Born and raised in Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica to singer Lorna Bennett and former calypso king Mike Ollivierre, Protoje blends hip hop, soul and jazz into his native sounds of reggae and dancehall. The musical prodigy, along with a collective of artists, began getting mainstream attention for their addictive melodies and conscious lyrical messages in a movement dubbed the “reggae revival.” Around this time, his 2014 breakthrough anthem “Who Knows” ft. Chronixx was heard blaring through every street, sound system and party. Publications such as VOGUE, i-D, Rolling Stone and The FADER declared him one of the brightest talents out of Jamaica. He has performed on Later...With Jools Holland, NPR Tiny Desk, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon & The Late Show with Stephen Colbert #PlayAtHome. Jorja Smith, Alicia Keys, Wiz Khalifa, Pa Salieu, Popcaan, Chronixx and Koffee are just a few of the artists he has collaborated with musically. His song "Switch It Up" with Koffee shined as the 2nd Song Selected on Barack Obama's 2021 Summer Playlist. He has toured with Ms. Lauryn Hill, headlined sold out shows and appeared on major festivals including Roots Picnic (U.S.), Coachella (US), Glastonbury (UK), Afropunk (US), Reading & Leeds (UK), Sole DXB (Dubai) and Lollapalooza (Chile), reaching audiences far and wide with his genre-fusing sound. He also founded his own label and management company Indiggnation Collective, "a significant incubator for Jamaica's new emerging soundscape" (NYLON) which signed talent from the island. In 2020, he inked individual deals for himself and Indiggnation Collective artists Lila Iké, Sevana and Jaz Elise with RCA Records. Protoje is an artist acutely aware of the passage of time, as evident by his album discography: 7 Year Itch, The 8 Year Affair, Ancient Future, A Matter Of Time, In Search of Lost Time and Third Time's The Charm. He received his two Best Reggae Album GRAMMY nominations for 2018’s A Matter Of Time and 2022’s Third Time's The Charm.
