The 22 Best Dancehall And Reggae Albums Of 2022
Countless artists spent the first two years of the decade waiting. They waited to return; they waited until their newly recorded music could greet live audiences.
Nicholas Nam 🇯🇲
Articles by Nicholas Nam
Shaggy Touts The ‘Strategic’ Power Of Familiar Samples
There’s a common thread running through most of Shaggy’s crossover hits. It’s a familiarity drawn from the work of others, aimed at disarming listeners and luring ears toward his updated sounds and styles.
Sizzla’s ‘Praise Ye Jah’ Remastered For Album’s 25th Anniversary
XTM.Nation has re-released Sizzla and Philip ‘Fatis’ Burrell’s Praise Ye Jah, in celebration of the album’s 25th anniversary.
Shaggy On How He’s Helping To Change Dancehall’s Numbers, And Still Being The Underdog — 40 Million Record Sales Later
A 1993 trip to Brazil opened Shaggy’s eyes to how big Reggae could be. Maxi Priest had invited the then-rising artist to join him onstage at Rock in Rio, a major music festival which that year featured acts like Nirvana, Aerosmith, and Simply Red on the line-up.
MeLo-X On Working With Beyoncé, Putting Dancehall At The Forefront Of His Next Album
Since 2014, the multimedia artist MeLo-X has gone from uploading unofficial remixes of Beyoncé songs to becoming one of the superstar’s steady collaborators.
Interview: UK Filmmaker Nathan Miller Opens The ‘Trap’ On Dancehall’s New Generation
Much to the alarm of its opponents, Trap Dancehall seems to be here to stay – at least until a new youth-driven sound arrives to replace it.
Recap: New Wave Block Party
Loud night in Kingston. Walking into Di Lot on a Sunday like this could crank anyone’s senses into overdrive.
VP Releases ‘Strictly The Best’ Vol. 62
VP Records has released Strictly The Best Vol. 62, the latest entry in the longstanding Reggae and Dancehall compilation series.
IzyBeats On Making Hits And Finally Putting Out His Debut EP ‘Edgehill’
In late 2018, IzyBeats considered changing career paths. The Jamaican producer born Andron Cross began making beats in 2001, and though he established a local buzz in Miami and scored a few songs with Vybz Kartel, he still hadn’t found the hit he was chasing.
Listen: Philip “Fatis” Burrell’s Previously Unreleased Songs & Highlights From Sizzla, Beres, Capleton, Wayne Wonder & More
The XTM.Nation label has released a new posthumous compilation from Philip ‘Fatis’ Burrell, the influential Jamaican producer who passed away in 2011 at age 57.
Riddims That Slapped: Jeremy Harding’s ‘Playground’ Marks 25th Anniversary
This article is the second in a monthly series that will revisit ‘Dancehall Riddims That Slapped.’
Interview: Prince Swanny Gets Real About His Sound And New Album ‘Swanology’
The youth music of Trinidad & Tobago has undergone seismic shifts in recent years, and the Port-of-Spain artist Prince Swanny has been a guiding force in that transition.
Nyanda, Of Brick & Lace, Talks ‘Love Is Wicked’ Going Viral Again, Label Troubles And Plans For The Future
In recent months, the Jamaican duo Brick & Lace has been figuring out how to handle their sudden popularity boom.
Three Of Sizzla’s Greatest Albums Reach Big Milestones
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Sizzla’s Black Woman & Child and the 20th anniversary of Da Real Thing, both produced by Robert “Bobby Digital” Dixon, who died in 2020.
Stick Figure’s Billboard Success Is A Lesson In Commitment And Patience, Say Managers
Stick Figure’s music tends to elicit vivid testimonials. In YouTube comments, many fans share how the Reggae band’s songs helped them wade through the currents of grief and depression.
Interview: Runkus On ‘Out:Side’, Jamaican Concept Records And More
In 2017, BBC 1Xtra offered the spotlight to the Portmore artist Runkus with a freestyle session hosted by the English producer Toddla T.
Riddims That Slapped: Richard ‘Shams’ Browne’s ‘Orgasm’
In 2000, as fans awaited Buju Banton to take the stage in Germany, the Orgasm riddim came roaring out of the venue’s main speakers.
Stefflon Don Says Spice Is ‘Queen of Dancehall’ Even Though Her Streaming Numbers Are Higher
British Jamaican rapper Stefflon Don says that regardless of streaming numbers, Spice alone has a claim to the title “Queen of Dancehall.”
Kalpee Talks Island Wave And Underrepresentation Of Caribbean Music
In Trinidad, Kalpee was starved of creative resources and worn down by cultural expectations. Beyond the island’s shores, he felt the strain of underrepresentation.
Di Genius Says A Shenseea, Jada Kingdom Collab Would Be “Amazing”
As Dancehall artists war over ‘top ranking’ status at home, they stand to miss out on collective success abroad, says producer Stephen ‘Di Genius’ McGregor.