Home / Arts and Entertainment / East Coast Zess Fuses Soca, Dancehall, Litefeet & Jersey Club
East Coast Zess Fuses Soca, Dancehall, Litefeet & Jersey Club
22 Oct
Summary
- New York and Jersey artists blend soca's zess with litefeet and Jersey club.
- Producers globally mine Black diaspora dance music for hip-hop sounds.
- Jay Morrg exemplifies the scene with his "Grab Her Nuh (Zess)" track.
Hip-hop production currently showcases a fascinating trend of producers drawing from the dance music of the Black diaspora.
This movement is evident across various locations, with Michigan producers incorporating house and techno, and the UK's bongology wave blending coupé-décalé and Afrobeats with internet rap.
In New York City and Jersey, this has manifested as "East Coast zess," a unique subgenre. It merges Trinidadian zess, characterized by its drum-based beats, with the rhythmic claps of litefeet and the experimental remixing style of Jersey club.
Queens artist Jay Morrg, a prominent figure in this scene, illustrates the fusion with his track "Grab Her Nuh (Zess)." The song masterfully weaves a recognizable dancehall sample with deep basslines, calypso-inspired steel pan drums, and distinctive clipped vocal samples.
The appeal extends beyond individual songs, encouraging listeners to explore artists' SoundCloud pages and create their own playlists that highlight these interconnected musical influences.
