Dancehall Queen, Spice Explains The Influence Behind Her Blue Hair And Bold Fashions [Exclusive]
Dancehall is life for Jamaican recording artist and the latest Queen of The Dancehall, Spice. This was easily translated the moment our Zoom meeting commenced, and I was virtually introduced to royalty from the genre.
Appropriately perked on her luxurious throne, the singer-songwriter was clearly still glowing from her successful collaboration with musical icons Shaggy and Sean Paul. “Big up to those two legends,” she excitedly stated when chatting about her chart-topping single, Go Down Deh.
Never missing a moment to honor her Jamaican roots, Spice spent the month of June celebrating Caribbean American Heritage Month blasting her music and enjoying one of her favorite pastimes— throwing down in the kitchen. “Let's talk about it! I cook everything when it comes to Caribbean and Jamaican food. I'm like a big top chef,” she shared with delight. “I'm always in the kitchen. I like my ackee and saltfish, which is Jamaica’s national dish.”
From her music to her culturally-influenced meals, according to Spice everything she does on the daily comes from her island upbringing—even her signature blue hair. “I remember when I started to become popular in American and some people were like, ‘Oh, she wears blue hair like…’. I was like hold up. My blue hair comes from my Jamaican culture.”
She added, “We're known for wearing colorful hair within the dancehall genre. That’s the inspiration behind my blue hair, which I’ve been wearing for two decades. This ain't no new come-up thing. Let's get it out there real clear and proper.”
The performer also wanted to put it on the record that she inspired the trend of putting blue eyeliner underneath the eyes, which she was appropriately donning during the interview. “I started that trend by the way. When I used to do it, people used to call me crazy. Even my blue hair. Now everybody wants to take it over from me. Like I never started doing this like ten years ago,” she explained, all while smiling.
Wearing the crown as the Queen of The Dancehall, Spice understands that her fashion and beauty have a major influence on those who admire her. “Being the Queen Of Dancehall is not just about the songs that you sing. How you dress has a lot to do with it! I don't take lightly to my stage entrances, my performances, or my costumes. You have to show up and show out all the time. I feel like the title has a lot to do with how I carry myself.”
According to Spice, she can easily spend about 2-3 hours getting glammed up by her hairstylist Chassidy Autumn and makeup artist GiGi The MUA. Naturally, we couldn’t help but ask the trendsetter the trends we can expect to see on the dancehall dance floor. To this, she responds: “pops of color.”
Of course, she readily has what you need to brighten up your beauty and fashion wardrobes available with her clothing brand Graci Noir and music-inspired makeup brand Faces & Laces. “I feel like you can't go wrong with a pop of color. It doesn't matter what you're wearing,” she proclaimed.
Want to learn more about Spice, check out her Instagram. Also, on the lookout for Spice’s new album 10, dropping on her birthday (August 6).
Editor’s Note: This story has been edited and condensed for clarity.
