Protoje grew up in Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica. With singer Lorna Bennett as his mother and former calypso king Mike Ollivierre as his father, it’s no surprise that Protoje showed an aptitude for music at an early age. Fusing elements of hip hop, jazz and soul with the reggae and dancehall sounds of his native country, Protoje and a host of collaborating musicians blew up thanks to songs with addictive melodies and socially conscious lyrics. After releasing “Who Knows” featuring Chronixx in 2014, Protoje had a breakthrough and saw coverage in publications like Vogue, The Fader and Rolling Stone. Less than a decade later, his song “Switch It Up” featuring Koffee earned placement on President Obama’s 2001 Summer Playlist.
Protoje
Fri, 8pm, $58
Guild Theatre, Menlo Park
