Born Jasmine Taylor, Jaz Elise grew up in Harbour View, a small coastal community in Kingston, Jamaica with her parents and two older sisters. Her first introduction to music was singing in the church choir as a young child. Her father, a gospel musician who plays the organ, piano and guitar and creates compositions for their church choir, laid the foundation for Jaz’s musical aspirations. Even after graduating with a degree in Psychology from The University of the West Indies (Mona), Jaz still had a yearning to pursue the arts. She joined a local performing arts program, Quilt, where she honed her skills as a dancer and singer. At one of the showcases, she caught the attention of the young rising producer J.L.L.. The two promising creatives collaborated on her first two singles, “For You” (2018) and “Fresh and Clean” (2019). Later in 2019, she delivered the title track on the all-female riddim Rock & Groove, produced by Protoje and J Vibe. In 2020, she updated “Fresh & Clean” with a verse from dancehall sensation Govana. With only a handful of songs in her repertoire and an undeniable knack for fusing soul, R&B, reggae and dancehall, the aspiring singer stepped into the spotlight with her debut EP The Golden Hour in 2021.