With journalism being one of her majors in college, and the other international relations, it was no surprise when Tosh Alexander-Simmonds revealed what she had been up to outside of music these past two years.
“I have always known that I wanted to do more than what I have been doing, and in the middle of what seemed to be a blurry time for me, I was forced to sit with myself and just reflect on the reasons I am pursuing the things I am pursuing and from what place,” she told The Gleaner.
It was the combination of uncertainty due to the pandemic and also emotional unrest taking place during an unprecedented political period that pushed the popular singer and songwriter into the direction she went next. Music has proved fertile ground for self-expression and raising awareness for many artistes like herself, but with the studio doors being closed shut, Tosh Alexander had to find another way to hit those high notes and make a statement.
She shared, “I couldn’t get into studio due to the lockdowns. It was around the same time the world became witness to some of the heartbreaking injustices faced by our black people. Ahmaud Arbery was just killed, and shortly after, it was George Floyd and Breonna Taylor … and we started to see more Black Lives Matter movement. I also feel Trayvon Martin was a trigger for me. I felt compelled to lend my voice and support to the cause.”
REINVIGORATED AND INSPIRED
The reggae-dancehall sweetheart shared that somewhere in between putting on her clothes and shoes to join the droves of persons marching for their rights and actually shouting the phrase ‘No Justice, No Peace’, she became reinvigorated and inspired to create through the chaos – but it was not music.
Fashion has long facilitated a cultural platform for the expression for broader and profound conversations, and it has always been one of her interests, she said, “but had never really paid attention to how much impact I could possibly have in that area”.
So she put her fashion skills to use, and instinctively, she would also include some of her Jamaican culture into the mix. The Ready Fi Dem artiste designed the Black Nuh [expletive] (BNBC) Lifestyle brand. For the first official collection, she collaborated with local artist Nurse, whose signature lettering has been popular on party and sound system billboards for more than three decades. The limited edition has been available on the www.bnbclifestyle.com website since its relaunch on January 6, and people are becoming more receptive even throughout February – Black History Month and Reggae Month.
Named after a revolutionary – Peter Tosh – has always weighed on her mind. Now was the moment for her to pay homage to that she said. “I had been really thinking about this and how my mother gave me this name. I have also earned the nickname ‘trouble’ and oftentimes find myself using the word ‘[expletive]. It is a dynamic word that to me, means proud and disruptive, and that’s how I even decided to incorporate it. I want people to feel proud of their blackness and to inspire empowerment, whoever it is wearing the shirt should feel empowered,” she explained.
She further explained the need for her own empowerment as a black woman manoeuvringthe expectations of society and also the need to give and reveal a few more layers of herself, the rebellious layer included.
“Maybe now is the time to delve into Tosh because a lot of times, maybe based on my aesthetic or the songs I sing, a lot of people don’t expect certain reactions from me, but there is a lot more to the person I am. I was once afraid to be vulnerable because I am sensitive, and it can be difficult inviting people to the beautiful side, the hurt side and also knowing what criticisms would come with showing the rebellious side. Black culture is very layered and complex … it, too, is an experience and BNBC is like that,” she said.
Tosh Alexander has roots in Jamaica and the US and says that “there is nothing like the American experience”.
“It was so tense here [in the US], just going into public spaces and wondering who was actually there that didn’t like black people. The thing is people have been vocal for years, and I will repeat what Compton Russell said to me, ‘We have a long way to go, but we have come a long way’. It fortified something in me to reclaim who I am and just being in my skin. So how do you want people to remember you? I know I am living each day intentionally but attributing to the upliftment of black people. This was the beginning for me, but I am constantly thinking how I can create opportunities and leave an indelible mark on our culture,” Tosh Alexander continued.
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