East Coast Zess Blends Trinidad, New York and Jersey
East Coast zess is receiving fresh U.S. music-media attention. In an October 22 review, Pitchfork’s Alphonse Pierre highlighted Queens producer Jay Morrg and his self-released “Grab Her Nuh (Zess),” placing a Trinidad-rooted sound within an emerging New York–New Jersey scene.
That recognition offers an opening to discuss who gets credited when Caribbean music travels. For Caribbean audiences, the question is how a sound’s origins remain visible as new producers reshape it for different dance floors.
Trinidad provides the essential starting point. In a January 2024 profile of Yung Bredda, Caribbean music publication Sokah2Soca described his early zess soca as a blend incorporating dancehall, hip-hop and trap influences. The publication also connected the term to an attitude of confidence, style and self-expression. That account shows why zess deserves cultural context alongside any explanation of its beats.
Yung Bredda’s “Ambiance” is one entry point into that Trinidadian background. Sokah2Soca highlighted the 2023 release while documenting his rise through social media and energetic performances. It is useful listening for readers exploring the musical world that precedes the current American spotlight.
Lady Lava offers another perspective. Trinidad Express covered “Ring Finger” as a zess-driven women’s anthem in 2024. In her October 2025 appearance on the Corie Sheppard Podcast, discussion of the song’s personal origins sat alongside conversation about the zess bounce, repetition and songwriting. The connection between rhythm, personality and a memorable message matters as much as a genre label.
In Pierre’s account, the East Coast variation brings soca and dancehall into contact with litefeet and Jersey club. The combination makes regional exchange the story: Caribbean references become material for another local club vocabulary.
Our reading of that exchange is that diaspora music should be understood as an active creative space. A remix can preserve a familiar hook while changing the rhythmic setting around it. Hearing those changes invites listeners to follow both the newer production and the Caribbean music that helped make it possible.
A useful listening route begins with Yung Bredda’s “Ambiance” and Lady Lava’s “Ring Finger,” then moves to Jay Morrg’s “Grab Her Nuh (Zess).” Add MvnnyMusik’s “Punjabi (Zess),” available on the producer’s SoundCloud page, for another example of music circulating under the zess label. These selections are starting points for comparison, rather than a definitive ranking or a claim that every track belongs to an identical subgenre.
A fuller history will require the voices of the producers and dancers building the movement. Which parties helped the sound take shape? Which remixes connected first? How do its makers describe their relationship to Trinidadian zess? Those are the questions that deserve attention as the scene reaches a wider audience.
For Caribbean music coverage, the opportunity is to keep Trinidad in the frame while listening closely to what Queens and New Jersey contribute. International recognition can draw new ears; careful credit and deeper reporting can give those listeners a richer understanding of what they are hearing.
Sources and listening:
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