Instagram story viewer> @jbgeejam> Posts

Jon Baker OD

@jbgeejam

24.9K

followers

4164

following

Geejam Studios I Geejam Hotel
Gee Street Records I Punk I Hip Hop
Jamaica I New York l UK #blacklivesmatter

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Jon Baker, founder of Gee Street Records and former president of Island Jamaica, recalls how a teenage producer’s unlikely record collection, a Spandau Ballet sample and a new approach to songwriting helped change the music industry.

In 1989, when Jon Baker first met Prince Be of PM Dawn, the young musician was about 16, living in a modest house in Jersey City and making music with two cassette decks.

What caught Baker’s attention was not simply the music. It was the records.

“Most of the young black kids were influenced by their parents’ vinyl collections,” Baker recalls. “They were generally in the mode of classic soul, R&B and so forth.”

Prince Be’s collection was different. His uncle Tim worked in waste disposal, collecting records that households had discarded as compact discs replaced vinyl during the 1980s.

More on WMV! Link in bio. by @jbgeejam

269

17

5 days ago

I’ve been in Jamaica since September, after a summer between New York and Europe. Back in the saddle at Geejam, with big plans for 2027.

The real magic of Portland is its people. The Rio Grande raft captains are no exception.

We want to encourage a new generation of captains, and Geejam Hotel is working with @tpdcoja and the raft captains to improve their working conditions and rafting packages.

It’s good to be home.

1Love 🇯🇲

🎥 @iamtonyfisher taken in Portland, Jamaica by @jbgeejam

1k

136

7 days ago

A new chapter begins in Portland, Jamaica.

Geejam is proud to be the official home of Candor Sessions - a place where artists can create freely, reconnect with nature, and find inspiration from the studio to the sea.

Great music. Island energy. An experience that stays with you long after you leave.

Welcome to Candor Sessions at Geejam.

#CandorSessions #Geejam #Portland #geejamhotel taken in GeeJam Hotel and Studio, Port Antonio, Jamaica by @jbgeejam

3

91

2 months ago

Quick weekend in Berlin with Nordia—very different from the walled-in West Berlin I knew in the early ’80s, when Bowie, Iggy and the legendary Dschungel club helped make it the centre of underground art, music and fashion.

Back then, I connected with Malaria! and Hong Kong Syndikat, brought them to Danceteria in New York and later produced Berlin Nights, featuring Claudia Skoda and others from that extraordinary scene.

This weekend was about old friendships and new connections: Marc Brandenburg’s exhibition, reconnecting with Fetish, Goda and Plez—and linking with the Jugglerz producers, whom we’re super excited to host at Geejam Studios in the New Year.

As JFK famously said: “Ich bin ein Berliner.” 🇩🇪

I have a special connection with this city. I’ll be back sooner next time. ❤️ taken in Brandenburg Gate Berlin by @jbgeejam

777

27

2 months ago

35 Years yet Timeless. ✨
Today we celebrate the 35th anniversary of Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience—the groundbreaking debut album that introduced the world to a sound that refused to fit into a single genre. It blended hip-hop, soul, dream pop, philosophy, and emotion in a way that still resonates today. With the release of their debut chart-topping album, P.M. Dawn helped redefine the possibilities of hip-hop and expanded its place in mainstream popular music.
The album gave us "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss," which made history as the first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 following the introduction of Nielsen SoundScan, forever changing how chart success was measured. It also became the first No. 1 hit by a Black rap group on the Billboard Hot 100, helping usher hip-hop into the mainstream while proving the genre could be thoughtful, melodic, and universally embraced.
Thirty-five years later, these songs continue to find new listeners while remaining deeply meaningful to those who were there from the beginning. The album's fearless creativity has inspired countless artists, producers, and songwriters, and its influence can still be heard across today's music.
Thank you to every fan who has listened, shared, sang along, sampled, and kept this music alive across generations. Your love has made this legacy endure.
Happy 35th Anniversary to a truly groundbreaking album. ❤️ #OfTheHeartOfTheSoulAndOfTheCross #35Years #MusicLegacy by @jbgeejam

253

49

2 months ago

Over twenty years ago, I fell in love with a small corner of Jamaica that felt unlike anywhere else on the island.

Portland and Port Antonio have a lush, tropical beauty that reminds me far more of Costa Rica than the Jamaica most people imagine. Dense rainforest, crystal-clear rivers, hidden waterfalls, the Caribbean Sea, and an authenticity that’s becoming increasingly rare.

That’s why we made this film. Not simply to showcase Geejam, but to celebrate this extraordinary destination and the landscape that makes it so unique. Geejam just happens to be our home within it.

This is the Jamaica I’ve been fortunate enough to experience for over two decades. I hope one day you’ll experience it too.

We Are Geejam 2026.

Come find us. 🌴 @GeejamHotel @GeejamStudios

Film by @iamtonyfisher
Music by @mvnsion

#Geejam #WeAreGeejam #PortAntonio #PortlandJamaica #VisitJamaica taken in Port Antonio, Jamaica by @jbgeejam

6k

164

3 months ago

This weekend, I was delighted to host Stephen ‘ @digenius1 ‘ McGregor and the incredibly talented Hope @hope_vocals_ at @geejamstudios , where they recorded their official versions of Hill and Gully Riddim.

Mento is such an underrated genre, its rich history and deep roots form the very foundation of Jamaican music culture as we know it today.

This summer marks the 15th anniversary of the Jolly Boys’ Great Expectations, which we’ll be celebrating more later this month.

Stephen’s incredible rhythm and musicality only reinforced that. Wishing Hope, who comes from the Moore Town community here in our own parish of Portland, every success in the journey that lies ahead.

🎥 @jay_boulevard @the_hungrybaddie
🎶 Hill & Gully @digenius1
📍 @geejamstudios @geejamhotel Port Antonio Jamaica taken in GeeJam Hotel and Studio, Port Antonio, Jamaica by @jbgeejam

4k

164

5 months ago

We’ve just launched a beautiful new film of Cocosan Villa, shot by @the_truth876 (Gareth Cobain) , along with a special summer villa offer... something we’ve never done before.

For the first time, @geejamhotel are offering an all-inclusive private villa stay with food, beverages, curated excursions, and transportation all included. Details in my bio.

Looking through my archive recently, I found these images of Cocosan Villa from when I first bought the property - a reminder of just how much has changed, and it felt like the right moment to share a little of the story behind it.

Cocosan was one of Jamaica’s first true contemporary Caribbean villas, designed by my good friend and collaborator Vidal Dowding of @Ateliervidal). At the time, I wasn’t seeing much local architecture that moved beyond expected colonial references. We wanted to create something modern, warm, and deeply rooted in Jamaica.

The original building had suffered fire damage, and over time, rooms and additions had been built without a clear vision. So we stripped it back and started again.

Watch this reel through to the end to see the before images and the transformation.

This was one of the first projects I took on without a main contractor, working instead with talented local artisans from Port Antonio: plumbers, electricians, masons, and craftsmen.

In hindsight, maybe a little naïve… but sometimes that’s exactly what helps you realise a vision without fear.

We completed the project in just 14 months, and truthfully, I did little else that year besides focus on bringing it to life.

Coming from a music background, the process felt familiar - assembling the right creative team, each person bringing their craft to a shared vision.

10 years on, Cocosan has welcomed an incredible mix of guests, including Harry Styles, Keith Richards, Daniel Craig during the Bond filming period in Port Antonio, Drake, and many others discovering this special corner of Jamaica.

Still evolving. Still inspiring. taken in Cocosan Villa by @jbgeejam

2k

40

6 months ago

Pleased to welcome Sovereign & Helen to the Port Antonio vibes (Madda & Dawta) 🌿

I first met Sovereign when she was working at Big Tings in Chelsea Market with my good friend and executive chef Sean John, so it’s full circle to now have her here with us.

Sovereign expanding her yoga experiences for Geejam guests, and Helen bringing serious culinary energy as a guest chef on my Cookshop project.

They’ve both been instrumental in getting the hydroponic farm up and running at Cocosan Villa .Everything you’re seeing here is coming straight from the FARM.

Quietly building something special… coming soon across Geejam and our villa experiences.

1L
Jon x

🎥 @iamtonyfisher taken in Cocosan Villa by @jbgeejam

7k

149

6 months ago

Had to repost this…

This is Ska Cabin, something I built back in the 90s, before Geejam became what it is today. Back then I was based in New York on the frontline of the record business and this was my personal escape… a place to reset and breathe.

Friends would come, we’d run out of room at Sanwood villa , and that’s how it started, a few simple eco cabins, very raw in those days, but built with purpose. Ska always had a special feeling.

It still does.

Perched just above Drapers village , you’ll hear the distant bass from local sound systems blending with the jungle at night. You could be anywhere… but then you realise you’re in Jamaica.

That’s the magic.

Big up @the_truth876 , Tanesha & Daisy for bringing this back to life.

#Geejam #PortAntonio #Jamaica #EcoCabins #CaribbeanVibes 1Love taken in GeeJam Hotel and Studio, Port Antonio, Jamaica by @jbgeejam

7k

46

7 months ago

He spent his life standing for righteousness and civil rights, never wavering, never silent.

In times like these, that kind of leadership feels rare.

Rest in Power, Reverend Jesse Jackson. ❤️❤️🙏🏽 by @jbgeejam

103

3

8 months ago

Thank you to The Times @timestravel and to Chioma Nnadi @chiomannadi, Editor of @britishvogue for the lovely mention.

In October, we were honoured to receive a prestigious Michelin Key, one of only five hotels outside North America and Europe to do so.

Shortly after, Hurricane Melissa threw the country into turmoil.

I’m grateful to say that everything is now back on track, and we’re enjoying a healthy season once again.

Blessings ✨ taken in Port Antonio, Jamaica by @jbgeejam

442

39

9 months ago