Projexx may technically be considered a Dancehall artist, but the other sounds he likes incorporating into his music make him unique.

The Kingston, Jamaica native grew up with a legendary lineage that taught him some of the basics of being a recording artist – but perhaps more importantly – the notion of being himself. The son of Jamaican producer Lloyd “John John” James and grandson of Dancehall producer Lloyd “King Jammy” James, the 24-year-old took the musical teachings of his family and expanded them into his own form of artistry, which includes rapping and singing over the instrumentals he creates.

His cultural environment as a child also played a big role in this.

“I was exposed to a little bit of everything growing up because I was born uptown, but my family had a business in the ghetto,” Projexx told BET during a recent interview. “I was exposed to beat making and seeing artists recording. So I could say it is embedded in my DNA. Back then I could say I had an ear for music.”

That DNA may have provided him with an innate talent for musical creativity. Still, nothing was simply given to Projexx – whether that be connections in the business or any financial means. Support and love, though, were always present.

“It wasn't easy being the grandson of King Jammy. It wasn’t like everything was easy for me, I had to work and build myself and work on my craft until I was comfortable to share it,” he explains. “Everybody knew afterward that I was related to [my father and grandfather] because I was the only person that was going to pursue being an actual artist because everybody was a producer… So I tried to build a name for myself at first.”

In building that name, Projexx has set himself apart, not only from the more traditional Dancehall music that his family produced beginning in the 1970s, but has stepped out of the genre in a major way. Spending his childhood traveling between the musical hotspots of Jamaica and the greater Toronto area, he embodies a worldly perspective – incorporating Afrobeats, hip-hop, R&B and drill music into his creative arsenal.

This is very much evident in his latest project GRIM TAPE VOL. , and particularly the single “Brawlin.” Released earlier this month, the Artikal-featured track has Projexx taking shots at his opposition with his booming voice and candid flow. It’s spread over the entire seven-track effort, which he also notes was “his direction” compared to GRIM & Family Vol. 1, his first EP of the series.

It’s this knack for ear-catching groves mixed with a background of drill that has caught the attention of international artists, including WizKid, who collaborated with Projexx on the hit song “True Love” off of his critically-acclaimed 2020 album Made in Lagos. That partnership, he explains, came out of thin air, with the two not officially meeting in person until they shared a stage in the United States.

“The universe made that song,” Projexx says of the collaboration, which came through Juls, the song's producer. “I never met him before. [Juls and I] were talking over the phone and I was in Miami at the time and I knocked it out. I wasn't even thinking it was anything or something crazy. I just recorded that song like a normal song.

“The day after the album launch, they FaceTime’d me and I met [WizKid] over the phone. But not up until he came to Miami, he performed a solo show at Oasis and he invited me to perform and that was the first time we met on stage. That's one of the biggest shows I've ever done.”

As Projexx continues his ascension sonically and in his own life, music truly inspires everything he does. It specially informs him, like the generations before him.

“I refer to myself as a musical person,” he concludes. “I know all sounds possible. I try to get inspiration from the oldest songs ever, it’s crazy. Even just one melody. I try to put everything I love into one and I think music is so interesting. I think my songs will travel more that way.”

Listen to GRIM TAPE VOL. 2 below.