Dancehall star IWaata has felt the cold ice pick stab of betrayal slipping into his heart, leaving him with untold emotional wounds and trauma.

Fast forward years later, and the talented youngblood still lugs around like old baggage even today. That’s why he penned Cold to exorcise the demons.

On Cold, the dancehall artiste takes stock of the people he counted on, the producers he felt passed him over, and what it cost him to keep some old friends close. When he talks about cutting ties, he reaches for Psalm 27.

“All of we get left in the cold at some point in our life and we have to figure it out by ourselves,” the artiste whose real name is Jason Bailey, said.

“Cold is a reflection of my life my whole career, how the business treat yu and the people who you thought would be there for you, not there for you, you nah look people fi sorry for you still. But it still causes pain and makes you feel some type of way.”

Produced by Redboom Supamix Productions, Cold arrived as an official audio release on October 12, followed by the video on October 30. By early November, the two uploads had drawn more than 267,000 combined YouTube views, with the video alone passing 177,000 in its first week. The track also logged more than 10,700 Audiomack plays and earned a “Blazing Track” spot on the Hapilos Digital Charts.

For IWaata, that feeling runs like a fault line through his career: people he expected to stand by him didn’t, and some of the producers he recorded for, he says, put their money behind friends while his songs got less attention.

“I always try to be Iwaata,” he said. “Maybe that’s why me no reach further than where mi fi reach.”

IWaata previously worked with manager Andrew “Boysie” Campbell of Boysie Records, a label which also managed artist Intence. In the summer of 2020, IWaata and Intence parted ways with Boysie Records; the label protesting that the artistes broke a five-year contract before three years had elapsed.

Since that time, IWaata has inked a new management deal with Reynolds Entertainment Agency in March 2026, which took over all aspects of IWaata’s career management. The move is designed to bring more structured management as the artiste develops his brand both locally in Jamaica and internationally.

But the hurt goes back further than the rough-and-tumble politics of the music business. Sometimes, he got flak from his flak and his inside circle.

IWaata says people he grew up with tried to damage his reputation, even after he had fed them, clothed them, and supported them through his career. There are stories he still won’t tell.

On Cold, he gives listeners enough to understand why he walked away.

“You dun know, you have people who alter your soul with all kinds of demon things so you have to cut and clear dem tings de with Psalm 27,” he said.

Fatherhood has changed what he brings to the booth. His son is six now, and IWaata says those years have taught him who he can count on and changed how he sees himself.

“The songs sound different,” he said. “Mi image, everything change.”

IWaata broke through in 2019. He’s grateful he’s still here making dancehall, but he’s clear about where he thinks he should be by now.

“In 2027, we have to kick off the door fully.”