From Spicemas to North America: Grenada’s Jab Jab found its footing in Toronto, then thundered into New York
The sound of the Jab Jab left Grenada this summer and landed squarely in North America. First Toronto, then New York, the two cities with the largest Caribbean diasporas on the continent, saw Grenadian tracks break into Spotify’s Local Pulse charts for the first time, placing the Jab moving strong far beyond St. George’s.
August marked a breakthrough in Canada. For the first time, two Soca songs from Grenada appeared simultaneously on Spotify’s Local Pulse chart in Toronto and held that position for three consecutive weeks. Muddy’s Payroll and V’ghn & Terra D Governor’s Jab Decisions each carved new ground.
With Payroll, produced by Xpert Productions, Muddy, the reigning Grenada Soca Monarch, became the first Grenadian artist to have a solo track remain on Toronto’s Local Pulse for more than a week, holding for three. Its refrain, “put some respect on we name,” played like a mission statement for the artist and for Grenada’s continued rising Soca profile.
Jab Decisions produced by Kay Frass went further still, becoming the first Grenadian Soca track to reach Toronto Local Pulse Top 10 and staying on the chart more than five weeks. Its hook, “Spicemas could neva be a bad decision”, captured what festivalgoers had already carried back with them: the afterglow of Grenada’s summer carnival.
Toronto has quietly emerged as one of the most important international stages for Soca. More Soca artists appear on its Local Pulse chart than on any other city globally, reflecting the city’s role as a hub for the Caribbean diaspora and a proving ground for the sound. Compared to its bigger sister city of New York, which remains the largest single market for Soca in the Americas, Toronto has proven itself a haven for artists looking to translate festival energy into digital traction.
Spotify is only part of the picture. Across Apple Music and iTunes in Canada, nearly twenty Grenadian Soca tracks charted over multiweek periods this year, often in tandem, underscoring a significant appetite. Collectively, these milestones show a deepening Canadian appetite for Grenadian Soca, with artists achieving multi-song traction and sustained attention, including radio airplay for Muddy.
Capital Jab made a strong debut with Capital Anthem, entering Toronto’s Local Pulse at #66 and climbing to #9 on the iTunes World Chart. Dash stood out with four tracks on Canada’s iTunes charts, a clear signal of interest in his sound.
These milestones highlight more than a passing carnival spike, it reflects a kind of tabanca, a demand to keep Spicemas alive in headphones and car speakers long after the costumes were packed away.
If Toronto proved staying power, New York gave the Jab its most visible international stage. Over Labor Day weekend, when Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway transforms into a Caribbean parade ground, Grenadian Soca appeared on Spotify’s Local Pulse: NYC chart for the first time ever. Three songs landed at once: Jab Decisions (#42), Payroll (#58), and Grease It by Dred Lion & Socallective (#59).
For every artist and producer involved, these were debut appearances. That all three arrived during the week of the West Indian American Day Parade only sharpened the point: Spicemas had traveled, and New York’s Caribbean community had embraced it. Nearly 40% of the Soca songs on the NYC Spotify Local Pulse last week came from Grenada.
The reach extended beyond Spotify. On Apple Music’s U.S. World Chart, Jab Decisions peaked at #27 on September 4, Payroll at #40, and Capital Anthem by Capital Jab at #70. On iTunes World, Lil Kerry’s Bury All soared to #9 on September 3, underscoring his growing status.
Taken together, the sound of the Jab in Toronto and New York marked Grenada’s Soca with a defining presence in North America. For a nation of just over 115,000 people, Grenada’s Soca scene has managed to penetrate markets where more than 1.5 million residents claim Caribbean heritage.
The milestones this summer, the first sustained runs on Toronto’s Local Pulse, the first trio of Grenadian tracks on New York’s, the cross-platform peaks on Apple Music and iTunes, signal more than isolated wins. They reflect the energy of the 2025 Spicemas itself: a festival powerful enough to export not just revelry but rhythm, pushing Grenada’s Soca into new territories and leaving echoes that refuse to fade.
Listen to more sounds of the Jab.
