Vysionaer: Vision, Roots and the Road Forward
For Vysionaer, roots reggae is not something to be adapted to whatever sound happens to be popular at the time. His music is built around identity, spirituality, experience and a determination to remain true to his own creativity.
Raised in Rose’s Valley, St Elizabeth, Jamaica, Vysionaer’s journey has taken him through early auditions, different producers and collaborations, the Soldier EP, “Deep Dark Sea” on the Sanity Riddim, SunDub’s “Realness”, “Bad News Bug” and now his latest release, “Grant I”, through his long-standing connection with Anthony Senior and Al.Ta.Fa.An Records.
Growing Up in Rose’s Valley
Vysionaer remembers growing up in Rose’s Valley not through what was missing, but through what the community already had around it.
“Growing up in Rose’s Valley, I grew up so rich,” he tells Pauzeradio. “Our community was so rich because whenever the fruits were ripe, we harvested them from any angle. We played freely with our friends. No harm or danger came upon us. The joy and safety around us was everything we needed.”
Music entered his life unexpectedly. He recalls the beginning simply as a day many years ago when he did not attend school, but what followed gradually developed into something much bigger. Early auditions did not always bring the opportunities he might have hoped for, yet looking back, Vysionaer sees those experiences as part of the preparation rather than a setback.
“Those earlier experiences taught me resilience, the importance of practice and strength, even in the weakest times.”
That resilience became important as he continued developing his own sound in an industry where artists are often encouraged to change direction in pursuit of what is currently popular.
The Vision and the Foundation
Vysionaer’s musical influences come from a generation of reggae where message, identity and conviction were inseparable from the music itself. Peter Tosh, Joseph Hill, Jacob Miller and The Gladiators are among the artists who helped shape his understanding of roots reggae.
“The power and spirit, and the everlasting sight of their vision,” he says.
That word - vision - appears repeatedly when Vysionaer speaks about his own music. For him, Rastafari and conscious reasoning are not simply subjects to be used when writing a song; they sit at the centre of how he understands himself and the path he believes he has been given.
“The first step is coming to find and know yourself,” he says. “I am not wanting to be any kind of artist. I am which was ordained.”
That belief also influences who he chooses to work with. Vysionaer has spoken before about protecting originality rather than allowing an artist’s sound to be changed simply to fit what is popular.
“Knowing is key in everything, so it’s very important to have a person who is of that vision and knows the value of your creativity.”
For Vysionaer, the right producer relationship is not simply about supplying a riddim. It is about understanding the artist and allowing that individuality to remain intact.
The Mission Still On
The Soldier EP, released by Al.Ta.Fa.An Records, became one of the important releases in Vysionaer’s catalogue and helped establish the conscious roots direction that remains present in his music today.
Looking back on the project now, he does not hear a younger artist who has since abandoned that path.
“Everything is still here,” he says. “The vision, the mission - still on.”
That continuity can be heard across the records that followed. Pauzeradio previously reviewed the Sanity Riddim, which featured Vysionaer’s “Deep Dark Sea”, and his description of the creative process again comes back to faith and direction.
“You know, listening to the riddim and trusting the Most High, as always. That’s what was granted and the direction I was pointed.”
That instinctive approach also carried into “Realness”, his contribution to SunDub’s Brooklyn Riddim. The connection came through S.P.I Music, with Vysionaer describing the process as “listening and waiting on the divine guidance and timing of the Creator.”
Rather than forcing an idea, he prefers to listen, remain patient and allow the record to show where it needs to go.
Real Life, Real Messages
That does not mean Vysionaer’s music exists separately from the world around him. “Bad News Bug” grew from his observations of misinformation and the way stories can be repeated and spread even when people know they may not be true.
“B.N.G. is a record that relates to everyday encounters with people and misinformation,” he says, “and those who will supply it knowing that it is just propaganda.”
The recording also developed through another important musical connection. Don Hines heard Vysionaer’s work and reached out, eventually introducing him to Sydney.
“From there, there was no turning back.”
That relationship continued through the music, fitting the way Vysionaer prefers to work: building connections with people who understand the direction and purpose behind what he is creating.
Grant I
His latest tune, “Grant I”, continues that journey through his long-standing connection with Anthony Senior and Al.Ta.Fa.An Records. Like all of Vysionaer’s recordings, the song was not born from a formal writing session. This idea arrived while he was travelling and repeatedly listening to the riddim.
“It began on route driving and listening to the riddim over and over,” he explains. “One evening I was running errands with a friend and, right there, I got inspired with that record.”
The title itself carries a deeper personal meaning.
“Grant I means everything to I,” he says. “Yeah man, the reality of it all, as it states.”
The song draws from experience, but not only his own. Vysionaer sees it as reflecting situations people encounter every day, shaped by what he has lived through and what he observes in those around him.
That connection between personal reality and wider experience sits naturally within roots and conscious reggae, where individual stories often carry a much broader message.
Strengthening Music
Reggae has changed significantly during the years Vysionaer has been recording. Production has changed, promotion has changed and the way listeners discover new artists has changed with it, yet he sees no reason why those developments should remove the space for roots reggae.
For Vysionaer, the continued importance of foundation music can be heard every time people return to the records that shaped the genre in the first place.
“We still have to go and play those classic records and get that energy,” he says. “Good, strengthening music will always be needed.”
That sums up much of his position. Reggae does not need to remain frozen in one era, but progression does not have to mean abandoning the message, spirituality or identity that gave the music its strength.
His own career reflects that thinking. Producers and riddims have changed, collaborations have developed and new songs have arrived, but the foundation remains recognisable.
The Road Forward
After years of recording, Vysionaer still talks about music in much the same language he uses when discussing his beginnings: vision, timing, faith and purpose. Rather than chasing a new identity, he continues to place the emphasis on remaining grounded in the same principles that have carried him this far.
Asked what continues to keep him moving forward, the answer is simple.
“Jah keeps I moving forward. Give thanks for the privilege.”
And “Grant I” is far from the end of what he has planned.
“Many, many more works are on route.”
For Vysionaer, the road forward appears likely to continue the same way it has up to now: trusting the music, recognising the direction when it comes and refusing to sacrifice the identity that has carried him this far. The riddims may change and the connections may continue to grow, but the vision remains.
