Reggae
Last year, the returns of Buju Banton and Vybz Kartel catapulted Jamaica back to the forefront of the global music conversation. With reggae and dancehall giants coming back to the stage as several subgenres of the two styles continue to gain traction worldwide, the future is looking particularly bright for Caribbean music.
Back with Blood & Fyah, his second full-length album (due late spring/early summer 2025), Keznamdi is looking to add his flair to that momentum as an independent reggae artist. Combining traditional reggae with dancehall, Afrobeats, R&B and hip-hop, Blood & Fyah continues Keznamdi’s yearslong exploration of the limitless potential of contemporary reggae. He introduced the new set with “Time,” a heartfelt single accompanied by a cinematic video shot in Ghana, one of several African countries that significantly impacted Keznamdi’s life and the new record.
“In the process of making the problem, the music just sounded like Africa,” he tells Billboard. “It was a far-fetched idea at the time [to shoot the video in Ghana] because we didn’t know anybody there, but we just packed up our things, brought two cameras and went down there with the whole team. The reception was crazy; [on] the second day, we were summoned by the Ghanaian president. At the time, his parliament won some kind of office, and they wanted to play my song with Chronixx called ‘Victory’ on the radio. They called the station, and the DJ told him that I was actually in Ghana at the time. Shortly after that, we were at his palace.”
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Before he received royal welcomes, Keznamdi lived a regular life across Africa for years. Born in Jamaica, he lived on the island until he was 13, by which point he and his Rastafari family moved to Tanzania, where they lived for three years. They then moved to Ethiopia, where Keznamdi lived for another three years, eventually graduating there as well. To support Blood & Fyah, Keznamdi is formulating a tour that will reach parts of the world that the reggae industry tends to neglect.
“Reggae is huge for the next generation in Africa,” he stresses. “There’s a lot of countries like Burundi that listen to reggae every single day and not one reggae artist has gone there. Africa is a very untouched place for reggae, which is a genre that sings to Africa. Our generation is playing an important role in bridging that gap and continuing the work our elders have already done. We spend so much time touring in America and Europe, and, truly, Africa is where the music is really made for. We’re singing about that third-world struggle. Everything is pointed towards Africa, which was something that all of the elders inna reggae and inna Jamaica and inna Rastafari always prophesize.”
While reggae is the core of Blood & Fyah, Keznamdi is also treating fans to a pair of two blockbuster dancehall collabs. Dancehall superstars Mavado and Masicka – whose “Whites” single continues to dominate the Caribbean – will both appear on Keznamdi’s new record. Through Vas Productions’ Richardo Vasconcellos and producer Don Corleonie, Keznamdi (who also co-produced the track) was able to get in contact with Masicka for “Forever Grateful,” which features production contributions from Off Grid and Major Seven.
“I always envisioned him on this record,” Keznamdi gushes. “Masicka is the voice of the streets right now. He’s inspirational and uplifting; when you listen to him you want to get up and do better in your life, so I wanted him on this track.”
Vas Productions also helped Mavado and Keznamdi join forces. “Bun Di Ganja” — which also features Marlon Asher — was initially created for a Vas project, but the irresistible banger found a home on Blood & Fyah.
“Because I’m so focused on what I’m doing, it’s hard for me to do features unless the track is inspiring,” Keznamdi explains. “As soon as I heard it, I sent him my vocals the next day. It was a little struggle getting Mavado for the video because he’s an elite artist, but we were able to shoot it in Miami with him.”
Listen to “Time” below.
From Theodoros Bafaloukos’ classic film Rockers (1978) to Steve McQueen’s more contemporary anthology entry Lovers Rock (2020), the luscious melodies and charming lyrics of lovers rock – a particularly romantic reggae subgenre – have been enrapturing and inspiring artists for decades. Montreal rapper Skiifall (pronounced “skyfall”) is the latest rising star to be bitten by the lovers rock bug, but he’s not wholly unfamiliar with the style.
Hailing from Barrouille in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Skiifall moved to Montreal, Canada, with his family as a child, and spent his high school years falling in love with Atlanta rap, moving away from the soca and reggae that soundtracked in his childhood. After a few years of toiling in local bands and honing his chops with partially government-funded studio time, he released his breakthrough debut single, “Ting Tun Up,” in 2020. The song garnered massive buzz in the U.K., leading to a remix with Knucks and increased eyeballs and ears on Skiifall. Though his sound morphed into something closer to hip-hop than soca, Skiifall’s sonic profile never completely abandoned his roots: think of the infectious dancehall pulses on “2 Charming” from his 2023 Woiiyoie Vol. 2 – Intense City EP.
Montreal-based producer and DJ YAMA//SOTO is billed as a co-lead artist on “Ting Tun Up,” and that song kicked off a professional relationship that would soon bring both parties into brand new creative spaces. The idea of making a lovers rock project started with “Yama sharing this playlist with me in 2022,” says Skiifall. “From there, I went to Spotify and learned how to use the algorithm to find new music. Once I found one, I couldn’t stop there. It’s now a 12-hour playlist, filled with lovers rock.”
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In his exploration of lovers rock, the music became more than the background noise he used to disregard it as. He and Yama worked on a few early cuts and “from that first session, we knew that we were going to make a whole project – but we didn’t know exactly what we were going to make,” Skiifall recalls. In less than two weeks, the pair had three songs they worked on with Kenny Beats, a genre-agnostic producer whose penchant for live instrumentation made it easy to wade into the world of lovers rock. Their sessions eventually culminated in Lovers Till I’m Gone: a breezy, earnest seven-song lovers rock set that explores stories of contemporary Vincy love and includes a guest appearance by Grammy-nominated U.K. R&B star Jorja Smith. The full set arrived on Jan. 10, with the Smith-assisted “Her World” garnering over one million Spotify streams in less than a month.
In a candid conversation with Billboard, Skiifall recounts how his producers helped him find the coverage to reimagine lovers rock for the 2020s.
When did your family move to Montreal?
My mom moved away before I did; she got me to come join her about two years after in 2009. I was around eight [years old] at that time.
I used to love this movie called Monster House, and the only way I would imagine overseas was through that lens as a kid. I thought that when I got to Canada it would be autumn all the time, but when I arrived, it was fully snowing – like snow to your knees-type s—t [laughs]. I remember being held by the flight attendants waiting for my mom to come pick me up. It felt like a movie, like a new start.
Did you grow up listening to a lot of Vincy music?
When I was small, yes. Soca music has always been a part of my life, reggae music as well. When I got older and went to high school, it was the first time [I had my own phone] and was able to download music. I automatically gravitated towards rap; I started listening to a lot more American music from that age: Rich Homie Quan, Young Thug, Migos, Travis Scott, K Camp, 2 Chainz, etc
It’s only in 2021 that I tapped back in with reggae. I didn’t like it so much because I felt like everywhere we went, it came on. Parties, barbecues, everywhere – that’s all you’re hearing. I wanted to hear some rap.
When did you start working as Skiifall?
Around 2018. But I really started making music as Shamar, at 12 [years old]. I was a vocalist in a band, and we did summer sessions together where we would write albums and perform in front of a bunch of people. We would [also] have studio sessions, which are offered to you while you’re in school. While I was in high school – from 12 to 18 – there were studios in Montreal that allowed you to record for free. You get free recording and free mixing and mastering, so I’ve been going there for a long time. Most of my early music that came out was made there.
I’m super open to exploring and seeing what I can pull from, whether it’s jazz or classical. I take bits and pieces and merge them all together. For [Lovers Till I’m Gone], it was important to try something like that. Me and Yama made a few good songs and then later showed them to Kenny. That spiraled into us like making “Mystery Man” in our first session in 2022. From there, we knew that we should definitely continue to build it. In our first three sessions, we made “Mystery Man,” “Sandy” and “No More.” I remember walking around L.A. at the time and blasting [“Mystery Man”].
I automatically knew what to do [in those sessions], but I wasn’t sure if I was gonna be able to do justice to some of my faves. Yama, Kenny, Venna and Nami [Ondas] really gave me that boost — whether it’s lyrics or the beat or just saying something that might inspire me. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to make [this project] by myself.
What was it like working with Kenny Beats and bringing him into the reggae world?
I think it just came naturally. If you’re a fan of music, you’re able to make whatever you wanna make. If the right parts are there, then the machine is gonna move. Kenny’s aura is the perfect vibe; he makes you feel at home. If you’re not inspired, he’s not gonna force it. He’s gonna let it be and try again the next day. I’m looking forward to making more music [with him] for sure.
Our managers are friends, so that’s how we met. He’s also a fan of my music as well. The first time we met was at his home in 2022 after he DMed me on Instagram. That’s the day we made “Mystery Man.”
How did you get Jorja Smith on “Her World?”
She’s been a fan of mine ever since I blew up, and I was always a fan of hers as well. Her name kept coming up during the process of figuring out who would be the best person to join forces with and build a great song. Luckily, at the time our managers were friends, so she was down to work on the song. She got the song, and she was pretty down, so I waited for her to send her verse back and the rest was history.
At first, I didn’t like “Her World” because I didn’t think it sat on the same level as “Mystery Man,” but Jorja brought it to that level. She gave it a different flow. She bodied that because I’d never heard anybody do lover’s rock like that; she just broke it down and built it back up.
What are your plans for the visual world of Lovers Till I’m Gone?
I have this film coming that’s supposed to be sort of like Rockers (1978). I worked on it super closely with my director Simon [Davis] and my dad; we went back to Saint Vincent to shoot. It’s about 17 minutes and is meant to showcase the country and the vibe going on there.
I remember speaking to Kenny about not wanting to [recreate] the ‘80s or what people looked like back then. We wanted to keep it [focused on] how it is currently – what people are going through right now and how they’re living and all that. It’s kind of like a documentary but with music.
What should we know about the Montreal music scene right now?
I think you should know nothing because… yeah.
Do you plan to stay in the lover’s rock space a bit longer?
This project was recorded a long time ago, so I already have all the stuff that I’ve been working on ready to go. I’m ready to be out on the road as well. If this lifetime grants me the time, I will definitely keep making reggae. I love rap, so reggae is gonna be occasional. But when it’s done, I have to make sure that it’s done well because I feel like it’s not been treated well in some ways. If I’m going to personally attack it, then I have to do right by it.
Who are your top three favorite lovers’ rock artists?
Billy Boyo, Dennis Brown and Johnny Osbourne. My favorites of all time are two very different people: Sister Nancy and Yellowman. Jah Cure is in there too.
Among the gold gramophones handed out at the recent 67th Grammy Awards was one for best reggae album: Bob Marley: One Love — Music Inspired by the Film (Deluxe). Now in addition to the soundtrack and the global box office success of its accompanying 2024 biopic, the celebration of the reggae pioneer’s generational legacy continues in 2025 in honor of what would have been his 80th birthday (Feb. 6).
In partnership with the Marley family, Acoustic Sounds’ Analogue Productions label is announcing its reissue of seven of the late artist’s most iconic albums. With specific release dates to be announced, the album series will launch this spring and is centered around the theme of uprising — also the title of Marley’s last studio project released during his lifetime. Reflective of his spiritual and prophetic vision, the 1980 set includes memorable tracks such as “Redemption Song,” “Could You Be Loved” and “Pimper’s Paradise.”
The other six albums comprising the series are: 1973’s Catch a Fire (“Stir It Up,” “Concrete Jungle,” “Kinky Reggae”), 1973’s Burnin (“Get Up Stand Up,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” “Burnin’ & Lootin’”), 1974’s Natty Dread (“No Woman No Cry,” “Them Belly Full [But We Hungry],” “Lively Up Yourself”), 1976’s Rastaman Vibration (“Roots Rock Reggae,” “War,” “Rat Race”), 1977’s Exodus (“Three Little Birds,” “Jamming,” “One Love”) and 1978’s Kaya (“Is This Love,” “Satisfy My Soul,” “Easy Skanking”).
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Bob Marley, ‘Kaya’
Acoustic Sounds is reissuing the albums in a number of deluxe configurations, varying by title: 33rpm UHQR (ultra high quality record), 45rpm UHQR, 2LP 45rpm, SACD (super audio CD) and reel-to-reel tape (15 IPS on 1/4-inch tape). The UHQR and 2LP 45rpm releases will be sourced from the original master tapes and mastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. Pressing will be handled by Acoustic Sounds’ Quality Record Pressing plant in Salina, Kansas.
“We’re honored to be working with the Marley Family to give these records the treatment they deserve,” said Acoustic Sounds founder Chad Kassem in a statement. “The experience of going to Jamaica, visiting Tuff Gong and meeting the people carrying Bob Marley’s legacy forward was incredible, and we believe this series is a beautiful tribute to one of music’s greatest innovators.”
More about Kassem’s time in Jamaica and the making of Uprising can be found HERE. Acoustic Sounds’ recent vinyl releases include Steely Dan’s 1970s recordings, Buena Vista Social Club’s self-titled album and Miles Davis’ Birth of the Blue.
Between Vybz Kartel‘s blockbuster Freedom Street homecoming concert, Machel Montano‘s historic NPR Tiny Desk set and the slow-burning crossover of new soca anthems like Kes‘ “Cocoa Tea” and Yung Bredda’s “The Greatest Bend Over,” Caribbean music has gotten off to an excellent start in 2025.
On Sunday (Feb. 2), music’s biggest stars will convene in Los Angeles for the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, which will be turned into a fundraiser for relief efforts in the wake of several devastating fires in the greater Los Angeles area. At this year’s ceremony, Kartel (Party With Me), Shenseea (Never Gets Late Here), The Wailers (Evolution), the Bob Marley: One Love soundtrack, and Collie Buddz (Take It Easy) are the nominees for best reggae album. Kehlani‘s “After Hours,” which samples Codell “Skatta” Burrell’s Coolie Dance riddim, is nominated for best R&B song. Just three weeks later, Popcaan, Shenseea, Skillibeng, Spice, Valiant and YG Marley will duke it out for best Caribbean music act at the MOBO Awards (Feb. 18), while the Bob Marley: One Love film will compete in six categories at the NAACP Image Awards (Feb. 22).
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As these ceremonies celebrate the best of 2024, the new year is already heating up with new earworms to soundtrack the forthcoming Carnival season. Naturally, Billboard’s monthly Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks column will not cover every last track, but our Spotify playlist — which is linked below — will expand on the 10 highlighted songs. So, without any further ado:
Freshest Find: Kranium & Masicka, “Cut the Link”
“You give dem everything dem ask for/ And dem end up turn dem back yeah/ Now I know/ Mankind, you can’t tame them/ Dem wah you die, mi realize/ Dem wah fi own di place where you reside/ Mi cut the link, I know the deal,” Kranium croons in the opening verse of “Cut the Link,” a somber rumination on overcoming leeches and detractors. Produced by TJ Records and featuring an assist from Masicka, “Cut the Link” delivers a dancehall track that deals with raw emotion and real-life struggles, topics that are always welcome and cherished in a sea of gun and gyal chunes. “Cut The Link” marks the third collaboration between Kranium and Masicka, following 2016’s “Beach House” and 2017’s “Fire in the Rain.”
Shenseea, “Puni Police”
In a few days, Shenseea could become a first-time Grammy winner, but her current focus is lambasting the “Puni Police.” “Hot gyal a nuh fi everybody, my yute/ Comment pon mi picture dem, a that a mad you/ You too insecure, so you lose/ That’s why I’mma need you to/ Gimme some room to breathe,” she spits over Di Genius’ siren-evoking riddim. Her self-assured lyrics of self-respect in the face of an overly possessive partner add beautiful color to the ever-evolving portrait of woman-helmed dancehall songwriting. Shenyeng and Di Genius last linked up for two Never Gets Late Here tracks: “Neva Neva” and the Masicka-assisted global hit “Hit & Run.” Clearly, the two artists have A1 chemistry.
Lu City & Didi B, “Petit Bonon”
St. Lucia’s Lu City and the Dominican Republic’s Didi B are a match made in heaven on their sultry “Petit Bonbon” single. A slinky mélange of Afrobeats-inflected dancehall and slight notes of soca drums, “Petit Bonbon” finds the cross-Caribbean collaborators joining forces to tribute an eye-catching young lady who’s reigning over the club on a given night. With a greater emphasis on melody and feeling over rapid-fire wordplay, “Petit Bonbon” is a nice conduit to bring the evening into a slower, more seductive place.
Hector Roots Lewis featuring Johnny Cosmic, “Celebration”
After spending last year basking in the success of the box office-topping Bob Marley: One Love soundtrack, Hector Roots Lewis is back with a brand new single. A modern roots reggae tune produced by Johnny Classic, “Celebration” serves as the fifth single from Lewis’ forth-coming project. “To my brothers in the streets/ To my sisters in the streets/ Leave the guns and leave the knives/ We don’t want no fuss or fight,” he implores over the easy-rocking reggae guitars and breezy percussion, maintaining the peaceful proclamations that decorated Marley’s catalog. Lewis’ voice is incredibly charismatic on “Celebration,” seamlessly switching from warm sustained notes in the verses to more staccato delivery in the outro.
Machel Montano, “Pardy”
After making history by bringing soca music to NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series for the first time ever, Machel Montano hopped on a few more riddims in anticipation of Carnival season. Among his new drops is “Pardy,” a reminder that we all work hard, so we all deserve to party. “All work and no play/ Mi seh, ‘No way’/ We don’t want no part of that/ I need a stress reliever, two drinks in mi hand a gyal in the middle,” he sings in the opening verse, expertly setting the scene for an explosive release in the chorus soundtracked by Badjohn Republic and XplicitMevon’s high-octane drums. Packaged with a music video suitable for all ages and generations, “Pardy” is primed to take over the season in due time.
Lyrikal, “Road Anthem”
At this point, is it really a surprise when Lyrikal drops off another road march anthem? With some help from KesKeyz, the Trinidadian artist debuted “Road Anthem,” a song that accomplishes exactly what its title suggests. “Like the government, we go on di road/ Dem go talk about we for centuries/ There’s no other place that is on this Earth/ There’s no other place, there’s no other place/ I never want to miss this feeling again!” he sings, effortlessly invoking the inimitable energy and rejoiceful spirit of the road during Carnival. Like any great soca artist, Lyrikal is a master at pacing, always allowing the verses enough breathing room to stretch out the song’s ascent into a bombastic chorus.
Foreign Dan, Yung Bredda & Venumm, “Cocoa She Want”
After topping Trinidad & Tobaga’s Apple Music chart with his runaway hit “The Greatest Bend Over” late last year (Dec. 30, 2024), Yung Bredda found some time to link with Foreign Dan and Venumm for “Cocoa She Want.” “She don’t want no Lipton, she don’t want no Milo/ All she askin for is the pure cocoa,” Venumm croons over Foreign Dan’s jaunty production. When the soundscape opts for a sparser percussion line halfway, Yung Bredda flaunts his versatility, weaving in and out of harmony with Venumm as he delivers his own promises to share his “cocoa.”
Jahshii & Pop Style, “E.G.Y.G. (Every Ghetto Yout Great)”
With his new Pop Style-helmed single, Jahshii uses the gritty template of trap dancehall to craft an uplifting anthem for Jamaica’s ghetto yutes. When his impassioned, Auto-Tuned voice creeps into its upper register to proclaim that “every ghetto yout great,” Jahshii reaches an emotional apex rarely visited by his trap dancehall contemporaries. On this track, perhaps more than any of his previous efforts, Jahshii intricately understands how to find the emotion and humanity in an expressly digitized landscape, and he fills those pockets with the kind of gut-wrenching wails that demand not just attention, but close listening too.
Adam O & ARK Productions, “Ms. Masquerader”
With “Ms. Masquerader,” a tribute to the countless beauties on the road, Adam O makes himself at home in the role of ultimate ladies’ man. The St. Vincent and the Grenadines-born artist incorporates more Haitian and Dominican musical influences than your typical soca anthem, but between his raspy vocal performance and live instrumentation by Chryston Floyd (guitar), Konata (percussion) and Geremi Webb (bass), “Ms. Masquerader” stands as a smashing success. It’s a Carnival jam to keep your waistline moving and facilitate a steamy dance or two on the road.
Nailah Blackman & Skinny Fabulous, “Forever”
Both Nailah Blackman and Skinny Fabulous are likely to have yet another dominant year in 2025, and their new “Forever” collaboration is a reminder of why that’s the case. “Carnival, it is my time/ I wanna catch the spirit, it is high time/ Twice is not enough, I need it five times/ For a lifetime,” they plead in unison on the pre-chorus, personifying Carnival as a being that holds the key to a very special kind of unfettered joy and celebration. With CMungal Music, Keiron “Ogoshhoyte” Hoyte, Anson Pro, David “Millbeatz” Millien, Evolution the Band and Johnny Q all contributing to production, “Forever” has notes of all the different traditional and innovative elements that made 2016 such a beloved soca year.
Nominees: Take It Easy (Collie Buddz); Party With Me (Vybz Kartel); Never Gets Late Here (Shenseea); Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired By The Film (Deluxe) (Various Artists); Evolution (The Wailers)
Technically, there are only two original reggae albums nominated here this year. Incredible.
Vybz Kartel and Shenseea scored their first career nominations for their own music this year with Party With Me and Never Gets Late Here, respectively, both dancehall records. Reggae legend Bob Marley is represented through the One Love soundtrack, which features covers of Marley classics from several artists, including Grammy winners Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Caesar, Leon Bridges and Wizkid.
Collie Buddz’s Take It Easy and The Wailers’ Evolution are the remaining nominees. This is Buddz’s second nod in this category in as many years, while Take It Easy features contributions from Caribbean music giants such as Bounty Killer, B-Real and Demarco. The Wailers — formed by former members of Bob Marley’s backing band — are nominated with Evolution, which hit No. 5 on Reggae Albums.
As previous nominees, Shenseea and The Wailers are likely the frontrunners here, but keep an eye out for Vybz Kartel. Last summer (July 31, 2024), the King of Dancehall walked out of prison a free man after serving 13 years of a now-overturned life sentence for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams. By New Year’s Eve, the legendary deejay mounted Freedom Street — his first performance since his release, and the biggest concert the country had seen in nearly 50 years. Though Party With Me lacks an all-out smash à la “Fever” and “Clarks,” Kartel’s narrative may prove too irresistible for any of his competitors to put up a fight. The Freedom Street concert dominated social media, but it happened near the very end of the voting period (Jan. 3), when many voters had presumably cast their ballots already.
Shenseea is probably his stiffest competition here. Never Gets Late Here reached No. 4 on Reggae Albums and incorporates notes of pop-dancehall, R&B, rap, Afrobeats and, most importantly, reggae. With Grammy-approved producers like Di Genius, Tricky Stewart, Ilya, Stargate and London On Da Track in tow, Never Gets Late Here could muster up enough support to pull ahead of Worl’ Boss.
Nonetheless, there’s also a scenario in which Marley’s legend and the film’s box office success lifts the One Love soundtrack to a victory — even if the more exciting win would be Buddz’s project. Traditional reggae projects tend to triumph here anyway, which counts against Kartel and Shenyeng despite their strengths elsewhere.
Prediction: Vybz Kartel, Party With Me
Look Out For: The Wailers, Evolution
From dancehall to soca, here are a few rising stars of the West Indies to keep an eye on in the new year.
In July, Jamaica’s most influential living artist walked out of a Kingston prison after 13 years, drove straight to his mother’s house for a tearful reunion over steamed fish and okra — and dove immediately into preparations for Freedom Street: his first performance since his release, and the biggest concert the country would see in […]
Decemeber has arrived, and that means we’ll be getting more than a few tastes of the soca anthems seeking to dominate Carnival season next year. But December also means the return of Sting — a notoriously length reggae and dancehall showcase that has been held annually in Jamaica on Dec. 26 since 198. Home to countless iconic moments in the worlds of reggae and dancehall, Sting will return this month with a genreation-bridging lineup, including Tommy Lee Sparta, Turbulence, Teflon, Gyptian, Jamal, Quada, Jahmiel, Bushman, Dwayne Stephenson, Shane O, Macka Diamond, Laden, Skippa, Kant10t, Ace Gawd and more.
“We’re trying to slide away from all the things that may hamper us in the future,” said CEO of Supreme Promotions Tahheer Lain said at the press launch. “So, I’m trying to give the show a softer feel. As much as it’s a rough cut show, I’m trying to soften it because we realise that a lot of our younger artists they may not have the capability, or pattern of thinking as the older artists… one time it was just Sting, now it’s Sting Live.”
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There’s one other major performance set to take Jamaica by storm this month, and that’s Vybz Kartel‘s Freedom Street New Year’s Eve homecoming concert — his first live show since being released from prison after serving a 13-year sentence.
Naturally, Billboard’s monthly Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks column will not cover every last track, but our Spotify playlist — which is linked below — will expand on the 10 highlighted songs. So, without any further ado:
Freshest Find: Bunji Garlin, “Carry It”
Bunji Garlin is one of the most dependable soca artists that we have, and he already has is eyes set on the 2025 road soundtrack. Self-written and produced by Stemz Productions alongside some live guitar from Kyle Peters, “Carry It” finds Bunji uses the frenetic energy of power soca drums to sing a triumphant story in remembrance of his roots and the unique dynamism that comes the resilience of soca music. “Where can I find that energy, the raw raw magic that comes down from the grass-roots/ Yes ah from a place where soca the resounding power/ Yuh could feel anytime any hour, sunshine or shower,” he proclaims in the opening verse.
Hey Choppi, “Titanic”
With production from Spine and Sucre and writing credits from soca legend Machel Montana, “Titanic” was always destined to be a homerun. Nonetheless, it takes a remarkably committed vocal performance — like that of Hey Choppi — to make sure every last piece falls into place. For his take on the “Kompa Fever” riddim, Choppi builds on Rose and Jack’s iconic Titanic love story with a tender, melodic vocal that plays well against the kompa guitars weaved throughout the soundscape.
Nessa Preppy, “Go Bestie”
To close out November, Badjohn Republic and NMG Music teamed up for the “Yes Please” riddim, which Trinidadian soca star Nessa Preppy absolutely slid across. “Go bestie, go twin/ Go bestie, go twin/ Yuh badder den alla dem/ Yuh hotter den alla dem,” she decalres at the song’s outset, seamlessly switching from a flirty flasetto to a comparatively more commanding chest voice as she sings her support for her bestie as they both enjoy themselves at a given function. “Yes Please” also appears on Nessa’s new Little Miss Arima album, which arrived on Nov. 11 featuring collaborations with Yung Bredda, Lady Lava, Freetown Collective and V’ghn.
Konshens, Silent Addy & 1Mind, “Slow Motion”
For the past decade, Konshens has been a formidable force across dancehall music and this new collaboration with Silent Addy and 1Mind’s Mac Sutphin only reiterates that fact. “Slow Motion” finds the Kingston MC relishing his time spent caught up in the hypnosis of the night’s reigning bad gyal. “How yuh full a style suh? How yuh full a vibes suh?/ What is it about you? How mi jus’ a smile suh?/ Tek di money, tek di money, baby hold a coil nuh/ Cool and deadly, dah love yah nuffi wild up,” he sing-raps over the slow-burninng, synth-laden production. A master when it comes to gyal tunes, Konshens adds another banger to his arsenal with “Slow Motion.”
Malie Donn & Byron Messia, “Alive”
This summer, Malie Donn quickly followed-up last year’s “V6” breakthrough with “Whats Popping,” and now he’s finally unleashed his debut studio album. One of the standout tracks on the album is “Alive,” a collaboration with Byron Messia that trades in a particularly grim brand of gratitiude. The two dancehall stars are, of course, happy with their success and riches, but even the twinkling piano can’t conjure up the warmth that’s noticeably missing from the simmering track.
Shuga, “Love Doctor”
Lovesickness is an emotion that thousands of songs across genres have explored — and Shuga has dropped off one of her own. Set as the lead single from her forthcoming Girl from Montego Bay album, the Donovan Germain-produced “Love Doctor” is inspired by Shuga’s then-boyfriend (now husband). “I’m calling for the love doctor/ ‘Cause tonight, I need some healing/ I’ve got to see the love doctor/ ‘Cause right now I’m in my feelings,” she earnestly sings over gentle reggae guitars in the hook. Grown and tasteful, “Love Doctor” is the kind of intergenerational banger that makes reggae so special.
Jaz Elise, “Unforgettable”
From an opening that recalls the synthesized harp of “The Boy Is Mine” to that whimisical swell of the final chorus, “Unforgettable” is yet another gorgeous release from Jaz Elise. “I won’t take this thing we have for granted/ Feels so good, so natural/ Nuh odda one compare to you, you have it/ A kiss from you, so magical,” she proclaims over a J.L.L. and IzyBeats-helmed soundscape that uses an ebullient horn section to contour its traditional reggae production. Following “Gunman” earlier this year, Jaz Elise is two for two when it comes to 2024 solo releases.
A-Suh Boss, “Chappa Cry”
Beyoncé gifted us her Renaissance album in 2022, and now it’s A-Suh Boss’ turn. For “Chappa Cry,” the opening track of his debut album — also titled Renaissance, to be clear — A-Suh Boss provides a gritty, reflective soundtrack for all the ghetto youths who dream far bigger than their present circumstances. “The house used to leak when rain fall/ Used to dress, guh school inna same shorts/ Life never sweet, dem days hard/ Life change from mi mek di sweepstakes call,” he sing-raps over the Monk Music-helmed production.
Kes, “Cocoa Tea”
Few can hold a candle to Kes when it comes to groovy soca, and “Cocoa Tea” is just further proof why. After dropping off Man With No Door earlier this year — the award-winning soca band’s first studio LP in a decade — Kes has returned with “Cocoa Tea,” an endlessly sweet ode to a love that warms you up like a mug of the chocolate-y beverage. “Darling, heat me up/ Only you alone could put fire back in me soul/ Heat me up/ And they telling me ah should leave that fire alone/ Well, the more they tell me is the more I holding you close,” lead singer Kees Dieffenthaller croons in the pre-chorus before the song explodes into a groovy soca fantasia in the chorus.
Lady Lava & Jordan English, “Baddd B”
For his “Bad B” remix, Jordan English staged a collaboration between Barbados and Trinidad, tapping Lady Lava, who recently received her flowers from Cardi B, for a sizzling guest verse. “Bad B” is English’s take on DJ Vibes, Hit It Records and Supa Nytro’s “Pressure” riddim — a sparse, percusssive number with ample room for MCs to flow over. An easy-rocking, tongue-in-cheek tune sure to set the dance floors ablaze as we enter the new year, look for “Bad B” to have some legs going into the spring.
British R&B star Mahalia has made a comeback with lively new single “Pick Up the Pace.” The track, which sees her team up with Jamaican artist Bayka, incorporates elements of dancehall and reggae – a sonic development for the 26-year-old and her typically soulful sound.
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“I wanted to celebrate artists like Bayka – these incredible Jamaican voices – and give the U.K. a moment to reconnect with the dancehall and reggae that helped shape our sound,” Mahalia said in a press release. The singer added that the track also serves as an ode to her Afro-Caribbean roots, having grown up with a Jamaican mother in Leicester.
Explaining the meaning behind “Pick Up the Pace,” she continued, “I love love. But lately, I’m embracing the fun, unserious side of it all. There’s so much heaviness in the world, so I’m just trying to find those moments of joy and playfulness in my music.”
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Writing on her Instagram, Mahalia spoke on the fitness-inspired music video. “I’ve held onto a lot of insecurities about my body that were born in school that I haven’t been able to shake as an adult,” she shared. “And being an artist/maybe a role model to some has forced me to keep those insecurities tightly away in Pandora’s box so nobody can see that I am also a little broken.”
“Broken by the impossible beauty standards of western society. Broken by all of the men and women who told me my boobs were too big or my belly not toned enough,” she continued. “Broken by my own insomniac thoughts about my body whenever I’m going through a depressive phase.”
The single marks the first offering of new material from Mahalia since her second studio album, IRL, which was released in July 2023 via Atlantic Records. The LP reached No. 31 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart and was supported by a run of U.K. headline shows, including a night at London’s iconic Hammersmith Apollo. In the year since, she has also toured Europe, North America and Australia.
IRL included a wealth of guest artist features, including Stormzy, Joyce Wrice and JoJo. The latter featured on single “Cheat,” one of the album’s key singles. Speaking to Billboard, Mahalia explained the significance behind choosing JoJo as a collaborator. “I just really, really wanted her. There wasn’t really anyone else that I wanted on that record, to be honest,” she said.“I think I had ideas of backup plans if she said no. But I hit her [up] and said, ‘Would you be up for doing this?’ She was like, ‘Absolutely. Send it to me.” I sent it and we got it done within a few weeks. We had a great time.”
Over the course of a 12-year career, Mahalia has been nominated for multiple MOBO and BRIT Awards, plus a Grammy nod for “All I Need,” her 2020 collaboration with Jacob Collier and Ty Dolla $ign. In 2019, she released her debut album “Love And Compromise,” which featured the likes of Burna Boy, Ella Mai, and New Orleans vocalist Lucky Daye.
Check out “Pick Up the Pace” below:
Between the triumphant, box office-topping Bob Marley biopic and the long-awaited release of dancehall legend Vybz Kartel, Jamaica has had a lot to celebrate in 2024. This year also marks the ten-year anniversary of Where We Come From – the landmark 2014 debut studio album from Popcaan, one of the most important dancehall artists of the past decade and half.
Following early Stateside crossover success with heaters like “Only Man She Want,” “The System” and “Unruly Rave,” Popcaan released Where We Come From via Mixpak Records, the Brooklyn-based indie label founded by record producer Dre Skull. Upon release, Where We Come From became the first of Popcaan’s five consecutive projects to reach the top three on Reggae Albums. According to Luminate, Popcaan has moved over one million career album equivalent units, with Where We Come From accounting for 130,000 of those units.
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To commemorate ten years of Popcaan’s debut, Mixpak has released a new deluxe edition featuring three previously unreleased songs: “Beat the Struggle,” “Don’t Finesse Me” and an acoustic version of the set’s title track.
“Part of me wonders why the hell they weren’t a part of the original album,” Dre Skull tells Billboard. “It’s exciting to dust off some songs from that era and share more about what was happening in the studio and in Popcaan’s head at the time.”
As executive producer of Where We Come From, Dre Skull developed an incredibly intimate partnership with Popcaan. The two dancehall maestros first crossed paths in 2010 during the recording sessions for Kartel’s Kingston Story, the first full-length release for Mixpak. Though they met before “Clarks,” a globe-conquering collaboration between Popcaan and Kartel, dropped, Dre Skull instantly recognized Popcaan’s “natural star power.” By the end of 2011, he signed Popcaan to a three-single deal that yielded “The System,” a song that combined the politically conscious lyricism of roots reggae with the bombastic tempos of dancehall, laying the groundwork for an album that would usher dancehall into a new era.
Around the time Popcaan signed that initial deal, Kartel, his mentor since he joined Gaza Music Empire in 2008, was arrested for cannabis possession. That charge would trigger a decade’s worth of legal ordeals, including a life imprisonment sentence for a murder charge that would take until 2024 to overturn. With his mentor imprisoned, there was an opportunity for Popcaan to assume the leading role Kartel had occupied for years – but this time with a twist that prioritized emotional vulnerability and melodic delivery over brash braggadocio. Dre Skull started conversing with Popcaan’s team about a larger album deal around the end of 2012; though he encouraged them to pursue deals with majors should they be offered, his work with Kartel and on Kingston Story earned the trust of both Popcaan and his team, setting the stage for the first of two Mixpak-backed Popcaan LPs.
Contrary to America’s most dominant genres, dancehall’s affinity for the album as an artistic statement is relatively recent; dancehall albums are often compilations of an artist’s hottest songs from the past few years. “As a fan, I love that, but the press was not giving their full attention to pure singles,” Dre Skull says. “You’re going to be hard pressed to get on the cover of The Fader with just the hottest single. I’m not saying it’s never happened, but it’s rare.” Kartel did end up landing the cover of The Fader for Kingston Story, as well as a print feature in the Arts & Leisure section of The New York Times. Those PR wins provided a blueprint for Popcaan’s Where We Come From rollout – and foolproof confirmation that a fully realized LP was the best way to formally introduce and break Popcaan in America outside of hubs of Caribbean immigrants like New York City.
Ten years later, Where We Come From still stands as a stunning amalgamation of mid-2010s dancehall and the boisterous dance-pop that dominated top 40 at the time. “Everything Nice,” the album’s lead single – which was originally recorded on a completely different beat, according to Popcaan — slyly combines elements of dancehall’s sunny synths and drums with the languid emo-rap vocal stylings that were beginning to creep into mainstream hip-hop at the time.
There’s also “Waiting So Long,” a pop-dancehall fantasia that casts Popcaan as the conductor of a kaleidoscopic orchestra of syncopated handclaps, stirring strings, ethereal chimes and tinny synths that keep the track in lock-stop with the electro-pop of the times. Those EDM-adjacent flourishes also pop up on “Addicted,” a song tucked away in the album’s back half that flaunts Popcaan’s knack for catchy pop melodies that don’t betray the roughest edges of standard dancehall delivery.
“There’s so much subtlety. Because of his mastery with melody, his songs can be catchy in different ways,” says Dre Skull, who produced five of the album’s 13 tracks. “For a certain subset of songs, my view was the riddim should almost contrast with that.
Where We Come From was impressive upon its debut – and remains so – because of how deftly Popcaan balances the record’s party moments with its stints of introspection on tracks like “Give Thanks,” “Where We Come From” and cinematic album opener, “Hold On.” After impressing Dre Skull with his grasp on weightier topics like violence, poverty, remorse and guilt, the Brooklyn producer “had a feeling the melody and the chords on ‘Hold On’ would resonate” with Popcaan. And they did. “Everything we still get the minimal/ Society still treat we like criminals/ But one day we’ll be free at last/ Jamaica,” he croons at the end of the song’s first verse.
“At the time of creating Where We Come From, I said exactly what I wanted to say and sang about how I was feeling,” Popcaan tells Billboard. “I just wanted to touch people’s hearts while being real. I always try to motivate the yutes who are still in the struggle to never give up, and in doing that through music you expose some vulnerability.”
For Dre Skull, “Hold On” felt like a “mission statement.” “Some of those songs are like hymns,” he muses. “He’s giving music to help anyone get through their hardest day or week. At the same time, he’s singing hymns that are based on things going on in his life. I have come to see that he’s writing those for himself, and they serve a purpose internally.”
Notably, Where We Come From houses just one collaboration, the Pusha T-assisted “Hustle.” Popcaan and Pusha previously worked together on 2013’s “Blocka,” and the Virginia Beach rapper was the only artist he reached out to while making the album. “Sometimes it might make good business sense or a be a good look [to have big-name features on an album] – but this was a very important building block in Popcaan’s career. We wanted it to be a reflection of who he was,” notes Dre Skull.
Arriving on June 10, 2014, Where We Come From materialized at the same time the music industry was on the precipice of a culture-shifting transition to streaming as the dominant form of consumption. Billboard started incorporating YouTube data into its chart rankings the year before Where We Came From dropped – but Dre Skull was already familiar with just how important the video-sharing app was to the dancehall ecosystem. He remembers a digital scene dating back to 2009, where kids in Brooklyn would run YouTube channels like music blogs, uploading the year’s hottest dancehall singles to their tens of thousands of followers. “Dancehall artists and their managers were paying those teenagers to upload their music, because they wanted to be part of that stream of consumption,” he recalls. “It was a similar thing to rap’s mixtape era, where there was all this unmonetized and uncheckable consumption happening. Those artists weren’t getting money off those streams, but they were getting show bookings.”
Following the strategy they employed with Kartel’s Kingston Story – Dre Skull notes they were an early adopter of uploading lyric videos for every song on an album – Mixpak capitalized on Popcaan’s YouTube pull with complete uploads of his early radio interviews, “Unruly Clash Wednesdays” series (a weekly showcase for burgeoning deejays to battle-test their skills in front of live, participatory audience) and commercials compiling the album’s rave reviews. Though streaming would truly explode by the time Popcaan’s sophomore effort, 2018’s Forever, rolled around, the inroads he made on those platforms with Where We Come From set the stage for streaming juggernauts like 2020’s Drake and Partynextdoor-assisted “Twist & Turn.”
In the ten years since he dropped his debut album, Popcaan has morphed into one of the most recognizable dancehall stars of the 21st century, working with everyone from Chris Brown to Burna Boy. To date, he’s earned over 1.7 billion official on-demand U.S. streams – a testament to his remarkable ability to sustain crossover success.
“Popcaan showed how to be a successful artist in this new era,” proclaims Dre Skull. “He’s proven to be a very strong operator who knows how to follow his own vision for his career instead of another person’s template. With [Where We Come From], he showed other dancehall artists that albums are important and reminded them that they’re a very good way to push your career to career to new levels. More people are putting out proper albums as an artistic statement and not just a compilation of previously released singles. And musically, he also showed that you can make a serious album and not go chasing hits but still end up with some.”
As dancehall figures out where the genre is headed next, other stars looking to emulate Popcaan’s success would do well to revisit Where We Come From and its pivotal rollout. Though his focus is currently on celebrating the 10-year anniversary of his debut, Popcaan has new music on the way with Dre Skull. Now signed to Drake’s OVO Sound label, Popcaan and Mixpak formally parted ways in 2020, but their work together continues to inform the future of both Popcaan’s career and dancehall as a whole.
“We made a classic,” exclaims Popcaan. “A timeless and boundary-breaking album that still resonates today. 10 years later and still going strong!”