Voicemail

Just like their brothers in dancehall T.O.K., Kingston, Jamaica’s Voicemail are a dancehall group heavily influenced by R&B acts like Boyz II Men and Jodeci. Members Craig Jackson, Kevin Blaire, and Oniel Edwards — son of reggae great Rupie Edwards — came together in 1999 at a talent show. They formed Voicemail soon after, originally as a quintet. By 2003 the two extra members were gone, and Voicemail began working as a trio with various producers, cutting dubplates along with some singles. Their early smooth R&B efforts made a minor impact in Jamaica, but as the trio began working more in the energetic style of the Scare Dem Crew — of which Craig Jackson’s older brother was a member — the hits got bigger. In 2004, “Weh Di Time” with Delly Ranks and Bogle became such a big Jamaican hit that it warranted a sequel, “Ready to Party (Weh Di Time 2).” Soon tracks like “Jamaican Jiggas” and “Wacky Dip” were all over Jamaican radio, familiarizing the audience with the trio’s trademark shout, “You’ve got mail — Voicemail, heyeeeee!” That trademark figured into the title of their full-length debut, Hey, which the VP label released in 2006. ~ David Jeffries