June 13, 2011

Dubbed as “Steel City’s Princess,” Jamila B. has been making a name for herself in Hamilton, Ontario. Often lending her voice and song writing abilities to different rappers in the city, Jamila B. manages to always put her r&b/pop/hip-hop style to the songs. Being surrounded by rappers, it’s not surprising that she decided to go the mixtape route for her first project, which is titled “Diamonds in the Rough”. She has performed in various venues in Hamilton and other cities in Southern Ontario. Jamila B. has opened for the Clipse and Canada’s hip-hop star, Choclair.

Jamila B. began singing at the age of eleven. Inspired by the past pop craze that was taking over, Jamila and a couple of her friends formed a girl group. This would be the first of many that they created which were always short lived. They would often sing and listen to artists such as SWV, Brandy, Monica, and TLC. Jamila considers Mariah Carey and Robyn to be her main influences. Jamila eventually decide to go solo. She entered in various talent shows and searches during that time.

It wasn’t until 2004 that Jamila discovered the underground hip-hop scene in Hamilton. She bumped into an old childhood friend named, Kwabe Famous, who miraculously recognized her after 13 years. She joined his team, Set it Off Entertainment, and started to record her original songs over beats Kwabe Famous would find for her. As more artists started to hear more about this r&b singer, Jamila B. started doing more shows. She was often the only r&b act on the hip-hop roster.

Jamila B. also began doing dub plates for deejays. She would write originals over popular tunes and tried her hand at dancehall riddims. As Jamila’s voice was being played in the clubs from Hamilton to Miami, She was also utilizing another outlet to promote herself- Internet radio. She gained airplay on different Internet stations that were based in different areas such as the U.K., The Netherlands, and even Trinidad.