At just 22 years old, Jonathan Seale, better known by his stage name Doejay, is making waves in the Barbadian music scene. Known for his introspective lyrics, catchy dancehall beats, and soulful delivery, Doejay has just released his debut album, Boys 2 Men, a deeply personal journey that has already captured the attention of fans across the island and beyond.
“My stage name comes from ‘Dreams Over Everything,’” he explains. “D-O-E for the motto, and Jay is for my name. It was something me and my friends lived by growing up.”
Born and raised in Ellerton, St George, Doejay’s early life was steeped in music. He attended Ellerton Primary School and later Queen’s College, but his foundation in church music and a musical family made music a natural part of his everyday life.
“I was always dabbling . . . playing little drums, messing around with the piano, chanting at school, freestyling with friends. Music was my outlet, my way of expressing myself.”
His first taste of public recognition came in fourth form when a video of him singing went viral on Instagram. That moment, he says, sparked the realisation that recording and sharing music could be more than just a hobby.
“And then from there, it was just people pushing me towards you know, you should record, you should record and I guess over the years, I just started to, become more comfortable with recording and dropping music.”
Doejay credits much of his professional growth to Higher Order, his creative collective made up of producer Nick Jr and videographer Pr3si of Higher Vision. The group focuses on producing music and visuals at an international standard, aiming to elevate Barbados’ local scene.
“So, a few years ago, me and a group of my friends, we came together and decided we’re going to push the music as a collective. That’s the team that I work with right now. There are other artistes but those are the core members.”
He earned new fans during last year’s Crop Over, when he performed alongside Quon (former Pic O De Crop monarch) on the hit track Bartender, produced by Nick Jr and Daniel Harvey. The song earned them a People’s Monarch runner-up spot, propelling Doejay into the spotlight.
“Bartender really put me on the map. It was a catapult for my music career and allowed me to start pushing my own style, moreso dancehall, which I love.
“I pride myself on being versatile, as it relates to being able to create a whole bunch of different music. And that goes back to me listening to a whole bunch of different music, country, dancehall, R&B, rap, everything. So I just try to implement all of them in my music.”
Boys 2 Men is a testament to his growth as an artiste and as a young man navigating life’s challenges. The album has already generated strong engagement online, with YouTube views reflecting his rising popularity:
“Most of my music is personal. Most of my music is true. Like my experiences and me expressing myself through music. I feel like music was always that avenue for me to just express myself. Putting my thoughts into words. Each song that I release will have a different aspect of my life or it will be related to a different point inmy life.
“Gone Away deals with loss, Psalms reflects my spiritual journey, Love explores relationship struggles. Karma is really exactly what it is about me, looking at my life and what will become of it and how it could be detrimental . . . . How my karma could come and hurt me. . . Boys 2 Men is about growing, seeing the environment around me and sharing my experiences . . . . Everything will be a part of me or some form of me . . . . That’s what my music is all about.”
Interestingly, Doejay doesn’t write down his lyrics. “I don’t usually write music. I come up with ideas in my head. Most of the things are in my head. All the songs on the album, none of them I have ever put on a piece of paper. I never write down anything because it offsets my process. There will be things in my head that I just play over and I just go in the studio with my team, same Nick Jr and we just refine everything and make it into something. We’ve got a lot of ideas and I just sing all of my ideas. That’s how it goes.”
For Doejay, music is both a personal outlet and a connection to others. “It’s self-therapy as much as it is therapy for people listening,” he explains. Balancing a 9-to-5 job with his music hasn’t slowed him down. “Ideas come at all hours. I could be at work, singing ideas and then we turn them into something real at night. It’s necessary, but I love it. It’ll be a lot of late nights to come to the final products. But it’s not nothing that we’re new to. And I feel like it’s a necessary evil when it comes to creating. Got to put in the time
“The music videos . . . everything on Instagram . . . the social media presence . . . is intentional. So we put a lot of planning and effort into presenting the music on an international level. Not just locally and looking at the local market, but to push the local market into having another standard. And that’s just the standard . . . we set for ourselves that we want to make good music. We want to present the music well. We want to do everything the correct way. And that’s completely up to the team and that’s just what we’re all about, just being better, doing better.”
Despite his rising fame, Doejay remains grounded. “I get a lot of support online, hardly any hate. My friends and team keep me in check, making sure we maintain high standards.”
Family remains central to his journey. Having lost his mother at age two, Doejay was raised by his grandmother, whom he references often in his music. “She’s probably the most important person in my life,” he says. “That’s why I don’t curse in my songs – she should be able to listen to them if she wants . . . . My father was always there for me 100 per cent as well.”
Doejay’s ambitions are clear. “I just want to create good music and take it beyond these shores – regionally, internationally. That’s the goal for me and my team. For me right now, it’s just to be better at my craft, to present it better. That’s where we’re at right now . . . telling my stories.”
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