Da’Ville, born began his professional music career through his father, the producer and artist known as Jah Thomas of the Midnight Rock label. “Growing up around him and those iconic veterans, I got bitten by the bug early,” Da’Ville shared. His real break came as a founding member and lead singer of the R&B-influenced group ARP, formed alongside, Patrick Hylton, Leon Gilbert, Roger Mitchell, and Orand Rose-Green. Inspired by American acts like Boyz II Men and Jodeci, ARP gained attention through local talent shows such as T-Zitane and collaborations with artists like Beenie Man.
But as creative differences set in, Da’Ville found himself writing and recording solo songs while still labeling them as ARP tracks. Eventually, he made the leap on his own with Love Will Show Me the Way followed by the breakout duet All My Life featuring Marcia Griffiths’ grandson, Maestro. The solo career had officially begun.
Despite not signing a major record deal early on, Da’Ville found international success. He inked a deal with AVEX Group, one of Japan’s biggest labels at the time. “I was focused on Japan. I didn’t need the rest of the world unless the offer made sense,” he said. A reluctant deal with VP Records later followed, mainly to release a remix featuring Sean Paul.
After stepping away from the spotlight, Da’Ville made a surprising turn—he joined the U.S. Army. “I always wanted to serve. That desire was there since high school in Jamaica,” he explained. “I have no regrets. It was on my bucket list.” The discipline and structure of the military brought balance to a life once consumed by the unpredictable music industry.
Da’Ville’s latest chapter reflects a deep personal transformation. Now a devout Christian, his return to music is inspired by faith. “God is the author of music,” he declared. “I don’t have to sing a certain kind of song to make an impact. I want to do things from a Kingdom perspective.” His latest single Sunshine Days embodies that mission—uplifting, warm, and rooted in love.
Da’Ville’s upcoming album, Breathe, marks his official comeback. “It’s ready. This is the first single from it. The album drops August 22,” he confirmed refereeing to the track Sunshine Days. As for touring and next steps, Da’Ville simply says, “Whatever the Lord leads.”
Before wrapping up, he left this message for fans worldwide:
“Thank you for believing in me. I’m sorry it took so long, but food tastes better when it’s slow-cooked. This is it.”
Read full WMV interview with Da’Ville below:
I haven’t heard from you in a long time. You were one of my favorite artists—from the ARP days and everything. Let’s take it back to the origins. How did you get into the music industry? I saw that you were starting out at Penthouse, early on.
Yeah, well, my entrance into the industry was through my father, actually. My father is a producer and artist himself. A lot of people know him as Jatamas from the famous Midnight Rock label. Growing up around him, I kinda got bitten by the bug, you know what I mean? I was always surrounded by music and veterans coming around the house.
It wasn’t until he took me to the studio one day and let me professionally lay vocals on two tracks that I really got introduced to music at a professional level. I did two songs under a different name back then. Eventually, I wasn’t really focused on being a solo artist yet. That came later when I became one of the founding members and lead singer of the group ARP. That’s where the deeper introduction started.
Tell me about ARP. We haven’t heard from that group in a long time. How did it form and who were the members?
It was myself, Patrick Ilton, Roger Mitchell (who we called Mitch), Alvin Rose Green, and later we added a fifth member, Collin Gilbert. The group formed because we all used to hang out at this spot, just vibing. We were big on Boyz II Men and Jodeci, and we were basically influenced by the BET and MTV movement that was starting to show up in Jamaica through cable TV.
At that time, we didn’t have easy access to foreign music visuals, but when cable came in, we saw all those American R&B groups and wanted to create our own Jamaican version. We started entering talent shows like T-Zitane, which was a big platform for emerging talent. That’s when we started building a name and recording original music.
And ARP had hits with Beenie Man, but then you went solo. Why did you decide to leave the group?
Honestly, I felt like the group hit a plateau. We weren’t growing creatively the way I hoped, and members started drifting away from the original vision. Meanwhile, I was still writing, recording, and performing—sometimes by myself—but still labeling the work as ARP.
Eventually, I realized I was doing all the work on my own, so I decided to stop putting the group name on it. My first single was Love Will Show Me the Way. Then came All My Life with Maestro. That’s when things started to take off for me as a solo artist.
And then you dropped several hits. But why didn’t you sign a record deal?
At first, signing a record deal wasn’t something I was chasing. I worked with a lot of producers but wasn’t seeing returns from those relationships. I only started seeing results when I began producing and recording myself.
That’s when I landed my first real deal in Japan—with AVEX Group, one of the biggest labels there. I focused on Japan for a while and wasn’t really interested in signing anywhere else unless it was something meaningful.
Eventually, I did sign with VP Records, but not because I really wanted to. They kind of cornered me into it after I did a remix with Sean Paul. Since Sean Paul was signed to them, they didn’t want me to release the track unless I came to some agreement with them. So we worked it out for the sake of that project.
Then you made another pivot—you went into the U.S. Army. That’s a huge shift from the music industry to military life. What was that like?
I’ve always wanted to serve, to be honest. Right after high school in Jamaica, I reached out to the JDF—the Jamaica Defence Force. They actually responded, but the timing didn’t work out. They asked me to report immediately, and I couldn’t meet the requirements on such short notice. So I put that on the back burner and started focusing on music.
Years later, after my less-than-ideal experience with VP Records and a rough patch with my manager at the time, I still had that urge to serve. So when I got to America, I said, “You know what? Let me do it.” I joined the U.S. Army and served honorably. No regrets. It was something on my bucket list, and I checked it off.
And now you’re back! You’ve returned with a beautiful, spiritual song—Sunshine Days. Your conversion to Christianity is evident in your music now. You weren’t a hardcore dancehall artist before, but now there’s a new energy you’re bringing that the industry needs.
All glory and honor belong to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I say that with all sincerity. When I started singing, I didn’t just do it because I wanted to. I believe it was a gift from God. And I felt a need to honor that gift.
The best way to do that is through a Kingdom perspective. God is the author of everything—including music. I don’t have to sing a certain type of song to make an impact. God is love. He’s present in the everyday situations we all go through. I want to represent that in my music, and Sunshine Days is an expression of that—a pure and relatable song that still uplifts.
Are you dropping an album?
Definitely. The album is ready. Sunshine Days is the first release from it. The album is called Breathe and it drops August 22.
Are you planning to go on tour?
Whatever the Lord wills, I’m ready. My team and I have definitely discussed it. That’s a part of the plan. Touring and connecting with the fans again is important to this movement.
Anything you want to say to your fans around the world?
Yeah, man. To the fans who’ve supported me all these years—thank you. I’ve been waiting a long time to deliver something of this magnitude. I’m sorry it took so long, but as I always say: food tastes better when it’s slowly cooked. I didn’t want to rush something that wouldn’t be seasoned properly. This project feels right. I hope you enjoy it. Blessings every time.
