Jamaican dancehall star Teejay says his connection to Trinidad and Tobago has grown so strong over the years that he sometimes jokingly tells people he is “a Trini.” Speaking with Overtime Media during a recent interview, the UpTop Boss opened up about the support he has consistently received from Trinidad while also revealing that experiencing Trinidad Carnival next year is now high on his list.
“Most times… when people ask me where I’m from, I say I’m Trini,” Teejay said with a laugh, while discussing his relationship with the country. The “Up Top Boss” explained that Trinidad and the wider Caribbean have played a major role in helping dancehall music spread globally.
“Without Jamaica, without the Caribbean, our music wouldn’t even reach places,” he said, highlighting Trinidad, Guyana, The Bahamas and St Vincent among the territories continuing to support the culture.
According to Teejay, songs like Airplane Mode have performed especially well in Trinidad and across the region, in some cases even more than in Jamaica itself. The entertainer also revealed that while he has experienced Jamaica Carnival before, he still feels the need to fully experience Trinidad Carnival from the inside.
“I’ve never experienced Trinidad Carnival and I need to be in Trinidad next year for Carnival,” he stated.
The comments quickly sparked reactions online, especially as the interview also explored growing crossover conversations between dancehall, soca and Trinidad’s evolving Trinibad movement. One of the interview’s biggest talking points came when Teejay publicly expressed interest in collaborating with opposing Trinibad artistes, “Kman 6ixx” and “Medz Boss” despite ongoing tensions surrounding the Trinibad scene.
“Well honestly, me woulda like to do a song with Kman 6ixx,” he stated, “and me woulda like to do a song with Medz Boss, yuh see me.”
Rather than encouraging rivalry, Teejay framed the idea as a message of unity.
“More people need unity right now… love, joy, love life. Let’s live,” he added. “Make we work together. Make we do this for the future, for the youths.”
The interview clips generated heavy engagement across social media, with many Caribbean viewers praising the artiste for encouraging collaboration instead of division. Many others expressed disbelief that it could actually happen also.
Teejay also expressed admiration for soca artistes including Nailah Blackman, Skinny Fabulous and Yung Bredda, while embracing the growing fusion between soca and dancehall culture.
“Soca and dancehall, we are neighbours anyway,” he explained. “It’s just the right thing to have these two genres fused together and create history.”
Beyond the regional conversation, Teejay is preparing for the release of his upcoming album No Distraction, which he described as a return to his core energy.
“We talking about the 2016 Teejay,” he said, describing the project as “hustle mode.”
The album, which he says is about 87 percent complete, is being developed independently following his departure from Warner Records, although he remains aligned with Warner Chappell on the publishing side.
Teejay also recently released the single Perfect Body, a track aimed at empowering women and promoting self-confidence.
“A lot of females out there feel insecure of themselves, so I just want them to know that they’re special,” he shared.
With No Distraction, UpTop Fest and growing Caribbean crossover conversations all in motion, Teejay appears focused on strengthening his connection with the region even further – including a long-awaited trip to experience Trinidad Carnival.
