macy’s, T-Mobile, commercials and they’ve been on the back of buses. So I have been there with them every step of the way,” said Anna Marie.

With Empress Recordz now up and running, Anna Marie has not wasted time in putting out music for her artistes. She recently released Quite Alone by 300 Savage, Journey by Jah Bloodz, and Brawlin and Panama by Gothic.