ZJ Liquid is undoubtedly one of Jamaica’s most prolific and consummate creatives. Esteemed as one of Mobay’s proudest sons, ZJ Liquid can boast of creating a formidable circle of competence in the Jamaican music industry that is not only unique but unprecedented. The hard-working and God-fearing entertainer evidently takes great heed to the teachings Mathew 25: 14-30 (The Parable of The Talents) which encourages us not to waste our gifts and no one in their right mind could place any such indictment on Liquid.
An understated aspect of Liquid’s success is his relentless work ethic. Despite emerging as a recording artist in 2010 with the success of Wifey Walk Out, Liquid, whose real name is Micheal Brissett, was very transparent with us about the work he put in before Point A View. He told CARIB VOXX, “This is not my first album, this is my 4th album and I started recording music in 1998 while I was still in Mobay, not 2010. At the time I was still recording under the moniker ‘Lippo’ and I would write for other artists at that time as well.” Liquid explained to us that the title Point A View “Is just music from my perspective and my eyes. Mi nah try be like nobody else. I have influences but I’m not trying to be any of them. On this album, the growth is different and it’s way more musical.”
As a Disc Jockey, Liquid is known for his eclectic ear and working in a radio structure that requires him to play a different genre of music every half hour, definitely cultivated that artistic openness. When we inquired about that transferal of that eclecticism to this album, Liquid affirmed that “All my albums have always experimented with different genres because I am a lover of music overall and not just Dancehall.”
Liquid’s strong sense of artistic independence has not disillusioned him from understanding the value of collaboration with other producers and artists to make Point A View a masterpiece. It’s no surprise that Liquid produced 50% of the album but he still emphatically praised his peers who contributed to the project. “I work with my cousin Minto Piere a lot. He is getting a lot of buzz right now but he been working diligently in the business for a long time. He is very creative as a composer in the sense that I can share with him my production ideas and he has the ability to execute it the way I want. I do 80% of my writing from day one but because I’m always collaborating with people, I don’t mind accepting input just to create a moment.” Dane Ray, I-Octane, K.Flow and Seanizzle are some of the other producers on the project.
In a very similar vein to his American counterpart Dj Khaled, Liquid has a star-studded line up of collaborations with other artists on Point A View. The prolific Dane Ray and I-Octane double their contribution to the project, not only as producers but also on features. Other big names on the project include Kemar Highcon, Konshens, Verse Simmonds, Ishawna, and Bugle.
Making an album is a thorough and consuming process that will undoubtedly have moments of elation but also inevitable disappointments. Liquid was candid about the lack of reciprocity from some of his peers when he was requesting their input on the album. Without belaboring on the negative and while still being greatly appreciative of the contribution to the album from all his peers, Liquid highlighted Konshens as an emblematic figure of loyalty in Dancehall. “Him never hitch, never sell out and never said no. Konshens is my real bredda. From it’s good he will tell you and if he loves the record he will give you the feature. After sending him the idea for the song with me and Verse Simmonds, he sent his contribution to the song back in less than 24 hours. He just messaged me the next day and said check your email. The vibes he brought to the song made me go back into the studio and re-record my verse to capture that fresh energy” Liquid’s account of working with Konshens is a refreshing departure from the typical disloyalty and divisive stories that seem to be perpetually pervasive in Dancehall.
Some music industry pundits belabor the fact that albums aren’t selling like they use to but there is much more to an album than just the earning capabilities than can be derived. Liquid posited that “For me it is all about documenting my work, where I am in music and where I will be in time to come. I want to control my own legacy. My fans shouldn’t have to search for singles scattered all over the digital space. I want them to have albums they can listen to and that kinda defines me. We are now in the streaming era and once you make good music it will stream and you will make money.” As a musical trendsetter and avid fan of the craft, it would be remiss of us to not inquire about Liquid’s top 5 favourite albums across every genre of music. In trying to remain politically correct, Liquid’s initial response was, “My top 5 albums are just my albums lol.” Upon further persuasion he listed The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill , Ready To Die – Notorious Big , Da Real Ting – Sizzla, Legend – Bob Marley and Tender Lover – Baby Face. CARIB VOXX was indeed refreshed by the conversation we had with Liquid and as he flows into album mode, fans can look out for the availability of Point A View on all streaming platforms on October 2nd, 2020.
