On Sunday, June 2, local hip hop artiste Aisha Taylor Jones who goes by the stage name A-TayJah made history by being the first female Guyanese rapper to have a single reach number one on the local music charts.
A-TayJah’s “Metamor-phosis” was the Number 1 song on the GT&T Top40 Music Countdown which is aired weekly on the National Communications Network radio and television on Sundays.
The show, which is hosted by Wanita Huburn, serves as Guyana’s prominent music ranking chart and in its 13 years of broadcasting (previous years with the Guyana Broadcasting Corporation), it has run never featured such an artiste. This came as a shock to A-TayJah who in a brief telephone interview expressed her excitement:
“It’s an overwhelming feeling. I’m pleased that people enjoy the music that I’m doing and grateful for the enormous support and encouragement from my mom, entire family and friends and of course Guyana entirely, because they are the ones who made it possible for it to rank to that position.
“I feel honoured and filled with a sense that my hard work and dedication are paying off. I feel a sense of achievement, along with recognised respect. These are not feelings I take full credit for. I must say thank you to my amazing producer Andrew ‘Drew THoven’ King – his talent is a blessing and sound ideas are outstanding, we are a team and without him it wouldn’t have been possible.”
“Metamorphosis” was recorded at the Brutal Tracks Studio on March 20 and released two months later. The song relays the concept of change we as individuals go through, whether by personal experiences and encounters or just the natural course of life. The song talks about how these changes affect us and how they mould us into the persons we are destined to be; that we must be accepting and proud of the result. The song sends a message of hope while in struggle; urges us to follow our dreams and embrace any challenge we may face along the way, never giving up even if we lose faith because it will be worth it in the end if we just stay motivated.
A-TayJah wrote the song herself based on personal experiences and observances. It is dedicated to her friend in the United States, Enya Lorimer, who, as A-TayJah expressed gave her the concept idea and motivation needed to put together the lyrics. The song has a hip hop style backed by a reggae track with dub step fusion. Andrew King produced the song and instrumentals; his vocals can be heard in the chorus.
In an August 4, 2012 interview with The Scene, A-TayJah described hip hop as “…A way of expressing yourself, its more than just a genre of music – it’s a form of lifestyle that some may say is a ‘foreign state of mind’ but to me it’s more. It’s being who you are and going after what you want, standing up for your beliefs and despite where you’re from and the challenges you face always pushing yourself to fulfil your passions and dreams regardless of the things people may say along the way.”
