The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

CANAAN Cunningham worked multiple jobs to make ends meet when he moved to Miami, doing sound engineering for artists, songwriting, and part-time work at TJ Maxx.

Now, the 22-year-old is celebrating his first music record deal with a label owned by Grammy award-nominated producers who helped produce Beyonce and Jay Z’s 2018 joint album, “Everything is Love.”

Mr Cunningham, whose stage name is Cannan For Yah, told The Tribune he moved to Miami in 2022 to further his music career. Born in the United States to Bahamians, he spent most of his life here.

He signed a record deal with Epidemic Records last month. The label’s owners, Cool and Dre, have worked with Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, Queen Latifah, and others.

“It would be times that I would be discouraged just because of trying to get a stronger support system from home,” he said yesterday, adding that Bahamians accept foreigners more than locals. “But it was never a day that I lost faith that this would happen. I always was 100 per cent confident and had faith in God that this day would come. It would get discouraging at times, but I never thought to say quit music.”

“A majority, like the whole Bahamas, it’s a lot of people who would see the good work you are doing but wouldn’t support it right away until they see someone else supporting it or see at a certain level.”

He has been managed by Miami-based Royalty and Respect Management since 2021. He said his management team helped him encounter the music industry elites and display his talents, helping him get a record deal.

“My goal is also to build up a record label once I have a certain leverage and have a whole section where it’s just Bahamian artists,” he said. “It’s a lot of other Bahamian artists who have the same talent as me or who are just as talented.”

He said he’s working on releasing new music this year and will be doing music videos and shows.

He described his music as melodic, a fusion of R&B, island and old-school sounds. Michael Jackson, Drake, and Chris Brown are some of his inspirations.