Damion Nelson & Jah Silent’s My Closest Friend: A Tribute to Loss

by Howard Campbell

DENVER, CO – Shared grief between longtime colleagues Damion Nelson and Jah Silent has produced My Closest Friend, a heartfelt tribute inspired by the death of the latter’s mother.

The song, produced by Nelson, who is also known as TheRealTraxx, was released in August by his Breaking Records llc.

“The latest song came about through pain, the artist Jah Silent is a very good friend of mine, we are what you consider ‘fambily’.

He referenced the song while playing his guitar several years ago and after losing my mother, in my grief I would remember the reference of the song playing in my head,” Nelson recalled. “He lost his mom recently and so he asked me to mix a song for him that he made for her funeral. He sent me the acapella he made of the song and it was the same song I remembered years ago…I made it into song, sent it to him and that’s My Closest Friend.”

Nelson, who lives in the United States, has paid his dues as a producer and studio engineer. From Linstead in rural St. Catherine parish, he learned the ropes being around established producers such as Clive Hunt, Computer Paul and Sly Dunbar.

Since launching his studio career, Nelson has engineered or produced songs by Luciano, D’Angel, Shawn Storm, Sanjay, Lymie Murray and Devonte.

In addition to being respected musicians, Hunt, Dunbar and Computer Paul established themselves by producing acclaimed albums and songs by acts like The Abyssinians, Alpha Blondy, Grace Jones,  Dennis Brown and Jimmy Cliff.

Nelson started playing drums in his church choir at three years-old and has built a reputation working with dancehall and roots artists.

While determined to follow in the footsteps of his mentors, he is aware that the music business has evolved and the role of producers is not as influential as the era of Clement “Coxson” Dodd or Lee “Scratch” Perry.

“I believe the respect for producers is gone because anyone can buy a beat online and record their own music; to each his own.

To take it further, the respect for the art of music-making is not there as much as it once was. And that’s the new norm,” said Nelson.