Jahson Paynter

Jahson Isaiah Paynter was born in Scarborough, Ontario, and raised in Mississauga, shaped by his Jamaican and South African roots. With music all around him — a mom who dreamed of songwriting, a reggae musician dad — he started writing poetry and raps at just ten, pulling from reggae, R&B, and hip hop. A transformative trip to L.A. in 2022 led him into writing rooms for other artists while he crafted his own sound. That work arrived in full with his debut EP Is Anybody Home?!, out now — six songs bridging alternative, R&B, hip hop, and folk into a genre-defying voice. He's spent 2026 taking it on the road, wrapping his second leg opening for Elmiene.