In just a few years, the 25-year-old Kingston native has transformed from a bottle girl to a confident rapper.
Chinsea Linda Lee's stage name is Shenseea, and she doesn't care about fame or the charm that comes with it. She was so busy building her brand that she didn't have time to indulge in it all. "I don't think I'm the kind of person who has a big celebration when this album is released," Shencia told NYLON, referring to her debut album, the first letter of the Greek alphabet, which ended one afternoon on Zoom. "I feel like my team is doing it more for me because I'm still focused on what I'm going to do next, coming up with another song. Who is the next producer? ”
In just a few years, Shencia has gone from serving drinks in nightclubs and singing covers to a talented rapper that industry leaders like Kanye West, Nicki Minaja and Tyga want to work with — all while raising her 6-year-old son, Rajero. Now, with sheer courage, the artist has released the first letter of the Greek alphabet to a group of ardent fans. "I recognized that I was a workaholic beyond what I used to think," she said of the recording process. "Until now, I'm thinking, 'Man, I should add this.'" Or, "I should do it again." "I just can't stop. I feel like I'm addicted to this. It's like I can't rest. "
Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, the 25-year-old rapper's music reflects her Caribbean roots. Shencia's songs are often categorized as "ballroom" — a reggae-inspired genre that originated in Jamaica — but she's not keen on labels. "I describe my music as open," she explains. "As you've heard, I'm versatile and exposed to almost all different genres. I've been incorporating Soca (East Indian influenced Afro-Caribbean music) into Dancehall ever since I started my musical career, all of that. ”
Shencia released one of her earliest pop singles, "2016." The vibrant song has a more traditional Caribbean style, which has led fans to dub her the "Ballroom Princess." Three years later, her breakthrough success of "Happy", starring Tyga, laid Shencia as a talented rapper as well as a penchant for clever and obscene lyrics. Alpha, however, is a well-crafted reintroduction that mixes 14 tracks designed to prove that her skills are broader than the hits she knows. "I want [the audience] to say, 'Yo, she does this, she does that. It's like her artist," she said.
The first letter of the Greek alphabet begins with "Goal," a beach ballad with a surprising love-tearing twist. "We never had problems until you started having problems / Where did you find their Adi box / You tried to aim at the bullseye, but you were blinded / Now you grab the feeling, now you remind," she sings.
Her emotions soar with the sexy second song, "Can't Be Like This Anymore," in which Shinthea happily announces, "I want to be indecent." What's interesting is the cheeky song "R U That," which runs through a list that all potential suitors must satisfy — like, last all night, be honest, and take your hands off her friends. Later, she returned to the whirlwind love in Lying, If I Call It Love, featuring ballroom legend Sean Paul.
Throughout the ups and downs of the album, Centia maintains her dominance, whether she's singing about an eccentric boyfriend or a clever rebuttal to someone's request that she "count the numbers." She fully embodies the name of the album and is a person who is not afraid to express her needs.
Shencia credits her confidence to her aunt, from whom she distilled the qualities that now define her as an artist at a young age. "I feel like my aunt really instilled it in me: Be a leader, follow your dreams, listen to yourself," she said. You can't say anything to me, and it's frustrating because my aunt has told me to be like that and stand by my faith. Be a leader, follow myself, follow my thoughts, my heart. That's what really helped me become the person I am today. ”
Photographer: Pat Martin