I had this dream that I would have a place that offers up nice Caribbean fusion in an entertainment complex where we could have R&B, reggae and jazz artists.” With her business partners, Blake-Sutherland created the concept for Rozz in 2008, but it didn’t materialize until this past summer, when the doors finally swung open.

Queen Ifrica’s 2009 album, Montego Bay, straddles the line between preaching and partying more comfortably than most. There’s no mistaking the vibe of the thick-as-tar, bass-heavy “Coconut Shell;” later, on “Keep It To Yourself,” the intensity moves to the anti-gangsta lyrics just as the music grows breezy and light. Part of Ifrica’s versatility comes from the way she effortlessly switches up her style. She’s one of the few female singjays (singer and deejay), alternating between fiery, raspy toasting on “Yad To The East” and the seductive ballad “In My Dreams,” which you can practically hear blasting over the deck of one of the innumerable cruise ships docked in Montego Bay’s harbour.

I have always strived to succeed, because I know that the odds are against me. This nomination shows that hard work, motivation, drive and ambition yield success. It is because of all those factors that I have been able to get to where I am today.