Chris Brown ain’t shy about showing love to the Caribbean—and his latest album Brown makes that crystal clear. The R&B heavyweight tapped dancehall king Vybz Kartel for “F#ck N Party,” a collaboration that’s already got people talking. But dig deeper into the tracklist and you’ll find track 6, “Hate Me,” carries a Jamaican connection most fans would never guess.
The Hidden Jamaican Link
“Hate Me” might sound like classic R&B—because it is—but the pen game behind it runs straight through Jamaica. UK songwriter James Essien co-wrote the track alongside Alan Sampson and Plested. Essien is one half of Pick Pockets Music, a creative powerhouse he runs with industry exec Isaac ‘Blak London’ Brown.
Blak London’s got Jamaican blood pumping through his veins. His parents are from the island, grandparents hail from Kingston, Savanna-la-mar, and St. Elizabeth. “My mom was born at Kingston Jubilee, so a lot of my people are between Maverley, Red Hills and Rema—I’m full blown Jamaican,” he said.
Four Years in the Making
The track didn’t happen overnight. “We wrote this song like four years ago and Chris just picked it up six months ago,” Blak London revealed. His A&R instincts sharp as ever from his days at Empire Distribution, where he discovered James Essien before becoming his manager under Blak Friday Management.
Essien’s not playing around either. The UK hitmaker landed three cuts on BTS’s latest album ARIRANG, including the monster single “SWIM” which shot straight to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. That made BTS the first South Korean act to debut at #1 on both the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 in the same week—with Essien’s pen helping make history.
Chris Brown’s Jamaican Track Record
This ain’t Breezy’s first time linking with Jamaican talent. The man’s been showing up for the culture:
- 2009: “Brown Skin Girl” with Sean Paul (Graffiti album)
- 2023: “Nightmares” with Byron Messia on 11:11 (hit #73 UK, #22 on Billboard R&B)
- Remixed Konshens’ smash “Bruk Off Yuh Back”
- Linked with Elephant Man for “Feel the Steam” (Let’s Get Physical, 2008)
“Chris Brown thinks he is a yard man, you hear how he talks the Jamaican patois like a yawdie,” Blak London laughed. “When you meet him, he’s just so humble, just chilling and vibing with everyone.”
The Blak Friday Vision
Blak London’s doubling down on his Jamaican roots through Blak Friday Management. He signed dancehall rising star Monifa Goss five years back, and now that Essien’s catalog is heating up globally, he’s ready to flip the sound and give Jamaican artists that worldwide polish.
With James Essien collecting placements on everyone from K-pop royalty to R&B legends, and Blak London steering the ship with his island instincts intact, “Hate Me” is proof that Jamaican creativity is shaping global music—even when you don’t see the flag waving.
Brown is out now. Stream “Hate Me” and the Vybz Kartel collab “F#ck N Party” everywhere.