Behind the Scenes: Aicon's reminiscing days from Princeville Plaza to global fame, turning points, on Stage with Aidonia, ad-libs, tours, and his own musical path
Aidonia and Aicon, a strong bond of over 20 years
In the vibrant world of dancehall, few names resonate as powerfully as Aidonia. His dynamic performances and chart-topping hits have solidified his status as a dancehall giant. However, behind his success is his friend and music producer, Christopher "Aicon" Levy, who played an instrumental role in shaping the artist's sound and success.
"Aidonia used to play for a basketball team called Braves and also for Duhaney Park Football Club. After picking up a bad injury, he had to choose between music and sports, and he chose music," he reveals, marking the official start of Aidonia's music career.
Aicon withAidonia & Buck D, a longtime friendship
"Donia and I became friends on the streets at Princeville Plaza on Constant Spring Road in 2002-03, just two youths fresh out of high school," Aicon recalls. "I was waiting to see Mr. G, and while I was waiting, I heard Aidonia deejaying and holding his own little vibe with him and Buck D. I wondered to myself, 'Who is this? Who is this youth? And how is he so bad?' By the time Donia finished deejaying, none of us even remembered we were there to see Mr. G", Levy shared with Kaboom Magazine.
Reminiscing about the old days, he says, "I’m from Maverley, Buck D is from Morgan Lane, and Donia is from Red Hills Road. We connected at Donia’s place in the mornings and linked up with Makonnen Blake-Hanna, now Sizzla Kolonji’s engineer and producer. Macky built futuristic riddims daily, and we spent our time deejaying and making songs. We hit the streets searching for studios with hot riddims and talent concerts. When Donia started deejaying, it was pure excitement—gunshots, fences kicked down, and tree limbs shaking. Princeville became our home base, and from there, the rest is history."
Since then, Aidonia has become a dancehall powerhouse, and Aicon has accompanied the celebrated 43-year-old deejay for more than 20 years. As a friend, a member of the 4th Genna camp, and even assisting him on stage with ad-libs during performances, Aicon has been an integral part of Aidonia's journey.
Over years of friendship, there have been many key moments. Aicon resonated, "There’s so much, but a significant turning point was when we ended up in GANG BANG and I came up with the '21 SHOOTA' mixtape idea. Collaborating with Stephen Di Genius and when Aidonia wrote 'FROM DEM DIS' featuring Bounty Killer were also huge turning points in his career."
Aicon revealed how he works on stage. "I have to match the artist's key, control my breath, know when to ad-lib, and keep my energy up. Staying accurate on stage and maintaining my image is crucial. I know all of Aidonia's songs, so that part is easy. Traveling to different countries, meeting new people, and experiencing diverse cultures with my bro is an amazing feeling."
With years of experience as a music producer, working with many dancehall artists including I-Octane, Konshens, Charly Black, and African dancehall giant Stonebwoy ("one of my top 3 selling songs"), as well as D'Yani, Shane O, and Vershon, Aicon shared, "Aidonia is always encouraging everyone around him to do well in life. I already loved music, so I told him I wanted to go into production. He said, 'Why not, do it Aicon!' That's when I started my own label, Aicon Records."
"I've worked with Nessa Preppy, Nutty O, Afaz Natural, Fyahbwoy, Roberto, and many more. I produced Track 12 ('Perfect Touch') on Skinny Fabulous' debut album 'B.A.D,' which included the hit 'Come Home' by Skinny Fabulous and Nailah Blackman. That album topped iTunes and Apple Music charts, surpassing Bob Marley, and earned multiple nominations at the Caribbean Music Awards and Grammy consideration. I've also achieved over six number-one hits on iTunes and Apple Music charts with artists like I-Octane, Konshens, Lincoln 3Dot, and Skinny Fabulous," Aicon shared. He mentions being inspired by artists such as Bob Marley, Bounty Killer, Alkaline, Biggie, Chris Brown, and Rihanna as well.
While he continues to support his close friend of over two decades, Aicon recently flew with Aidonia to a concert in Guyana. With Sumfest around the corner, he promises, "I can't talk much about it, but Sumfest is going to experience a performance that they've never seen before from Aidonia."
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