Victory Jones

She was ready. The dimly lit venue had begun to get more tense and restless after the mandatory sound and line check. Only instrumental ambient music and practice rudiments from the snare drum could be heard as the audience sipped their drinks during the lull to wait for the next act. But she had to get the sound right; she had to impact the audience down to the last frequency and decibel before she would go on.

To mentally prepare, she changed from her flats earlier during the interview to sky high royal blue stilettos. Out of excitement – not to be mistaken with nervousness – she began to knot and un-knot the braids that cascaded down her back, noting that she had a “fresh shave” to the right and left sides of her head prior to the show.

As per her pre-performance ritual, she was taking small sips of a shot of Honey Jack whiskey before she went on stage. Her keyboard player gave a thumbs up sign to the sound crew and she drew a deep breath in.

Walking onto the stage, heels clicking, she exhaled a sound so big and pure from the bellows of her soul. A sound that snapped the entire room to the attention of the petite figure whose astronomical voice enveloped The Shrine in Harlem for the next few moments.

She accomplished her reason for being, she was the catalyst of the audience’s experience. To say Victory Jones f*cking killed the show was an understatement.

“I can’t describe it – it feels like when everything lines up and you feel like something clicks. You’re looking for that thing in the dark and then [snap] it locks in and everything illuminates. That’s when I knew – this is what I want to do, this is what I am supposed to do.”

Noted by three-time Grammy award-winning producer, Syience, as a musical genius who “can mix water and oil and it make it seem effortless,” A.R.T.S.Y witnessed Jones’ smooth, powerhouse voice intertwine with her contrasting electro, bass-heavy and Caribbean-inspired sound. Perfectly exemplifying her use of the term “urban alternative” to describe her music. Her Jamaican heritage and New York City roots (“Jamerican” as she jokes) were evident in even the first few seconds of the performance, showcasing a self-described “dubby reggae” element to her sound, with similar vibes to Santigold and RES.

With an unapologetic fist in the air during her fourth song and latest release, the Chris Reeder produced, “Warriors,” which was released independently on May 15th via Victory Jones Music, Inc, and hosted exclusively by DJ Booth and Itunes. Jones says that her first single is meant for anyone who is going through their own battles, whatever they may be. “Out of all the records that I have written and all my projects, [“Warriors” was/is] the best introduction into who I am as an artist, as a woman, as a person. It’s my story, but it’s also a more universal story…whether it’s external or internal, everyone can relate,” Jones says. Little did audience members know, the icon of strength in front of them known as Victory Jones was more than once in an overwhelming battle of her own as Shea Ramsahai, the daughter of hardworking Jamaican immigrants.

“I started to sing secretly when I was about 9, because my parents were hardcore Jamaican, like old school. I am a first generation born in this country, so it was like ‘you go to school and you get a job’ – art is something you do for fun…But it was never seen as a viable career option.”

Keeping her true calling under wraps, while continuing to attend dance and art classes, it was during college that Shea was beginning her journey to find out who Victory Jones truly was.

A girlfriend overheard Shea sing in the bathroom and invited her to join an audition for an all-girl group called Hearsay that would later go on to sign with Missy Elliott’s production team. “My first producer locked us in a room and we had 3 pads, 3 pens and a tape recorder, and three hours later we came out with a song. The next day, we went in to record it. That’s when I knew – like, this sh*t is good. I could do this for the rest of my life.”

Elaborating further, Jones passionately shares what it feels like to pursue music. “I can’t describe it – it feels like when everything lines up and you feel like something clicks. You’re looking for that thing in the dark and then [snap] it locks in and everything illuminates. That’s when I knew – this is what I want to do, this is what I am supposed to do.”

After her moment of epiphany, Jones began relentlessly pursuing her career with Hearsay, which eventually parted ways due to creative differences. A couple years later, Jones then signed on for another all-girl group called No Means Yes, which would go on to work with Singer & Songwriter Ne-Yo’s camp, Compound Entertainment. When a group member left, leaving the rest of the group in limbo, the project stalled and began to lose traction. With so many challenges and obstacles, Jones became distraught on the misfortunes of her musical career and had hit a stage of stagnation.

“After the girl group broke up in Atlanta a few years back, I was really depressed. I was questioning if I should even be in the music industry, like why does this stuff keep happening? Why does everything go wrong? Right before things were about to get really amazing, like on the brink of a crazy record deal or a tour, something always unravels. Is it me? Maybe it’s the universe telling me I should pursue something else,” Jones confesses. “But [with music] nothing else makes more sense. Nothing else feels this way, nothing else sets my soul on fire like music. This is truly my purpose, I know it is.”

“I was destitute. I was broke – I didn’t even have enough money to put gas in my car. When I was couch surfing I was one day just sitting there after I was crying for a while, thinking what am I doing? What am I doing?…I can’t be a victim. You can’t be a victim of your own circumstance. I said to myself “I just want to win” because I have a jones for victory… And that’s how I got my name, Victory Jones. Since that day, like 5 or 6 years ago I had to live the truth that I was becoming. I made a decision then that nothing would stop me.”

Jones held a peace sign high in the air as her last note reverberated in the smoky room. The audience broke into roaring applause, but Jones lingered in her powerful stance for a half a second longer, relishing in the few minutes she served as a true collaborator in the minds and ears of each individual present. She was fulfilling her destiny. - ARTSTY Magazine

New York City has always been a hub of artists who create groundbreaking music. Cultivating talent who aren’t afraid to step outside the box and craft something personal and unique. Stepping into the ranks of those creative forces is Victory Jones, a pop artist with an alternative urban twist. Her debut single, the anthemic and uplifiting, “Warriors,” premiered today (Friday May 15th, 2015) exclusively on DJ Booth. The song is the first release from the upcoming EP, A Prelude To Victory, which is set to drop late summer. She also has a full album in the pipeline due for release later this year as well, entitled: Basements & Rooftops. “Warriors” is a biographical musical creation that tells the story of Victory Jones and her road to becoming Victory. It chronicles her journey of being down and out and then making a resolution to create the life she wanted by deciding to embrace her inner strength while staying true to who she is first: an artist.

Victory shares,“Warriors is a song about overcoming insecurities, standing for what one believes in, having pure intentions and following one’s path no matter what… it’s about no dream being deferred if one just makes the decision to do it. It’s about courage, daring to dream, making decisions and sticking to them and uplifting one’s self and others. Banding together with others who also believe that life’s adversities must be faced head on.” - Vents Magazine

Making her Booth debut today is Victory Jones, an American born and Jamaican bred singer/songwriter now based in New York, with the world premiere of her debut single, entitled Warriors. Blending a pop sound with an alternative urban twist, Victory’s latest effort is anthemic and inspiring, one that tells the story of her as an artist and showcases her strong vocals over the boardwork of producer Chris Reeder. Warriors is the first release off of the unsigned buzzmaker’s upcoming EP, A Prelude to Victory, slated to drop late this summer, in advance of her full-length Basements & Rooftops album later in the year. - DJ Booth

Dropping monster beats and killer raps, New York City’s Victory Jones is nothing short of a winner. The hip/hop, R&B artist meshes the flow of M.I.A with the soul of Lorde to create a pop sensation special to her city itself.

Current Single: “Warriors” (SoundCloud link Below)



How did you get your start in music?

I was invited to become apart of an RnB pop girl group by a friend in college, since then I’ve been doing my own work.



What has been the Highlight of your so far?

Releasing my own music.



Why should people listen to you, what makes you so different?

People should listen because the vibe is authentic and there is substance in my music…. And its FUN! I combine elements from different genres and fuse them together, plus the writing is killer! My music captures moments in a clever/metaphoric way over sick beats, and I’m essentially exposing you to the poetry of my mind & heart… I think all these things combined make me unique and listener worthy. - Highlights Magazine

Today on May 22, AXS.com had the opportunity to exclusively interview a very talented singer on the rise named Victory Jones. Jones is​ an American-born, Jamaican-bred recording artist and songwriter from New York. She was in a girl group, which worked with Ne-Yo's Compound production camp. When things didn't take off, she decided to go solo. Her music is a mix of urban and pop, with heavy dub influences. Victory’s unique voice and tenacious work ethic have led to many collaborations with sought after heavyweights like Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Usher, Britney Spears, Katherine McPhee and Salaam Remi.​ She just released her new single "Warriors" on May 15 via DJ Booth. The track is the first off her upcoming EP, A Prelude to Victory, which will be out this summer. It features collaborations with Chris Reeder, Grammy-winning producer Syience,​ ​and the Young Wolf Hatchlings. She also has two upcoming New York shows. On, May 27 she will play at Sehii NYC and on July 4, she will play at the Shrine in Harlem. Read our exclusive interview below.

AXS: Tell us about your new track "Warriors."

VJ: "Warriors" is the story of my journey as a human, a woman, and an artist. I had to resolve to create the life I wanted for myself and I am telling the story of facing my fear and overcoming my insecurities through my art. However, I think it's a pretty universal tale that anyone can relate to. An anthem for those of us that have been through the same thing and decided to manifest our own destiny.

AXS: ​Tell us about your "Warriors" video teaser.

VJ: The "Warriors" viral videos were directed and edited by me and shot by me and my partner in my neighborhood. I just wanted an organic, authentic, DIY vibe with images that conveyed the message I wanted to send. I decided to shoot them in black and white so as not to detract from the message of the song.

AXS: What can fans expect from your upcoming EP?​

VJ: My upcoming EP is fun, vibey, deep, percussive, metaphoric, yet highly relatable. You can expect great writing, killer beats, sick production all around and an authentic and different (refreshing) sound that is a blending or urban, pop, and dub with electro and tribal elements. I'm excited to share my work with the world.

AXS: What can fans expect from your live shows?​

VJ: Fans can expect to feel my energy to the core at my live shows and it's infectious! I really get into the music just being myself onstage and being free. Also, the music sounds wicked live, too. Imagine the songs in sonic 3D, if there were such a thing. It's killer.

AXS: What was it like working with Ne-Yo? How did that impact you as an artist?

VJ: Although I worked with Ne-Yo very briefly, his energy was amazing. The crew over at Compound showed me lots of love and were very much about creating great music. I was actually more impacted by my time working with Missy Elliott to be honest. I got to work very closely with her for a longer period of time before Ne-Yo and Compound and she definitely taught me a lot. I've never met another human being/musician that works harder at their craft than she does. That woman is like a machine! Seriously. She taught me about dedication, respect and not taking short cuts, lessons I'll take with me forever.

AXS: You got to work with Britney Spears. What was that experience like?​

VJ: Ok, so I wasn't actually in the room with Britney technically. I worked with some folks from her camp on songs for her and it was quite and amazing experience. I love her and when I heard she loved the records, that made it even better. She's fun, fierce, unapologetic and just does her own thing. What more can you ask for?

AXS: Who are some of your favorite artists?

VJ: So here's a fun fact: I don't really have a favorite anything per se, because there are just too many to choose from. It's really quite unfair actually, lol. However, I can tell you the names written on my vision board [are] Sia, MIA, Santigold, Res, Rick Rubin, Kanye West, Jon Brion, Andre 3000, Pharrell, Fiona Apple, Bob Marley, Solange, Dr. Luke, Dawn Richards, Amy Winehouse, Diplo, Kendrick Lamar and Michael Jackson. - AXS Magazine