Jamaican producer Kheilstone is enjoying mainstream success in the United States with Spin, a song by American rhythm and blues singer Kevin Ross.

Spin, which Kheilstone produced, debuted at #46 on this week’s Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Airplay chart. It also moved up to #13 from 314 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer’s Splash on Thursday, Los Angeles-based Kheilstone (born Kheil Harrison) spoke about working with Ross.

“The Kevin Ross connection came through my bredda Sak Pase, who was Kevin’s A&R (artiste and repertoire) at the time. We did a five-day writing camp… Kevin already had a skeleton idea of the song, but it wasn’t what you’re hearing today. I remember walking into the room and before he played the idea he said: ‘Yo, Stone, I want you to bless this bro.’ So mi do mi ting. I spent about two days shaping the production and trying different ideas until it felt right. When I played Kevin the final version he probably played it 100 times that day. Studio shut dung, no joke. Yeah, man, I was in the studio with Kevin throughout the creative process. It was actually one of my favourite sessions. I spent about two days working on it, and now we’re climbing the charts,” he said.

He described the song Spin as genre-bending.

“The chord progression is R&B, but I fused that with some dancehall and some Afrobeats undertones. You could place it in R&B, but you can also hear elements of Afro and dancehall, so it’s a win across the board,” said Kheilstone.

Kevin Ross is from Washington, DC. He was previously signed to Motown Records and released his debut album, The Awakening, in March 2017.

The award-winning songwriter has written songs for artistes such as Trey Songz, Nicki Minaj, Jamie Foxx, SWV, Johnny Gill and Toni Braxton.

To date, he has scored two #1 singles on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart, Long Song Away (2017) and Love in the Middle (2021). Don’t Go, Thing Called Love, Looking For Love, Sweet Release, and
Look My Way, all made the Top 20 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart.

Kheilstone is pleased with the song’s progress on the Billboard charts.

“Having a song on the Billboard charts definitely means a lot. Any time something you create in the arts is recognised in such a prestigious way it’s a significant milestone, and I don’t take it lightly because there was a time when all of this was just an idea. I’ve had records that achieved Billboard success over the years, but for some reason I never really stopped to appreciate those moments. I was always focused on the next move. Now I’ve learned the importance of slowing down and smelling the flowers. You have to embrace the wins when they come because its not guaranteed,” he said.

Kheilstone’s latest production for his Audovic Nation label is the Body To Body rhythm, a fusion of R&B/soul with elements of reggae.

Released in late May, it features songs by MediSun, Joby Jay, and Adventerous.

He also recently dropped the single Easy Now, a collaboration between Exco Levi, Julian Marley, and King Cruff.

Before making the Billboard chart, the Old Harbour, St Catherine-born Kheilstone made a name for himself in Jamaican music circles.

“I got into production through curiosity and a love for music. Growing up in Jamaica, like most ghetto youths, music was a big part of our culture. As a teenager, I would search my neighbourhood in Old Harbour looking for old electronics, like radios, TVs, and anything with a circuit board so I could take them apart and learn how they worked,” he disclosed. “That same curiosity evolved into music production. I became fascinated by how songs were made and eventually got into DJing.”

Migrating to New York in his late teens, Kheilstone’s fascination with music production grew. One of his first projects was the Bounce Back rhytnm , which he co-produced with Ronnie Homer for Kheilstone/Ahtik Studio Productions. It featured songs by Daville, Kibaki, Alozade, Mega Banton, Anthony B, and Determine.

In 2013, Kheilstone collaborated with fellow producer Matthew “Esco” Thompson on the Voyage rhythm.

“The Voyage rhythm was a huge turning point for me because it introduced my sound to a much wider audience than I was even thinking about at the time. To this day people from all over the world still reach out and tell me it’s one of their favourite reggae rhythms,” he said. “It helped establish my reputation as a producer and opened many doors for me, both locally and in international markets.”

Since then, Kheilstone has worked with high-profile acts such as Sean Paul, Tiwa Savage, BNXN, and Wizkid. He produced Bouncing by Sean Paul and Jada Kingdom, from the former’s Grammy-nominated album, Scorcha.

Kheilstone believes a commitment to authenticity is what attracts artistes to his camp.

“I think it goes a long way, and building genuine relationships is a big part of that. I move with the intent to always add more value than I take away,” he said. “This mindset has continued to open doors throughout my career.”