Jahmi Roc wants her music to make people feel and think about something meaningful. The Kingston-born, Los Angeles-based artiste sees reggae as a vehicle for storytelling, cultural pride, and conversations about identity and freedom.
Those ideas run deep through Love Like Liberation, her latest EP, released on July 17. Rooted in reggae but stretching across genres, the project offers a personal look at love, liberation, and what it means to remain connected to Jamaican culture.
The project was produced by acclaimed Jamaican producer Dale ‘Dizzle’ Virgo, whose credits include Rihanna’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love from her debut album A Girl Like Me. Virgo brings his understanding of reggae’s roots to a project that remains distinctly Jahmi Roc.
“Love Like Liberation is really about freedom, freedom to love yourself, freedom to tell your story, and freedom to understand where you come from,” said Jahmi Roc. “I wanted the music to feel good, but I also wanted it to leave people thinking, feeling, and hopefully seeing themselves and their culture more deeply.”
Behind the artiste is Dr Racquel Simone Bernard, a scholar, educator, mother and cultural advocate whose creative work is closely tied to her academic pursuits.
“As a Jamaican woman, I carry so many stories, histories, and perspectives with me,” Jahmi Roc said. “I don’t want those stories to live only in academic spaces. I want people to hear them, experience them, dance to them, question them, and understand the women and communities that have helped shape this culture.”
She said that music, scholarship and community work are all part of the same mission.
“Jamaican culture is loved everywhere, but rarely understood,” Jahmi Roc explained. “I believe my life’s mission is to help others love and liberate themselves,” she said.
