What was your upbringing like?

I was born in Mississauga, Ontario but raised in Brampton, which is another [Toronto] suburb. My parents were pretty strict. They’re from India, so they had pretty typical immigrant parent views: Get a degree, get a good job, education first, that kind of thing. I listened to all sorts of music in high school, and went through phases. I still do. I listened to a lot of hip-hop: G-Unit, 50 Cent, Game, Eminem. Then I got into punk and rock, like System of a Down and Sum 41.

I got into making music in 2014 when I was in my second year at Ryerson University. Ramz was fucking around with bars that were, like, mad witty Instagram captions. I was down to make beats for that. I started to track them and mix the vocals. I didn’t know what I was doing.

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Back then, I was listening to Soundcloud all the time, digging and finding crazy, different shit. Vaporwave was cool because it sounded like anybody could make it. It didn’t sound too complex, which inspired me. That was just a stepping stone, though. Later I started listening to more mainstream, poppy stuff. I’ve come a long way in making my beats sound much more full and polished, less amateur.

When did you know what the Jaegen sound was going to become?

The song “P2P” has this guitar backing and synthy-bass. It’s one of my favorites because of the time and place I was at when I made it. I was confused with what was going to happen with Riddlz and “Sweeterman.” I didn’t know if I should push forward with music or university, but I ended up getting suspended later that year, in September 2015 on some bogus plagiarism shit, so I was at home, up all day and all night making beats.

It’s just all about positive vibes. Nowadays, it’s something I look for. It feels better to listen to that. Obviously you have your moments when you want to listen to something more down. But stuff that makes you feel good? It’s better for the soul, you know? Uplifting stuff that makes your girl wanna dance.

Who are some dancehall artists and producers you admire?

My favorite dancehall artist is Alkaline. Mavado and Vybz Kartel, they’re classic guys. Tommy Lee Sparta, too. Producer-wise, [Mixpak producer] Dubbel Dutch . I actually collaborated with him on a Ramriddlz track. I’ve worked with some producers in Jamaica over the internet, like Krs. and JackSpade.

How do you see your work fitting into mainstream dancehall-inspired rap and pop?

The summer when [Ramriddlz and I] came out with music, you weren’t really hearing what we were doing in the mainstream. Obviously I’m not going to take credit for it because dancehall’s an established genre at the end of the day, but it definitely feels like we inspired folks.

The sound itself has gone through evolutions, too. It’s not just one thing. You could say we contributed to the new Toronto sound. Before it was darker, cloudier music. Some people think the sound is just super emotional and sad, but that’s not true. Especially in the summer, that’s when it’s really popping out here.

You were in L.A. a bunch last year.

I was still enrolled at Ryerson when I went. I had the Zayn/Lil Wayne remix going on, and went to L.A. planning to just stay for reading week, and ended up staying there for two months. I dropped out and started working on Venis with Ramriddlz and some other producers in L.A.

What have your collaborations taught you about producing?

With Riddlz, it comes down to the vibe. Sometimes we’ll bounce ideas back and forth, or I’ll sit on the beat for a while; I’ll feel it one day, maybe not so much another. When I collaborate on beats, I’ll have the idea and send it out to someone who I think will do great work on it, or they’ll send something to me. Overall though, I learn a lot more when I’m in the studio with a producer. I might know how to do a certain thing the other person might not, and vice versa.