Born in 1986 in Montreal, Quebec of Jamaican and Black American heritage, Jonathan Emile is a McGill University graduate and has consistently used his music and platform for advocacy and expression, touching on incredibly thoughtful topics in his art.

Having been diagnosed with cancer at the age of 18, Emile resorted to using music as an outlet, birthing his passion for the craft. He released his debut EP in 2011 titled The Lover/Fighter Document, which received Grammy considerations. Beyond music, Emilie has broken through in the film industry, he is featured in several movies such as Dreamland (2020), On the Basis of Sex (2019) and Jack Ryan (2019).

Emile’s music catalog is incredibly unique and reflective of him as a person, detailing a wide range of experiences and influences. His most recent project Car on oublie, released June 6th, 2025, is predominantly written in French and contains clear reggae influences, creating a blend of his Quebecois identity with his Jamaican background. This Jamaican influence is more than just sonically and can be found in the content of his lyrics as well as his choice of features, working with reggae icon Maxi Priest, Jesse Royal and Etana.

Much of Emile’s art depicts his experience and the experiences of many of Canada’s Black first and second-generation immigrants from Jamaica, the Caribbean, and beyond, detailing the connection he still shares to the island on his song “Savanna” from his fourth album Spaces-in-Between.

Emile is committed to advocating for social change and equity, locally in Montreal and Canada as well as abroad in the United States, Caribbean and Africa, using his music to call out injustices in the Black community. Notably, a song which would earn Emile a great deal of exposure was his 2009 release titled “Heaven Help Dem” as a reaction to the killing of Freddy Villanueva at the hands of police. Six years following the release of the original, he would release a remix which featured 21-time Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar, however this release triggered legal battles between the musicians with the courts later siding with Emile.

On his website, Emile lists his main musical influences as Bob Marley, John Lennon, Nina Simone, and Mos Def & Talib Kweli, all of whom put great emphasis on creating substantial art with great depth; this motif is reflective in many of his works. Jonathan Emile’s music mirror’s his essence while telling stories of life and power.