Build De Vybz Impact on Grenada Soca
Shem Felix, known across Grenada’s music community as “Build de Vybz,” passed away on June 30, 2025. He produced Soca and Jab Jab music in Grenada, contributing to the sound of Spicemas for nearly a decade.
Hailing from St. David, a parish of about 11,000 residents, Felix’s productions embraced a broad spectrum of artists and sounds within Grenada’s dynamic Soca Music culture.
Felix’s production work stretches back nearly a decade, beginning with Lil Natty & Thunda’s “Take It to Dem” (2016), Lednek’s “Up Inside Deh” and Mr Gold’n’s “Shake” in 2017. That year, he also produced Happyboy’s “Revenge,” Terra D Governor’s “We Time,” Temptress’s “Jab on the Moon” from the Moon Jab Riddim, and “We Doh Stopping” with Squeeze Head. In 2017, he worked with Lil Kerry on “Manage,” “Hold Down,” and “Dynamite.”
In 2018, Felix’s influence continued to grow with productions such as Otis’s “Break Away,” Soca Ray’s “Wasted,” Lil Kerry’s “I Ent Giving Up,” Lil Natty & Thunda’s “Get In Your Section,” and Tallpree’s “Stand Up Dey.” He carried this momentum into 2019 with Taller Dan Waka’s release and Muddy’s “Niceness.”
His most recent work, Boyzie’s “Raw Dawg,” premiered just days before his passing in June 2025.
Over the years, few performers in Grenada’s Soca community escaped his creative input, highlighting his integral role in shaping the evolving sound of Grenadian Soca.
While his absence will be deeply felt within the Soca community, the music “Build de Vybz” crafted continues to resonate, leaving a legacy that will remain an enduring part of Grenada’s Soca scene.
Listen to his most recent track with Boyzie here:
