Juakali is a Trinidadian-American recording artist, vocalist, lyricist and emcee whose work centres on dub, dubstep and EDM, with connections to reggae, ragga and hip hop. He is based in the United States.

Career

Juakali begins attracting attention in 2005, when his soulful bass-heavy style reaches early figures in underground electronic music. He becomes the resident emcee for Dub War NYC, described as North America’s first major dubstep event, and is associated with the early development of the scene around dubstep in the United States. He works with Dub War, Sub Swara, Pinch, Plastician, Raz Mesinai, Tes La Rock and 12th Planet, building a reputation for strong live vocals and lyric writing across heavy electronic settings.

He is known for a rugged vocal style and for helping define a North American dubstep identity through his performances and recordings. His voice appears on Pinch’s album Underwater Dancehall, which is one of the releases that brings him wider recognition within the scene. He is also linked to the track “Reasons”, made with 12th Planet and later remixed by Doctor P; that video premieres on MTV2 and is regarded as the first dubstep video to break into the American mainstream.

Solo work

While recording his first solo material in Los Angeles in 2010, Juakali develops a more singjay-influenced and introspective style. During this period he records “This Life”, “Freak You Back” and “Tha Chillski”, which become among his best-known solo recordings. His later LP Feathers Too Bright continues that direction, refining his vocals while keeping the soul and intensity associated with his earlier work.

Name and background

Juakali takes his name from the Swahili term meaning “fierce sun”. The word also refers to the Kenyan phrase jua kali, used for “street doctors” and people who work under the sun making and repairing things of practical value. He later returns to Brooklyn and completes a degree in architecture, adding that study to a career divided between performance and recording.