Lady Lava has been running hot and setting stages on fire over the past year.
While her signature hit single Ring Finger has been credited for helping to put her on the map, she is not an overnight success.
The Trinidadian lyricist, 31, whose real name is Keisha Harris, made that point as she shared details about upbringing and involvement in church.
“I have a Christian background. The reverend used to write poems and I used to be with the reverend. And that is where I learned the art of poetry, even before I started off with music. That was the first thing I did,” she said.
While in church, she also developed a love for music.
“I sang in church and did choral speaking. I always loved riddims, so I used to be chanting, beating desks at school,” she said.
Lady Lava, also a mother of one, was speaking to the Weekend Buzz after performing at I Am Woman at Kensington Oval on Mother’s Day.
Music is now a mainstay for the Cunupia-born dancehall/zess/steam lyricist but it took her some time to get to this point.
From a young age, the Carapichaima Senior Comprehensive graduate was a full-fledged entrepreneur and often sold items such as bottled water, ice cream, clothing, slippers, toys and containers to make a living.
After school, she wrote songs with schoolmates under the moniker Queen Freak.
Although she grew up in the church, she was also taking notes from Jamaican artistes such as Lady Saw, Patra and Lady G.
She admitted that a lot of her lyrical content is provocative, but she said they reflected her personality and was inspired by real-life experiences.
“I’m outspoken and not afraid to say what it is that on my mind. That was always me.
“I listened to Lady Saw, Patra and Lady G, so you would realise that little rawness comes from there. But a lot of my experiences impact the things I sing about,” she said.
She started working on music in 2008 but it was her releases Tail Lights and Secrets in 2017 that helped build momentum in Trinidad.
She has other songs such as Bare Bounce, Bob The Builder, You Have Ah Gyal and Charlie.
Pepper Vine, which was a 2025 collaboration with Machel Montano and Drupatee Ramgoonai, won the Chutney Soca Monarch.
However, Ring Finger is still her most popular.
“Ring Finger brought my light to the rest of the world. But in my country, I was already known for my performing style,” she said.
It was produced by Aaron Duncan and released in 2024. Since then, it has captivated many, including hip hop artiste and TV personality Cardi B.
She was surprised by its massive success.
“You never know which song is ‘the song’, but you put out music and try to be consistent. Thankfully, everybody gravitated towards that because that is probably what the women wanted to hear at that point,” she added.
She was honoured by Cardi B’s support.
“I felt good knowing that people who also make music and are well respected liked the song and could have related to it. It makes you feel like your career is going somewhere, you doing something.”
Lava acknowledged that her success and platform have allowed her to have some influence.
But she said she does not have everything figured out and would not describe herself as a “role model”.
“If I am able to give you advice on something, I would give yuh. If I’m able to motivate yuh, I will, but I am not a perfect individual.
“I have made mistakes before. So, I would not say I am pristine and want to be a role model for everybody. But people can take things from what I am doing. Cut from the cloth – take what you want and leave what you don’t want,” she said.
