Nesbeth

Kingston-born, Jamaican reggae artist Nesbeth connects to hi… Read Full Bio ↴Nesbeth

Kingston-born, Jamaican reggae artist Nesbeth connects to his audiences through joyful, socially-conscious music that tells authentic tales about his life’s most inspiring moments and his community’s past, present and future. His energetic live shows brighten stages worldwide, and he turns each performance into an intimate platform to share his viewpoints and experiences and to spread his free-spirited optimism. Each of his songs illuminates the animated, emotional layers of his resonant voice along with his ability to create striking melodies and improvise on unusual international rhythms. His solo work, various collaborations with other talented artists and on-going philanthropy illustrate his own perseverance, express his passionate political ideologies and reflect the colorful work and narratives of the artists and groups that continue to move him, including Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, K’naan and others.

Nesbeth grew up in the urban Arnett Gardens neighborhood of West Kingston on the island of Jamaica, referred to as “The Concrete Jungle” because of high crime rates and widespread economic hardship. Throughout his childhood, music was the sun in his life, and his curiosity about using it to communicate and to offer comfort to himself and others grew as he began to experiment with recording and discover his own voice.

Nesbeth recorded his first single, “Reflection of Love” in 1993 with singer Camera and since then has gathered an impressive list of accomplishments, both on his own and alongside other talented artists on stage and in the studio. His music has been released by labels such as Jack Scorpio, King Jammy’s, Down Sound Records and Shocking Vibes Production, a company that produced Nesbeth’s beloved single “So Let It Be” in 2002. In early 2007, he was introduced to renowned music producer Flava McGregor, with whom he has recorded over 10 well-received songs offering hope to people vulnerable to a culture of violence and uncertainty, such as “Board House,” Weight of the World” and “A Nuh So Mi Waan Live.” During the past two decades, Nesbeth has been a force at international festivals such as Reggae Sumfest, Bob Marley Birthday Bash, STING, Rebel Salute, Irie Jamborie in New York City, Summerfest in Washington, D.C., New Jersey Reggae Fest and has played shows at venues in Ottawa, Canada, Antigua, Saint Kitts, Anguilla, Grenada and cities throughout the United Kingdom. In February 2010, he hosted “A Nuh Suh Mi Waan Live,” a love and unity concert in the Arnett Gardens community where he and other artists performed. The event brought together thousands of residents that had been isolated in their communities for years by violence.

Nesbeth still strives to be the voice of his nation by creating music that tells a powerful story and supports his philosophies and by lending his support to a variety of charitable events. He won a 2013 Manchester Award along with an honorary award at the 2013 Music Industry Achievers Awards and completed a successful debut tour of the United Kingdom in September. Nesbeth’s latest single, “Taking Over,” produced by Aza Yaad Muzic has been a hit on Jamaican radio. He is currently in the studio working on his next single and planning shows around the globe for 2014.

Taste Victory
Nesbeth Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Come join the celebration
What a celebration
Dem seh the hotter the battle
The sweeter the victory
I'm close to the end of my broke days
Now I can taste victory
Been through the worst of my worst days
Now I can taste victory

Many bad Christmas, whole heap a bad birthdays
Now I can taste victory
Mi stay focus, mi never did go both ways
Now I can taste victory
Mi know how hungry feel and what poverty taste like
From the day mi born mi dreaming of a great life
Hustle nine to five and still a hustle late night
Sometime a just little Sunday, Monday save life
Still mi give thanks to the Man weh create life
Through the hardship learn fi appreciate life
Mama used to tell mi son "Don't waste life"
That's why mi work hard to survive
And now I'm close to the end of my broke days
Now I can taste victory
Been through the worst of my worst days
Now I can taste victory
Many bad Christmas, whole heap a bad birthdays
Now I can taste victory
Mi stay focus, mi never did go both ways
Now I can taste victory
There is hard days that always comes around
And bring yuh pain
And when you think that it is gone
It always comes again
Then cloudy days when I wonder if the sun will ever came
'Cause all there seems to be inna mi life a just rain
Somehow Jah show me a better way
Yuh mek it through the night
Then there'll be a brighter day
And now everything starts working
I'm getting there, I'm certain
I'm close to the end of my broke days
Now I can taste victory
Been through the worst of my worst days
Now I can taste victory
Many bad Christmas, whole heap a bad birthdays
Now I can taste victory
Mi stay focus, mi never did go both ways
Now I can taste victory
Mi thank mi fans fi the motivation
Mi name never call dung a station
Just like a lion, man whole it firm
Yeah and stay strong
Every morning I rise a chant a psalms
With mi sexy princess inna mi arm

Hippy hooray to the Most High I pray
Every minute every second of the day, yeah-eh-eh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Nesbeth's song "Taste Victory" convey a message of hope and determination in the face of adversity. The artist is urging listeners to come join in the celebration, as he can now taste victory after going through the worst of his worst days. He acknowledges the hardship of his previous life, where he experienced many bad Christmases and a heap of bad birthdays, knowing how hunger and poverty taste like. Despite this, Nesbeth stayed focused and did not go both ways, remaining committed to his dreams even when things were tough.

The artist credits his mother with instilling in him a sense of hard work and appreciation for life. He worked hard nine to five, and sometimes even hustled late at night, just to make ends meet. He thanks the Most High for showing him a better way and for brighter days that came after the night. Nesbeth acknowledges his fans for being a source of motivation, a pillar of strength for him. The song's message underscores the importance of perseverance and faith in the face of trials and difficulties. It is a clear statement of victory over hardship.

Line by Line Meaning

Come join the celebration
Inviting others to join in the celebration of his success

What a celebration
Expressing excitement about the celebration

Dem seh the hotter the battle The sweeter the victory
The more difficult the challenge, the greater the satisfaction of triumphing over it

I'm close to the end of my broke days Now I can taste victory
After experiencing a period of financial hardship, he is now close to achieving success and can feel it

Been through the worst of my worst days Now I can taste victory
Having endured the most difficult times of his life, he can now taste success

Many bad Christmas, whole heap a bad birthdays Now I can taste victory
Reflecting on years of difficult holiday celebrations and birthdays, but now feeling victorious

Mi stay focus, mi never did go both ways Now I can taste victory
Determined to stay focused and committed to success which has led to tasting it

Mi know how hungry feel and what poverty taste like From the day mi born mi dreaming of a great life
Having experienced both hunger and poverty, he has been dreaming since birth of a better life

Hustle nine to five and still a hustle late night Sometime a just little Sunday, Monday save life
Working both a regular job and a side hustle to make ends meet

Still mi give thanks to the Man weh create life Through the hardship learn fi appreciate life Mama used to tell mi son "Don't waste life" That's why mi work hard to survive
Expressing gratitude for life and having learned the value of hard work through hardship, instilled by his mother

There is hard days that always comes around And bring yuh pain And when you think that it is gone It always comes again
Acknowledging that difficult times are inevitable and can come and go repeatedly

Then cloudy days when I wonder if the sun will ever come 'Cause all there seems to be inna mi life a just rain
Reflecting on days when everything seems bleak and feeling hopeless

Somehow Jah show me a better way Yuh mek it through the night Then there'll be a brighter day And now everything starts working I'm getting there, I'm certain
Having faith that better days will come after getting through tough times and things are finally starting to improve

Mi thank mi fans fi the motivation Mi name never call dung a station
Showing gratitude towards his fans for their support and not having his name dragged through the mud by gossip stations

Just like a lion, man whole it firm Yeah and stay strong Every morning I rise a chant a psalms With mi sexy princess inna mi arm Hippy hooray to the Most High I pray Every minute every second of the day, yeah-eh-eh
Staying strong and confident like a lion, starting his day with prayer and a positive attitude, and feeling blessed to have his loved ones by his side

Contributed by Christian K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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