Lila Iké

Alecia Tameka Grey was born January 23, 1994, in Christiana, Manchester Parish, Jamaica, and raised by her single mother alongside three sisters in a conservative, religious household where gospel music was a formative influence. She enrolled at Northern Caribbean University and later attempted studies at the University of the West Indies, but left school to pursue music full-time. She initially performed as "Lila Music" before adopting "Lila Iké," incorporating the Nigerian name Ikéchukwu, meaning "power of God."

Her breakthrough came after she signed to Protoje's In.Digg.Nation label in 2017, a collective founded in 2014 to incubate a new generation of Jamaican artists alongside acts like Jaz Elise and Sevana. Her debut single "Biggest Fan," released in April 2017, was followed by soul-baring tracks such as "Second Chance," which drew comparisons to Lauryn Hill and Garnett Silk and established her as one of the standout voices of the "Reggae Revival" movement.

Iké released her debut EP, "The ExPerience," in May 2020. In November 2021 she said on social media that she was facing a blackmail attempt over her sexuality, disclosing she was attracted to women. In August 2025 she released her long-delayed debut full-length album, "Treasure Self Love," which was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 2026 ceremony, making her the sole woman nominated in that category that year. Separately, in October 2025, Jamaican courts extended bail for Iké and a co-accused in a case involving charges of indecent language, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, a matter reported as still pending.

As a founding-generation member of In.Digg.Nation alongside Protoje, Iké is credited with helping define the sound of contemporary conscious reggae for a new international audience. Her Grammy nomination placed her among a small number of women, following Koffee's historic 2020 win, to be recognized in the Best Reggae Album category, and her willingness to speak openly about her sexuality has made her a notable figure in conversations about LGBTQ visibility within Caribbean music culture.