By his standards, the past 18 months have been low-key for artiste/producer Venemus, but he is looking forward to stepping up his game in 2025 with several projects.

The Columbus, Ohio-based musician’s latest song is Heartless, a collaboration with fellow Jamaican Christopher Lee. It was released late last year.

“We’re working on some songs, but it’s just a matter of getting them out. We might stretch them out as well as do an EP, but we’ll wait and see,” said Venemus, who is from St Thomas.

Last year marked a comeback of sorts for him with the release of You’re Not Ready For This, a song he recorded with deejay Agent 13. While his production rate was much higher when he lived in South Florida, Venemus points to the challenges of being an independent artiste/producer.

“It all comes down to time, because yuh have to balance recording with home life. If I had the luxury to do this full time, we would definitely be putting out more songs,” said Venemus.

Originally from the town of Port Morant in St Thomas, he got into music while attending Happy Grove High School in Portland. Venemus began taking music seriously when he joined the Jamaica Defence Force, which was followed by stints in bands like Defiance, U7 and Vengeance.

Feevah, his only album, was released in 2017.

– Howard Campbell