A superstar co-sign is always nice to earn, but Trinidadian zess-dancehall artist and poet Lady Lava didn’t need one to score one of the buzziest Caribbean hits of last summer.

Perhaps best known for “Ring Finger,” her waist-wining rebuke of a controlling man, Lady Lava is one of the most exciting new female voices in Caribbean music, infusing her home country’s rising Trinibad genre with the rawness and wordplay of Lady Saw (now Minister Marion Hall).

Born Keisha Harris in Cunupia, Trinidad, Lady Lava has been in a love affair with music since primary school, where she took part in the school choir, chorus speaking and the church choir. When her mother was home, old-school gospel and Kenny Rogers were the only music allowed, but dad used to sneak in bits of classic dancehall and reggae. Like most kids, Lava expanded her horizons by tapping into what her peers were listening to — mainly Lauryn Hill and Lady Saw — and trying her best to bridge the gap between what she heard at home and what she heard at school. “I started taking my mother’s gospel cassette tapes and recording what was playing on the radio over them,” she remembers with a laugh.

Lava recorded her first song, a dancehall track titled “Bring It Back,” in 2008, but shady payola practices (radio programmers wanted payment for each spin) proved the first major hurdle in a career that has continued to defy such obstacles. After taking some time away from the music industry, she made a soft return in 2015 that culminated in 2017’s “If You Beat It Keep It a Secret,” a blistering, name-dropping kiss-off to a profoundly unsupportive ex-lover that became her first local hit.

Inspired by Lava’s own real-life experience, “Secret” arrived around the time she left her husband to pursue her music career. A smattering of local hits followed, including 2022’s spicy “You Have a Gyal,” but Lava’s first taste of crossover success came by way of 2024’s “Ring Finger.” An outright rebuke of the concept of building your life and personality around a man, particularly one who refuses to reciprocate, “Ring Finger” traveled far beyond the twin island nation of Trinidad & Tobago.

Not only did Cardi B co-sign the song multiple times on her official Instagram page — and surprised Lava at an NYC show last year to hear it live — but “Ring Finger” also helped Lava win the inaugural zess-steam artist of the year honor at the 2025 Caribbean Music Awards, a crowning achievement for artists operating outside of Trinidad’s dominant genre of soca.

“We have so many male-dominated songs that the men’s voices overpower the women’s,” Lava says. “And sometimes we as females might be afraid to say certain things, but ‘Ring Finger’ allowed us to sing those feelings.”

A year later, Lava currently reigns as the most-nominated artist at the 2026 Caribbean Music Awards (nine), underscoring her incredible ascent with recent hits like “Bob the Builder,” “No Horn,” “Pepper Vine,” “Cyah Pick” and “Send It Up.” With her debut album on the way — in addition to an upcoming single with Jamaican dancehall star NHANCE — Lady Lava hopes to harness her current momentum and turn it into a career that prioritizes both longevity and a towering global reach.

Below, Billboard talks to its June Caribbean Up-and-Comer about linking with Cardi B, being inspired by Jay-Z, coming up with her stage name and wining with iShowSpeed on stream.

When did your relationship with poetry begin?

My relationship with poetry started at a very young age. Because we were so Christian at home, I had a lot of expressions that I felt, at that point in time, I didn’t have anybody to express them to. There were things I wanted to say that I knew were against the church, so I wrote everything down. I had a whole book full of poems. That was my release. As I grew older, I started listening to spoken word, and I really enjoyed hearing poetry without music. A lot of times, if you can do something without music, it’s even greater.

When do you remember sharing your poetry for the first time? What was the first song you ever wrote?

The first time I shared my poetry was with my mother. She went abroad to work, so she was away from us when we were younger. I sent her a poem I wrote, and she appreciated it very much; she carried it everywhere, got it framed and sent it back to me.

The first song, however, would have been while I was in school making stuff up. I recorded my first song in 2008. I was rolling with a group of boys, and they brought a dancehall instrumental track, and everyone had their little part. The song was called “Bring It Back.” I was like, “I reach! I’s a singer!” I didn’t understand that there was so much more that I had to go through. That was also my first song to get played on the radio.

My manager went to the radio stations, and they wouldn’t play young artists at that time. He paid them to play the song. [Laughs.] They played it on Wednesday, but we didn’t hear it on Thursday. Friday was dancehall day, so we thought we would hear the song then, but again, nothing. Nothing Saturday. Nothing Sunday. My manager called the guy at the station, and he was like, “If you want us to play again, you have to pay again.” My manager couldn’t continue doing that, so that [stunted the momentum]. But I didn’t give up.

When did you officially decide to pursue your recording career?

After 2008, I stopped for a while. By 2015, I was at it again, and in 2017 people were like, “We not hearing Lava!” I was doing family life at the time, meaning I was living with somebody and doing wife things. I was like, “You know what? I can still go out there and do my thing.” I consulted my common law and told him I wanted to go back to music, and he said he would support me. At that time, it was a fight: Do I choose myself and my music or do I choose to be a housewife? 

My significant other couldn’t handle the late-night studio sessions and all those things. It really hurt me to see that somebody I gave seven years wouldn’t support me. We already had a house and a business, and I had to walk away and leave everything. So, I walked away from that situation and from that moment, I told myself I would never give up on my career.

How long have you been Lady Lava?

I’ve been Lady Lava since before 2008. At that time, I was still deciding between dancehall and reggae. I had a little locs thing going, but I didn’t last long with the Rastafari. [Laughs.] I went by Stitches back then; the name came from stitches I got after an accident. Every time they came with a Rasta ting, I came back with a rude ting, and they would say “Lava!” because it was hot. I put “Lady” in front and became Lady Lava.

How did “Ring Finger” come together?

It started with my manager saying he wasn’t hearing nothing. So, I said, “Let me shake up di place.” I was going through a breakup at the time, so I put my feelings over an instrumental I found on my laptop. I prefer beats with a bounce rather than darker tones. This person really had so much control over my life and didn’t even want to get engaged. It was also close to the summertime, so I was like, “I’m sure outside wid mi gyals this summa.” And the “But meh man and mеh man and meh man and meh man and meh man/ Gyal, stop that shit nah” [refrain] was a message to myself. I needed to stop making him a priority when I clearly wasn’t one for him.

When I released “Ring Finger,” it was so relatable because it spoke to everyone, married or unmarried. I even got messages from married women like, “I should not be singing this song so hard!” I knew the song would be a big hit, but I had no clue how far it would go.

You won zess-steam artist of the year at the 2025 Caribbean Music Awards. What did that mean to you?

It was very motivating. I achieved at least one thing I was looking towards because I really want dancehall from Trinidad to get some recognition because we are a very soca-oriented country. To know that we were recognized on a Caribbean scale, and I was the first artist to receive the award, was an incredible achievement. I don’t want to stop.

What are your long-term goals for your career, and how do you define success?

I want my music and my voice to be global. I want to help the ladies because they give me so much support. Some people don’t have people, so I want to be in a space where I can give back and help others. Or at least have a voice with authority that can make things possible for other people. And I define success as doing something you love every day and getting earnings to make a better future for you and your loved ones.

Who is on your list of dream collaborators?

Skillibeng. This one would not be real, but Jay-Z. I remember when I went to the Book of HOV Museum, my mom told me to just DM him on Instagram. [Laughs.] I love Jay-Z’s lyrical vocabulary; he sends you back to research stuff. I also like that he knows how to level up and leave things behind. But he’s still the same boy who came out of Brooklyn.

How does it feel to be officially stamped by Cardi B?

It’s unexplainable. I remember the first time she interacted with my music online, I was like, “Cardi, do not play with me!” It feels good to know that your music is connecting with global artists like her. She told me she was coming to my show in New York; it was still a shock to actually see her in the building. I was elated and felt really appreciated in that moment. I have so much respect for Cardi B for doing that. She was real and raw and such a great time. She even let the DJs know that she didn’t come to hear herself — she came to hear Lady Lava! She’s the best.

What else can we expect from you this year?

Fire and more fire. An album is coming. We’ve been performing so much that we’re not even getting time to go to the studio. It will be my first album, so we want to give the people something they can eat up. And we want to see them numbers go up on Billboard!

Who are some other training artists we should be talking about?

Prince Swanny, Sackie, Coutain, Full Blown and Yung Bredda.

I saw you give my boy Speed a wining lesson!

A lot of things was happening! Many people came out to show support and give him a little piece of Trinidadian culture. Then they brought me — who’s not a big dancer — so I had to pull out my wining skills and show it to Speed. It was short, but very fun. When I posted the video, it was even funnier because people couldn’t believe I was actually wining like that. When he went to [the next stop on his Caribbean tour], Speed said he learned how to wine in Trinidad, so, as a teacher, I felt accomplished!

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