State Champ Radio Reggae
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Between Teejay and Bryon Messia’s ongoing beef, a brand new From the Block live performance video from Shenseea, and the passing of dancehall star Gully Bop, it’s been a packed month for the West Indian music scene — and most of these things only happened within the past week!
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To help sort through all the new Caribbean music released in October, Billboard’s monthly Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks columns returns with a host of new selections for your listening and wining pleasure. Of course, as is the case across genres in today’s age, there’s an overwhelming amount of new music released every day, let alone every month. Naturally, this column will not cover every last track, but our Spotify playlist — which is linked below — will expand on the 10 highlighted songs.
Without any further ado, here are 10 tracks across reggae, dancehall and their cousin genres that are heating up both our personal playlists and late-night functions from Kingston to Queens:
Freshest Find: Teejay, “Unwanted Child”
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Although it’s still unclear what exactly sparked the beef between Teejay and Byron Messia, the new-school dancehall stars are continuing to fire off diss tracks. This week, Teejay sent some more direct hits to the “Talibans” singer with the blistering “Unwanted Child,” a scathing diss track that alleges that Byron is a literal unwanted child (“Act like a we mek him madda disown him”) who doesn’t live the life he raps and sings about in his music. The dark, grimy beat is a smart complement to Teejay’s sinister delivery; his voice drips with equal parts disdain and haughtiness, two of the most important feelings for a proper diss track.
Khalia feat. Shaggy, “Double Trouble”
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On this selection from Stay True, Khalia’s debut project, the Westmoreland singer joins forces with Shaggy for a conversational duet that traces the story of two partners with undeniable sexual chemistry who simply cannot work in a proper relationship. She employs a cadence reminiscent of contemporary R&B as she recounts this roller coaster of a relationship over the slow-burning dancehall-inflected beat. “Anuh any any man can win da spot ya inna my heart/ Keep it premium on a level affi inn a path/ You affi show me all your cards before let dung my guard/ And den I work it and reverse it so I’m keeping him sharp,” she croons.
Valiant, “Beer & Salt”
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When you reach the top of of the food chain, there are always going to be those people waiting for you to slip up — even Valiant can’t escape that phenomenon. After a less-than-impressive performance at Miami Carnival and a subsequent social media backlash, Valiant uses “Beer & Salt” as way to respond to his detractors and reflect on his tumultuous past few months. “And if a badness, just talk, make me load me strap/ I see them lurking on my IG/ I know your profile private/ All of this was a dream but you can’t ketch the flows I’m finding,” he spits over the slinky DJ Mac-produced beat.
Mavado, “No Sorry”
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Taking a similar approach to Valiant, Mavado uses “No Sorry” to champion his lack of regrets for the way he has chosen to live his life. Backed by a skittering trap dancehall beat, Mavado sings, “A ghetto youth pon the top of the mountain ah di greatest story,” once again reaffirming that his intentions are genuine and pure, even if his actions may garner mixed reactions from some. He’s unapologetic in who he is and where he comes from as he reflects on his life and success across the self-affirming track. After all, “Don’t make excuses, we make sacrifice,” he sings on “No Sorry.”
Chronic Law, “War Cycle”
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Moving away from the self-motivating introspection of Valiant’s and Mavado’s new tracks, Chronic Law opts for despondent piano to anchor his stab at trap dancehall — a solemn reflection on the emptiness he sometimes feels in spite of his success, likening the dynamic to the ongoing violence that plagues his home country. “What a cycle/ The likkle scheme warm than Grove Street turf/ Me a drink and pretend mi don’t feel hurt/ Cyaa describe mi pain with no real words,” he croons.
Mystic Marley, Nailah Blackman & Walshy Fire, “Jump”
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This new track from the granddaughters of Bob Marley and Lord Shorty, respectively — with production contributions from Walshy Fire of Major Lazer — combines bits of dancehall, reggae and soca for one of the most undeniable party records of the year. With bubbly brass stitching together elements of Marley’s “Rainbow Country” (1971) and Shorty’s “Endless Vibration” (1974), Mystic and Nailah balance the familiarity of old-school reggae guitars and infectious soca percussion as they implore their listeners to, well, “jump!”
Intence, “Lesson”
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Rising Jamaican dancehall artist Intence delivers a heartfelt reflection on the most pertinent lessons life has taught him. Staunchly within the modern trap-inflected dancehall arena, Intence offers up several nimble flows as he recounts various life-altering experiences that remind him of both his mortality and his divine protection. “Just another ghetto youth and if you ask me I would have tell you from the start the amount a times them double cross me/ Me a real youth me don’t need to tell you that so let them talk cause me don’t care as long as God see,” he spits in an impressive rapid-fire delivery.
Zagga, “Believe & Pray”
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Released near the top of last month (Oct. 13) as the penultimate song on his Energy Never Lie album, “Believe & Pray” finds Zagga both talking with God and encouraging his listeners to have faith and trust in the power of prayer. “Prayer move mountain, prayer with faith, dawg/ Jah Jah eva on time, never yet late, dawg/ Whula we a sin but mi no ready fi graveyard/ Conscious, but the world mek mi behave bad,” he sings over the solemn, uplifting beat, which is part of a new riddim produced by Shane Creative.
Talia Goddess, “Forever Young”
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Guyanese-British multi-hyphenate Tayahna Walcott, aka Talia Goddess, perfectly captures the buzzing sensuality of hot summer nights during the prime of your youth with this smooth dancehall and R&B-inflected banger. In the hook for “Forever Young,” which is built around a thumping dancehall riddim, she reaches for high-pitched, Amaarae-esque tone as she sings, “Tell me is you really mine my lover?/ Cah you make me feel alive, so true/ I can take you to the light my darling/ I just wanna live my life with you.” Both the track and its globe-trotting music video are testaments to the rich global legacy of West Indian music and culture.
Roze Don, Countree Hype & Konshens, “Unch It Remix”
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Some of the best dancehall tracks are the instructive ones; they’re inherently interactive and personable. For the official remix of their function-rocking “Unch It,” Roze Don and Countree Hype recruit dancehall star Konshens to add his own spice to the steady, percussive beat. Their tones are calm, just shy of nonchalant, but glimpses of staccato flows and the sneaky sensuality of a whisper add dynamics that elevate the song nicely. From the booming bass to irresistibly danceable melody, the “Unch It” remix is nice update of the August orignal for the autumn season.
For good measure, here are two bonus Fresh Picks that are only available to stream via YouTube.
The myriad sounds of the West Indies have captivated the world for decades, from Bob Marley’s all-conquering reggae classics to more contemporary offerings from the likes of Shenseea and Masicka.
In recent years, following a relatively quiet period bereft of proper crossover hits from the region, a number of hit records drawing on contemporary renderings of dancehall and reggae — Byron Messia’s “Talibans,” Ireland Boss & Malie Donn’s “V6” and Teejay’s “Drift,” among them — have made major waves around the globe. That’s not to mention the recent global dominance of reggaetón, a widlly successful offshoot of dancehall’s wide-ranging legacy.
Just as the ’90s and ’00s were pivotal decades of record-breaking crossover success for Caribbean artists, the ’20s are starting to show signs of a mainstream resurgence in that direction. This new generation of Caribbean artists aren’t just building on the foundation of West Indian greats, they’re also subverting traditions by blending elements of dancehall, reggae, soca, calypso, Afrobeats, R&B, hip-hop, gospel, and pretty much every other musical style, into an exciting new frontier for Caribbean music. Along with artists actually living in the Caribbean, a new generation of the children of Caribbean immigrants in cities like New York, Toronto, Miami and London, are also making their presence known with a number of attention-grabbing genre-fusing tracks like Capella Grey’s “Gyalis” and Cochise’s “Buff.”
To help celebrate and honor the storied influence and and ever-increasing diversity of contemporary Caribbean music, Billboard is launching a new, monthly column to highlight 10 of the best new reggae and dancehall (and their cousin genres) songs each month. Of course, as is the case across genres in today’s age, there’s an overwhelming amount of new music released every day, let alone every month. Naturally, this column will not cover every last track, but our Spotify playlist — which is linked below — will expand on the 10 highlighted songs.
Now, to finally kick things off, here are 10 reggae and dancehall tracks that are heating up both our personal playlists and late-night functions from Kingston to Queens:
Millbeatz & Lyrikal, “Blessed Day”
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A standout track from Millbeatz’s new Real Live Riddim project, “Blessed Day” finds Trinidadian artist Lyrikal leaning into the celebratory energy of soca music. With an anthemic hook that rejects the negative energy of doubters and naysayers, Lyrikal rides Millbeatz’ horn-laden riddim with equal parts gratitude and glee. There’s a genuine appreciation for the gift of life coursing through each phrase Lyrikal delivers. Despite the catchy percussion and horns, it is his voice that is the song’s driving force. “So tell them don’t worry, don’t worry about me/ I already prove di people who doubt me,” he proclaims.
Skippa, Najeeriii & Sulfa Ge, “Like Bob”
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Leaning more into the grittier trenches of trap dancehall than the sunny sounds of soca, “Like Bob” — a new collaboration between Skippa, Najeeriii & Sulfa Ge — finds the the three artists expanding on the DNA that connects hip-hop, specifically gansta rap, and dancehall. Their gruff tones pair nicely with the soft piano and twinkling background synths, a contrast that creates ample tension for their high-stakes, shot-calling rhymes.
Nailah Blackman & KANIS, “Follow Follow”
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On this sultry upbeat duet, Nailah and Kanis trade come-hither verses with a whispery, restrained hook that really drives home the slow-burning flirtatiousness of the track. Their alluring vocal tones are natural fits for the production’s intersection of Afrobeats and soca — and Trinidad and Haiti, by way of their respective backgrounds — further showcasing the diversity of sounds present in contemporary Caribbean music.
Bounty Killer & Cham feat. Dexta Daps, “Slow Motion”
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Technically “Slow Motion” was released in May, but it found a home on Bounty Killer & Cham’s Time Bomb album, which hit streaming platforms on Sept. 22, so we’ll bend the rules here a little bit. The name of the game here is texture. Bounty Killer’s rugged tone is worlds away from Dexta’s fluttery falsetto, but when the two are juxtaposed against each other by way of the song’s verse-chorus structure, it makes for a truly dynamic song that breathes even more life into the sexy riddim — especially once the percussion drops out in the last 40 seconds.
Capleton, “Say Them Love You”
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Probably the closest thing to traditional reggae in this week’s column, “Say Them Love You” finds reggae legend Capleton addressing hidden haters who pretend be friends with you while they’re actively praying on your downfall. Ever the animated vocalist, he plays up both the roughest and most tender pockets of his voice, bringing a sense of grounding to his cutting analysis of illegitimate friends and supporters. The new track appears on the Precious Time Riddim (Vol. 2) three-pack.
System32 & Lyrikal, “Stick On”
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It’s fair to say that Lyrikal is on something of a hot streak right now. “Stick On” is the immediate standout of System32’s Sine Wave Riddim three-pack. With its hearty use of snare and tom drums setting the foundation for an ode to a woman who has completely taken over Lyrikal’s mind and heart, “Stick On” is a proper soca song that packs in jaunty chants, an infectious melody and a dynamic structure that moves through various refrains and hooks with reckless abandon.
Popcaan, “Nyqui” (with Anju Blaxx)
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Squarely sat in the heart of modern dancehall, Popcaan’s new collaboration with Anju Blaxx isn’t particularly innovative, but it’s definitely enjoyable. An uninhibited ode to “freaky” women, “Nyqui” uses a simple hook, a reliably smooth melody and an eye-popping music video as a three-story Trojan Horse to respond to a recent spat with Denyque, in which the dancehall artist promoted her hew single by posting a picture of her wearing a t-shirt showing Popcaan (tagged as “somebody’s son”) eating watermelon (tagged as “me”). In the “Nyqui” music video, Popcaan features a plethora of beautiful women seductively chowing down on some watermelon.
Mr. Vegas, “God Out (Enuh)”
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Although a solid chunk of mainstream dancehall prioritizes songs about sex and partying, the genre has myriad foundational topics — including God. On his new single “God Out (Enuh),” dancehall icon Mr. Vegas delivers a heartwarming hybrid of dancehall and gospel as he proclaims that he is “God pickney.” The song is characteristically confident and self-assured, but not from a place of arrogance. “God Out” champions God’s power over Mr. Vegas’ every turn and against all things that attempt to take him off of his destined life path.
Skeng feat. Valiant & Jiggy D, “Loyal Gyal”
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It’s always a beautiful thing when collaborations between massive artists live up to the hype. On “Loyal Gyal,” Skeng and Valiant — alongside Jiggy D — lay down their requirements for “loyal” women. In actuality, these requirements are just the two men trading verses that paint some of their raunchiest and most explicit fantasies. Given that Skeng tends to operate in the gun chune lane, the pivot to this sound and theme is welcome. In addition to the smooth production, both men’s vocal performances — which feature a combination of Auto-Tune and slurring — make for a sonic environment that truly feels drunk on lust.
Nadia Batson, “Market”
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To bring it back to soca, Trinidadian recording artist Nadia Batson delivers a pitch-perfect party anthem with “Market.” Seamlessly combining elements of traditional soca, a mood that carefully balances comedy and seduction and an extended “market” metaphor, the new song harnesses all of the joyous energy that makes soca music so infectious. She commands the track with a powerful vocal performance, assuming a position of control and agency throughout the entire song. “And if you lookin’ for sexy to throw inside a basket/ I am de whole, de whole, de whole blinkin’ market,” she sings winkingly.
Simma down: The King of the Dancehall has returned.
Seven years after his last studio album — 2016’s Unstoppable — Beenie Man is back with Simma, his latest star-studded, genre-bending opus. Featuring collaborations with a plethora of artists ranging from Shenseea and Shaggy to Giggs and Stonebwoy, Simma effortlessly traverses the intersections of dancehall, roots reggae, drill, hip-hop, and Afrobeats.
The album arrives amid something of a revival for the Grammy winner. This year, his classic 1997 hit single “Who Am I,” became the soundtrack for one of social media’s most popular music trends — in essence, people sing the first two words of the chorus (“sim simma”) and wait in anticipation for their chosen subject to finish the rest of the lyrics. La La Anthony recently used the challenge, aptly named #SimSimmaChallenge, to quiz famous friends like Kelly Rowland, Ciara and Kim Kardashian on their Beenie Man lyric knowledge.
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The trend is a natural extension of the timelessness of Beenie Man’s music. Dating back to 1983’s The Invincible Beany Man — which arrived when he was just 10 years old — Beenie Man has been reigning over the dancehall. Although the title of his latest album doesn’t have anything to do with “Who Am I” or the #SimSimmaChallenge, the record still houses a few career throughlines, including reunions with Mýa (“Docta”) and Sean Paul (“Supa Star”), who he previously worked with in the early ‘00s and ‘10s.
Simma, originally completed in 2021, suffered a lengthy delay after Beenie’s mother passed in 2020 following complications from a stroke earlier that year. “At that time when the album fit for release, I was in bare depression, mourning, all of these things,” he reflects. The album also serves as his first LP since his instantly iconic 2020 Verzuz battle with Bounty Killer. In this way, Simma is an unbridled celebration of life, longevity and resilience.
Beenie Man has earned six entries on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching as high as No. 26 with “Dude” (with Ms. Thing), the lead single from 2004’s Back to Basics. On the Billboard 200, the dancehall legend has racked up five entries to date, peaking at No. 18 with 2002’s Tropical Storm. On Reggae Albums, Beenie Man has notched six No. 1 titles from 13 overall top 10 projects.
In a conversation with Billboard, Beenie Man goes behind the scenes of the creation of Simma, recounts that improptu mid-flight performance, reflects on his storied career and gives advice to the rising generation of dancehall artists.
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Simma has been in the works for some years now. Did anything about the album change between its original release date and Sep. 1, 2023?
There’s a lot of things that change about the album, because we mek an album before and then my moms drop out by the time when the album fi release. So at that time when the album fit for release, I was in bare depression, mourning, all of these things. I was in it for two years until my brudda Blue decide to say, “Alright, we need to get into this thing now. Get out di depression, get out all di things you going through.”
So, my natural instinct is to go into the studio and beat up some riddim. So we got some from Fanatix from England – them send first – and then we got some from Busy Signal, and then we start from there suh. Then we went to England and get some more riddims and different type of beats. I never know seh di album turn out di weh it turn out, but when it finish, the job was great. No disrespect. We make over 60 song for di album.
There’s a host of genres on Simma — from roots reggae to drill — what was your vision in terms of exploring different styles on the record?
We’re just making music. We do Afrobeats, we do everything. Just make some music. Because people love good music and good music lasts forever. Regardless. Good music outlives you. Trust me.
You mentioned that there’s some Afrobeats on this album. Recently, there have been conversations around Afrobeats “replacing” dancehall on the global stage, and here you are merging the two styles on Simma. What do you think about the two genres’ ability to coexist?
There’s no music that can replace dancehall. Dancehall will never go nowhere. Dancehall will always be here. Because if there was no dancehall, there would be no Afrobeats. That don’t make no sense. People haffi stop, because they don’t understand the lifespan of music. You have enough music that come and last 5, 6, 7 years, but dancehall have been here from before hip-hop! If hip-hop a 50-years-old, dancehall almost 100-years-old! [Laughs.]
We have been through Shabba Ranks, we have been through Ninjaman, we have been through the greatest – Super Cat, all of them. So, dancehall is not going nowhere. Not at all.
There are many collaborations on Simma. Was there any thought of making this a straight collaborative album? Why did you decide to keep the solo tracks on there?
Every album I’ve been listening to is a million collaborations. You listen to Jay-Z last album, collaboration. You listen to Drake album, collaboration. So, why should not I? So you have a Busy Signal, Jamaican. You have a Shaggy, Jamaican. You have Sean Paul, Jamaican. These are superstars. So why don’t you use your own Jamaican superstars? In Africa, you have a pack of superstars. You have Stonebwoy, superstar. You have Giggs from England. We have all the superstars we can use. It’s my time. So, why not? [The King] has all his subjects.
We mek this album this way because the first part of the album was all me. Then I said, “Nah, get some people.” I’m still gonna be there. It’s not like somebody guh sing a song pon mi album which I’m not on. I am going to be inside that music. People sometimes dem like listen to other style or other version or other pattern, so mix up di ting.
Talk to me about the song with Tina (Hoodcelebrityy), “Let Go.” There’s this really dope conversational, back-and-forth vibe going on there. How did that song come about?
She even surprised me, because she never DJ my lyrics — she just get into the studio just like how mi know she a guh do. But mi nuh wan leave nothing to chance. So when she jump pon di record now and start do her ting, I say, “Oh, wow, murda.” She kill it. And the song wicked.
You and Teddy Riley have been friends for years. What was it like finally working together in a musical capacity on this album?
Teddy is a musician, and I’m a musician. Regardless of how long mi know him, it’s a matter of him a have time, because him always busy. The man spend six months a make a riddim for me. Six months. Every time I make di riddim, I finish the song, him send back fi di song and play a next riddim around it, and play a next riddim around it, and put on some other ting and mix the song different and send back di song inna different format and then mi haffi tell him “Stop!” [Laughs.]
And him say, “Hear this last mix, please listen to this last mix.” So, di man play di last mix fi me and mi seh, “Jesus Christ! Di brudda has a great mind. Just please gimme di last mix, don’t mek mi a beg.” And he gimme di mix. Cause mi nuh wan him fi touch di song again! But every time him touch it, the song get better.
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You’ve spoken before about modern dancehall shifting away from the tradition of riddims, who do you think shoulders the responsibility of maintaining that tradition?
It’s on us [as the older generation]. We are the artists that have been here before. We responsible, because it’s all music. Alright, say you’re having a dancehall stage show anywhere in the world, and you bring one million dancehall artists. You have dancehall artists from Africa, you have dancehall artists from Mexico, you have dancehall artists from America, you have dancehall artists from everywhere in the world!
But an artist like Ninjaman — none of these artists a bad like Ninjaman. They could never, because Ninjaman walk pon di stage — him don’t have to have a hit song today, him just need to present. Him just walk pon di stage, di people dem get crazy. Shabba Ranks. Him don’t have to have a new song today, all him haffi do is be present. So, imagine me now. I come after them, present, and get a response. Imagine a Buju Banton or a Sean Paul. Imagine a Shaggy, you get where I’m coming from? We will always be here. We nah going nowhere.
Music is not until death do us part. We dead and music still alive. So, this is what we are here for: longevity, to last, to be that person that people can always depend on. And this is why the album is called Simma, because the King is still here.
When it comes to the younger, rising generation of dancehall artists, who do you think are the emerging leaders?
Wow. Alright. I listen to Skeng. I listen to Skillibeng — sometimes I listen to him and laugh because I find him really hilarious. Valiant. Popcaan and dem are still my young artists dem still. They’re who I really listen to. You see, artists with substance and artists that make sense and take my brain somewhere. I don’t really listen to much new dancehall. I don’t — like, seriously. I’ll put in a Lauryn Hill CD and listen to that.
When did you first see the #SimmaChallenge online?
Well, somebody showed me, yuh know, because mi nuh pon di phone. [Laughs.] And then mi see a next person do it, and mi see another person doing it, and mi see dem still doing it. Then the challenge getting bigger and bigger. So, that’s the reason why I talk about songs with substance. The song outlasts you.
Alright, suppose I never have the courage fi still doing music, I would never have a new album. But the songs that I did from before gimme di courage fi know I can still do what I’m doing. You have to make songs with substance. Songs [where] we can hear inspiration, songs that can inspire you. You inspire your own self!
And I think that was really reflected at the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn over Labor Day Weekend. I heard different songs of yours all the time while I was out there.
Exactly. Alright, Bob Marley sing reggae. Mi sing dancehall. Bob Marley the King of Reggae, I’m the King of Dancehall.
I want to know the story behind that plane performance! They weren’t lit enough for you!
It’s not a story behind it! Mi leave out mi seat, mi wan look fuh mi band members. So, I went down there and everybody was sleeping. So mi wake up alla di band members dem and everything. But by waking them up, mi a wake up everybody. By the time we reach through di place fi go through the door for first class, everybody a seh, “You have to give something!” So, mi a seh, “What??” Because myself, I was sleeping. So, I said, “Give me something.” So, I’m just standing around and start [singing the opening of “Who Am I”] and the plane start sing.
It never plan. It’s just something that happened.
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Were you able to attend to Caribbean Music Awards the other week (Aug. 31)?
No, mi never able to see it. But I can remember the first time I win one of those. 1995. It’s been going on for a long time. I went up against Capleton, [starts singing Capleton’s “Tour”]. It was live on TV in America in New York, a matter of fact.
For those awards shows, I really feel appreciative of them — because they’re giving us the opportunity so we can work harder to become the people that we are today. People appreciate your work, so all yuh haffi do is just give thanks and appreciate what they’re doing. So, I do respect the Caribbean Music Awards and all the years it’s been going. Sorry I don’t have a visa to be there!
In light of the Bob Marley biopic hitting theaters soon, what are your thoughts on who gets to tell the stories of our Caribbean icons and legends, and how those stories get told?
Bob Marley have over five sons that coulda play Bob Marley, cause alla dem look like him. But dem decide fi use somebody else. Really don’t make no sense. Well, it’s a Bob Marley movie. Mi wait till mi can get it inna my circle. But, I think dem shoulda use Skip Marley, who is the last Marley. Or use Stephen Marley or Ziggy Marley or Julian Marley. But Bob Marley a Bob Marley. If you make a movie about Bob Marley, everybody wan see it.
Since you have reached the highest heights that dancehall, and music in general, has to offer, do you have any advice for younger dancehall artists who are looking to follow in your footsteps?
Two: Work hard in the studio and work harder onstage. Because onstage, people remember you the person, and in the studio, people remember the songs. But if you don’t work harder onstage people will not remember you as an individual, but people will always remember your songs.
Michael Jackson mek an album every two years, but people still remember him for his performance. I nuh care how many hits Michael Jackson sing, it’s never greater than that Moonwalk. Never greater than that backslide. Yuh see Michael Jackson with spandex? Nobody remember dat. They remember di performance! [Laughs.]
Elvis Presley was the greatest entertainer before Michael Jackson. Dem still remember Elvis as in performance, not in song. When yuh go in Las Vegas, yuh find 10 Elvis Presley shows, because of his performance. That is my only advice to any artist.
Jamaican pop star Shenseea caught up with Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly to reflect on her journey from aspiring artist to Coachella stage commander.
During her set, Shenseea brought out “Players” rapper Coi Leray to perform a remix of the hit single alongside Dominican phenom, Tokischa. “Last year I came as a patron and now this year I’m performing,” Shenseea says. “I did not see it coming.”
The singer just released her latest single, “Curious,” which she hoped would serve to bridge the space between dancehall’s roots and its future. “I wanted to bring back a nostalgic feeling with the old school Dancehall and mix it with modern sound,” she explains. “A lot of people who know about the culture is like ‘Yo, we haven’t heard this sound in a long time,’ and that’s exactly what we were aiming for.”
The track’s steamy music video shows the 26-year-old in a number of attention-grabbing looks, as she drips in honey and grooves alongside a team of dancers. The YouTube video has already garnered 3.5 million views since its April 13 premiere.
Shenseea also released an impressive freestyle to Akon’s “Locked Up” earlier this month, shouting out her 7-year-old son with the memorable line, “Hard fi hold my tongue, sorry, I’m just a mom/ Tell di baby mother mi will go ah jail fi mi son.”
“When it comes down to my kid I don’t play,” she says. In 2022, Shenseea’s son walked the BBMA red carpet alongside mom, draped in a dapper gold and black suit and aviator sunglasses. The singer also teased new music alongside major features, adding to her long list of co-signers including Megan Thee Stallion, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and 21 Savage. “I believe in myself but seeing other people believe in me who are ahead of the game, It feels amazing.”
“I’ve been waiting on this moment for such a long time,” she says of her rise. “I just gotta give God thanks and try to relish the moment because it’s going by pretty fast.”
From its grim, cinematic observations about the apocalypse on opening track “Five Years” to the haunting reassurance that we’re not alone on concluding song “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide,” David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a masterpiece that’s often hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time.
The glam rock classic, loosely based around the narrative of a red-headed, androgynous, extraterrestrial rock star, quickly elevated Bowie to superstar status in 1972. Fifty-one years later, Ziggy Stardust has received a spectacular reggae recasting: Ziggy Stardub, a new album by the Easy Star All-Stars, due April 21 on Easy Star Records. It’s the latest in the New York City-based independent’s series of reggae tributes to landmark rock and pop albums. Other titles include 2012’s Thrillah (based on Michael Jackson’s blockbuster Thriller) and the series’ best-selling release, 2003’s Dub Side of the Moon (inspired by Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon).
“Ziggy Stardub is like taking David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars band [bassist Trevor Bolden, guitarist Mick Ronson and the sole surviving member, drummer Michael “Woody” Woodmansey] on an airplane traveling back to Jamaica in the late 1970s; what would happen if we did that? People aren’t used to hearing music they are familiar with in a totally different light, but hopefully, they’ll come along for that ride with us,” explains Michael Goldwasser, the producer and arranger of Ziggy Stardub (and the other Easy Star tribute albums. Goldwasser is also a co-founder of Easy Star Records with Lem Oppenheimer, Eric Smith and Remy Gerstein, and is bandleader, producer and multi-instrumentalist for the Easy Star All-Stars). “All of our tributes start with great source material because it always comes down to the songs, and the great artists we work with.”
Each of the featured vocalists on Ziggy Stardub brings their distinctive styling to Bowie’s powerful, otherworldly lyrical imagery. British lover’s rock crooner Maxi Priest delivers a smooth, soul-inflected rendition of the “hazy cosmic jive” that is “Starman,” Ziggy Stardub’s first single; veteran Brooklyn/Jamaican singer Carlton Livingston’s joyous take on “Star” incorporates a rollicking ska tempo mixed with 1950s rock n’ roll; “Hang On To Yourself,” featuring Fishbone, Johnny Go Figure and Living Color’s Vernon Reid, fuses early digital dancehall sonics into soaring rock riffs; Macy Gray offers a gritty interpretation of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide”; and British reggae band The Skints bring the requisite crunching guitars to “Ziggy Stardust.” Representing a younger generation of Jamaican singers, Mortimer’s exquisite vocals capture the essence of “Soul Love” and Naomi Cowan integrates a “rock and rollin’ bitch” persona into her gorgeously trippy reading of “Moonage Daydream,” complemented by Alex Lifeson’s blistering guitar lead.
As a teenager in England in the 1970s, David Hinds — lead singer/songwriter and founding member of Grammy-winning British reggae band Steel Pulse — describes David Bowie’s influence as inescapable. Even so, he never heard “Five Years” prior to Easy Star presenting it to him. To gain a greater understanding of Bowie’s artistry while recording the song, Hinds abandoned his usual approach to executing melody and syncopation. “Steel Pulse is all about rhyme, bounce, singing on a particular rhythm; with the Bowie song, it was about expressing word by word, phonic by phonic, syllable by syllable, without that being too overdone,” Hinds tells Billboard. “In making that effort, I experienced what Bowie was about, and I just hope justice was done to the song.” The restrained anger in Hinds’ vocals conveys Bowie’s striking, poetic vision of Armageddon, punctuated by the evocative lyric, “Five years, that’s all we got.”
Ostensibly, there’s little sonic overlap between reggae’s roots rock and British glam rock, yet Goldwasser’s nuanced, layered arrangements and crisp production create an expansive common ground, seamlessly meshing the originals’ celestial impressions with signature Jamaican sounds, including thunderous basslines, bubbling keyboards and flying cymbal drum patterns. “When working within the framework of a song with an established melody and harmonic structure, I consider what to include or interpolate; that’s why the tribute albums take longer than the original albums I have produced,” says Goldwasser. “I put in many interesting details to give the listener something different to focus on each time. I treat these tribute albums with reverence and humor: music should be fun, but I have reverence for the original material, and anyone listening will recognize both of those facets.”
Goldwasser’s admiration for the original songs and his meticulousness in transforming them into finely sculpted reggae tracks for Easy Star tribute albums has turned many rock fans into reggae enthusiasts. “Before the release of Dub Side of the Moon, we got hate from people on Pink Floyd and classic rock message boards who said things like ‘Dark Side of the Moon is sacred, how dare they?’ After the album came out, on those same message boards, people said ‘Easy Star did a great job.’ People have told me that listening to our tribute albums got them into reggae. That’s part of Easy Star’s mission: to break down barriers. If you can open your mind and your heart to different music, you can open your mind and your heart to different people.”
The Bob Marley interactive exhibition “One Love Experience” has been extended for an additional four weeks in its current Los Angeles home at the Ovation Hollywood, its producers announced today (March 14). The exhibit, which opened Jan. 27, was originally slated to run until April 23, but now will close after May 21.
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The “One Love Experience” spans multiple rooms across some 15,000 square feet, and includes the full Marley archive of previously-unseen photos and memorabilia, and a 2,000-square foot One Love Forest, which is an immersive trip through Marley’s Jamaica, complete with cannabis garden and “a giant joint,” according to a press release. There’s also a Soul Shakedown studio with a silent disco for fans who want to grab a pair of headphones and street artwork from the likes of Mr. Brainwash, The Postman, Camoworks, Idiotbox and others, as well as a section commemorating the enduring legacy of Marley through his family’s works and charitable endeavors, among other components.
The exhibit initially launched in London in February 2022, spending 10 weeks at the Saatchi Gallery in the city, before moving to Toronto, where it spent 16 weeks at the Lighthouse Immersive Artspace. The exhibit is produced by the Marley family and Terrapin Station Entertainment, a division of Sony Music.
“Extending the exhibit in Los Angeles will give even more people the opportunity to come and feel the positive vibrations,” exhibit producer Jonathan Shank of Terrapin Station Entertainment said in a statement to Billboard. “We’ve had so many people from all over the world and of all ages come through and we’re thrilled that it’s been so well received.”
As the exhibit has gone on, additional features have been added. On weekends, fans can reserve a tour from reggae historian and author Roger Steffens, who guides attendees through the exhibit; meanwhile, for the additional four weeks that it will run, there are now One Love DJ Nights each Friday night, with sets from Marley granddaughter Sachia Päyne and Afro Funke DJs Garth Trinidad, Jeremy Sole, Glenn Red and Francesca Harding. And, of course, there will be a special event on 4/20.
“After successful runs in London and Toronto, we are thrilled that L.A. is looking to be the biggest city yet for the Bob Marley One Love Experience,” Shank added. “The extension just shows how powerful the Marley legacy continues to be and alongside all the critical praise and positive reviews the exhibit has received, it was a natural decision to keep the doors open at Ovation Hollywood.”
Reggae brings vivid images to mind. Stripes in red, gold, black and green. Sun-kissed palms lining shores of the Caribbean Sea. Bob Marley’s dreads shaking to the beat.
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Less common is that of Jimmy Cliff in a slouched mustard cap, brandishing a gun in each hand, with all the smooth cool of Shaft meets John Wayne. That iconic, hand-drawn image graced the poster for Peter Henzell’s 1972 film The Harder They Come starring Jimmy Cliff, the Jamaican singer-actor who also performed half of the hit soundtrack. Arriving before Marley became an international phenomenon, The Harder They Come is widely credited with introducing reggae to global listeners.
It was also Jamaica’s first feature film, released a decade after the nation’s independence from the U.K. Fifty years later, on the golden anniversary of its New York release, The Harder They Come officially opens on March 15 as an off-Broadway musical stage adaptation at The Public Theater in New York City (the show is currently in previews). Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks pens the book; Tony Award nominee Tony Taccone directs; Tony Award winner Sergio Trujillo co-directs; Kenny Seymour is the music supervisor; and choreography comes from Edgar Godineaux.
In keeping with the film, The Harder They Come tells the story of aspiring singer, Ivanhoe Martin, with Natey Jones playing Cliff’s original role. A rural fish-out-of-water who arrives in Kingston eager to realize starlit dreams, he falls in love and manages to cut a record, but finds his ambitions thwarted by gatekeepers and rigged systems. Ivan relentlessly fights to assert agency over his own existence, becoming both outlaw and local hero in the process. His record ascends to anthem status, a rallying cry of uplift that sweeps the island.
The original soundtrack’s reception mirrored the film’s plot, changing the soundscape of global music by popularizing the vigorous percussion, upbeat skank stroke and the hypnotic 4/4 tempo found in reggae. Its sonic and cultural influence spans decades and genres—influencing everyone from DJ Kool Herc to The Rolling Stones to Maroon 5 to Beyoncé.
Reflection upon these layers of legacy and relevance were at the heart of this adaptation. “It’s about the right for someone to sing their song,” says Parks. “It’s such an important film to world culture, and to the people of Jamaica. So we came with respect. We’re not reinventing the wheel, but we are rolling the wheel forward.”
The play flushes out the film’s minor and supporting characters, giving nuanced and elevated considerations to everyone’s stories. Elsa, Ivan’s love interest played by Meecah, is given her own songs. Ivan’s mother, Daisy, who originally appeared in a single scene, has a show-length arc witnessing Ivan’s journey. The policeman with whom Ivan comes in fatal contact is mourned on stage. “The shooting is an accident. We don’t glorify that beat in the show. Ivan is the hero, but there can be more than one. Everyone has a point of view that’s interesting and worth hearing,” Parks notes.
This philosophy of multiplicity, that various perspectives are worth showcasing and reexamining, resounds in the setlist as well. Fans of the original soundtrack will hear all the familiar favorites, but in a new order and with additional music stitched in. “Many Rivers to Cross,” for example, is deftly shifted to an emotional and climactic moment. Repurposed gospel hymns heighten the narrative—such as Ivan and Elsa falling in love to “Just A Closer Walk With Thee.”
Natey Jones (center) and the company of the world premiere musical The Harder They Come, with book and additional new songs by Suzan-Lori Parks, songs by Jimmy Cliff, co-direction by Sergio Trujillo, and direction by Tony Taccone, at The Public Theater.
Joan Marcus
As much for style as necessity Parks admits, “in the musical, the joyous challenge is assuring the music makes sense coming out of characters’ mouths. It’s not an easy thing to do. You can hear a song in the background during a film scene, and that’s cool. In a musical the character has to turn to you and sing that song.
“I was writing the script with one hand while flipping through Jimmy Cliff’s catalog. Our show has many songs from his brilliant catalog that aren’t on the original soundtrack. We’ve also got classic hits from Toots and The Maytals and Desmond Dekker. When we needed a song that I couldn’t find in the treasure troves of Jamaican classics, I wrote one. So I’ve written three songs for the show.”
The task of blending it all together into a seamless sonic experience fell to music supervisor, orchestrator and arranger Seymour.
“I liken music to an engine with many moving parts. Every part has a roll, like pistons firing at the right time. It’s a balance. There are so many iconic songs in the show, and they stem from a cultural movement. People are most familiar with the one drop every third beat, but that’s not all there is,” he says.
Reggae has its own history within Jamaican music. Ska developed first in the 1950s combining mento, calypso, jazz and rhythm and blues. Rocksteady then dominated Jamaica’s dance scene of the mid-1960s. All three dynamic styles are celebrated in The Harder They Come, with Seymour highlighting instruments like the bubble organ and reggae’s famed bass guitar. “They each have nuances and intricacies. Approaching this piece, first and foremost, was about maintaining the musical and cultural integrity,” Seymour affirms.
Though the show takes place in the ’70s, contemporary beats are also woven into the production’s sound. Says Seymour, “Everything from dancehall to dub is a part of the reggae Jamaican culture. They all play a part, and where they are introduced is very slick. There will be something for everybody. Speaking to today’s audience, this is going to spark old memories and make new ones.”
Godineaux has also taken care to infuse the choreography with traditional and contemporary styles of dance. As dance was not part of the original film, Godineaux steered away from the musical theater template to reflect Jamaican culture as much as possible.
“You have to show this world and who these people are not only with their words, but in their body language. It was like creating a whole new genre for this story. That was the best part for me.
“There is a lot of movement that goes with the reggae vibe, but the most authentic has a lot of gyration. Everything involves the pelvis, a sense of inner going out. A lot of people see that as vulgarity, but that’s not what this culture is about. It’s more about intimacy, wearing your heart on your sleeve. It’s about enjoying life, feeling the spiritual side of life, and emanating that to anyone next to you whether dancing or just conversing with them,” he proposes.
The thematic notion of faith, woven throughout this production, will perhaps be the most notable update for familiar fans. While church life is at the fabric of Jamaican society, its role was barely touched upon in the film other than Ivan’s first adversary being a preacher. Yet in the lyrics of the film and play’s title song Ivan sings, “They tell me there’s a pie up in the sky / Waiting for me when I die / But between the day you’re born and when you die / No one ever seems to hear you cry.”
The creative team teases out that conflict and some thoughtful convergences between the secular and the religious in this adaptation. Parks recalls saying to Meecah, “Remember that in his day, Jesus was the ultimate revolutionary. The fact that Elsa’s falling for the bad boy isn’t so far off base from what she believes in every Sunday.”
Godineaux speaks fondly of a rehearsal moment with the cast. “I did a lot of research for this piece, speaking with people like Kwame Dawes. He helped me understand more about Kumina, which is a spiritual connection to the culture from a dance perspective.”
The Kumina religion, of which music and dance are paramount, was brought to Jamaica by enslaved people of the Congo region in West Africa. The drumming heard in its ceremonies influenced Rastafarian music, creating a direct through line to the rhythms of reggae.
“In Act 2 we have what I call The Blessing of The Soil. When the cast members, many people of Jamaican descent, saw me add that movement they said, ‘You’re blessing the land! My grandparents said that’s what you have to do to get things to grow.’ I put that in the movement because I thought that’s something people of all cultures could recognize and connect to.”
Chelsea-Ann Jones, Dana Marie Ingraham, Morgan McGhee, Natey Jones, and Housso Semon in the world premiere musical The Harder They Come, with book and additional new songs by Suzan-Lori Parks, songs by Jimmy Cliff, co-direction by Sergio Trujillo, and direction by Tony Taccone, at The Public Theater.
Joan Marcus
Connectivity—between past and present, local and worldwide, individual spirit and communal belonging—is at the core of this story, both within its narrative and enduring legacy. It is a testament to the power of one song, one rhythmic drop, to make sonic tsunamis ripple across oceans.
Says Parks, “The Harder They Come is an uplifting, affirming show. Once the music starts, it never stops. You see the exuberance of a community and you’re reminded of your own. Wherever you come from, whoever you are. It’s got a groove that’s undeniable.”
The Jamaica Reggae Industry Association’s JaRIA Honour Awards return on April 10 in Kingston, Jamaica. This year, the show will honor Dawn Penn, Horace Andy and Shaggy with the icon award, as announced Sunday (Feb. 26) in Saint Andrew, Kingston, Jamaica.
Twenty-six of the awardees have already been announced in 16 categories; on April 10, all 31 winners (in 19 categories) will be revealed. One of the already revealed honorees is Billboard, which is being recognized in the extraordinary impact on the reggae industry (media—new media) category.
In addition to several reggae charts, Billboard has covered the pioneers and newcomers in the reggae genre for decades, conducting interviews with legends like Ernest Ranglin as well as rising stars like Grammy winner Koffee – many of them coming from the pen of Billboard contributor and reggae authority Patricia Meschino. Additionally, a comprehensive 2020 cover story detailed the Marley family’s business as it celebrated Bob Marley’s 75th birthday amid a pandemic.
The JaRIA Honour Awards began in 2009. The ceremony honors people, groups and institutions that contribute to the development of the reggae music industry.
One of the JaRIA 2023 icon awards honorees is no stranger to the Billboard charts. Shaggy has topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart twice (with “Angel” and “It Wasn’t Me”), and his 2018 collaborative album with Sting, 44/876, spent 23 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart. Trend-setting singer Dawn Penn’s “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No)” was a Hot 100 hit in 1994, and revered singer-songwriter Horace Andy contributed to several Billboard 200-charting albums from trip-hop outfit Massive Attack.
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The reggae world is in shock as Jo Mersa Marley, the grandson of the legendary Bob Marley has been reported dead at the age of 31.
According to reports, a representative for the young singer confirmed his passing to Rolling Stone. This was after Kingston, Jamaica-based journalist Abka Fitz-Henley first reported on the passing via his Twitter account, stating that Marley had passed away in the U.S. after being “found unresponsive in a vehicle.” He leaves behind a wife and daughter.
WZPP, a South Florida radio station, would report on the “Burn It Down” singer’s death in a post on Instagram stating that it was due to an asthma attack without adding further details. Marley’s representative did not provide further comment when first contacted by the press.
The grandson of Bob and Rita Marley and son of Stephen Marley, Jo Mersa was born Joseph Marley March 12 in Kingston, Jamaica. He moved to Florida during his high school years and studied audio engineering at Miami Dade College. He made his musical debut in 2010 on the song “My Girl,” a collaborative track with his cousin, Daniel Bambaataa Marley. He would go on to release an EP entitled Comfortable in 2014 and release his debut album Eternal in 2021.
In an interview with Rolling Stone at the time of his debut, the young Marley spoke about his iconic grandfather and family legacy. “I am one of the new generation of Marleys, but I am still experimenting at the same time,” he said, adding: “My plan is to do something new with my roots.”
In another interview with the outlet Reggaeville in 2021, he would talk further about that impact. “We always hear those reflections, speaking about those things, about the role that he played not only as family member and father, but also in the world and the impact he had on the Reggae community and the Reggae culture, the roots, bringing forward the message of Rastafari and love, over all love.”
A massive immersive experience celebrating Bob Marley is heading for its U.S. premiere early next year, complete with photographs, lots of music and even a pair of the reggae giant’s footwear.
The multi-room exhibit “Bob Marley: One Love Experience” will open in Los Angeles on Jan. 27 at Ovation Hollywood, following runs in London and Toronto. The 15,000-square foot (1,393-square meter) experience includes previously unseen photographs, concert videos, lyric sheets, rare memorabilia like guitars, a soccer jersey, sneakers and art that highlight Marley’s influence. There are also a Marley-branded jukebox and a few foosball tables. One area celebrates the Marley family’s legacy and philanthropy.
Inside, a 2,000-square foot (185-square meter) One Love Forest promises to take visitors on a trip to Jamaica in a multi-sensory environment, which also features a cannabis garden. Fans are greeted with headphones at the Soul Shakedown studio to groove out to the curated playlist in the silent disco. Tickets are available exclusively via Fever on Dec. 7.
Born in rural Jamaica in 1945, Marley rose from the gritty Kingston slum of Trench Town to global stardom in the 1970s with hits like “No Woman, No Cry,” ″Get Up, Stand Up,” and “I Shot the Sheriff.” His lyrics promoting social justice and African unity made him an icon in Jamaica and other countries. He died from cancer in 1981 at age 36.
“After being in London and Toronto, it’s going to be amazing bringing the experience here to the U.S. for the first time and just steps from Daddy’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” Cedella Marley, CEO of Bob Marley Group, said in a statement. The exhibit is produced by the Marley Family and Terrapin Station Entertainment.
Immersive experiences are all the rage these days, with traveling, projection-driven exhibits of King Tut, Vincent Van Gogh, Gustav Klimt, Frida Kahlo and Claude Monet, just to name a few.
