Album Release

One of reggae’s most prolific artists Sizzla returns with his 70th album The Messiah on May 28th (Kalonji Music/VP Records). Since his emergence in 1995, the enigmatic vocalist has undeniably put his stamp on the genre regardless of the current style or trend. His latest effort showcases his musical depth, passion and precision in partnership with Bread Back productions. Mostly written and executive produced by Sizzla himself, Kalonji’s full scope of talents are displayed on The Messiah. With a fresh perspective in 2013, the man on a musical mission inspires positive change worldwide on this 15-track collection. His social commentary on songs like “Chant Dem Down,” “No Wicked Man” and “Psalms 121″ reveal his daring bravado and...

Caribbean songbird Jalena makes a splash with the new video for her provocative hit single, "1 Night Stand." The song was officially released on Jalena's Bad Reputation album, back in May 2012. It is the third full-length studio effort from this eclectic singer and songwriter from Tortola, British Virgin Islands, who effortlessly blends R&B and pop with reggae undertones, giving fans a taste of her diverse island heritage and fusion sound. 1 Night Stand has tongues wagging with its suggestive title, and tackles a subject Jalena felt needed to be addressed. "I wrote this song because it's a topic that hasn't really been broached upon from a female perspective," she reveals. "I can certainly relate to it and it was surprising to see...

Snoop lion is set to realease his first ever reggae LP, ‘Reincarnated’. It is set to be released April 22, 2013. The album is set to feature the likes of both Movadao and Popcaan which we’ve already heard, but will also feature Rita Ora, Akon, Chris Brown, T.I., Busta Rhymes, Angela Hunte, and Young Money rapper Drake. Reincarnated will feature the tracks No Guns Allowed and Ashtrays And Heartbreaks and be made available to pre-order on iTunes from April 2. Snoop Lion stated

left to right - Richard "Digital One" Roache, Michael "MadVibez" Thompson and Gary "Shanguly" Samuels In the fast pace world of dancehall riddims, it's easy to get lost in a musical haze. Riddims come and go as fast as the blink of an eye, and great music can get lost in the midst. Coming from an era where one took time to enjoy and savor the music, Digital Vibez longs for a return to one of dancehall favorite eras, the 90's. Although Digital Vibez Entertainment is fairly new as a unit, 2 of its members are veterans in the dancehall and reggae arena. Digital Vibes Entertainment consists of veteran producer and manager Richard "Digital One" Roache and chart topping Billboard Engineer, Musician, Producer and Song Writer Gary...

Dancehall and Reggae star Christopher Martin debut his new video "Mi Friend Dem" today. The video directed by Ruption RD Studios features cameos by the fastest man in the world "Usain Bolt", Dancehall artist "Konshens", Jamaican Olympic athlete "Jermaine Gonzalez", legendary producer Suku of "Ward 21", Radio DJ and producer "ZJ Liquid", top radio DJ and fan favorite "ZJ Sparks". The song on the 21st Hapilos Productions "Corner Shop" riddim was an instant success and made it's way to charts both locally and internationally. The Corner Shop riddim was created by Adde instrumentals & JR Blender, and mixed and by mastered JR Blender. The Corner Shop riddim also features top Caribbean artist for this international one drop riddim. J...

New Brand Music presents Grammy nominated Luciano alongside Grammy nominated Chuckle Berry once again on the Pretty Looks Riddim with the much anticipated follow up to their #1 single, Real Life (Remix) - (New Brand Music - Pick Up The Pieces Riddim 2012-2013). "Rude Bwoy" is a hard-hitting universal message delivered with precision by two artists at the top of their game. This powerful track is already charting internationally via pre release! Give it one listen and you be the judge! The original version entitled "Live By De Gun, Die By De Gun" by Luciano appears on the New Brand Music release "Eyewater" which also features Gyptian, Da'Ville, Lutan Fyah, Exco Levi and many more. <object width="400" height="150"><param...

The legendary 5-piece reggae group Morgan Heritage release their brand new digital EP The Return on September 25. After various solo projects, Morgan Heritage is also preparing for their first new studio album in four years, slated to drop at the top of 2013. The 4-song EP, produced by Shane Brown, gives fans a taste of whats to come and is on the heels of the group's massively successful Europe tour spanning Holland, Sweden, France, Italy, England Belgium, Spain and Poland. The band rocked major stage shows including The Garance Reggae festival to over 50,000 fans in the south of France and Indigo2 at London's famed O2 arena during the 2012 Olympic Games. Incorporating live footage from the tour and on the road, Morgan Heritage...

Jamaican-born production team Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson and Cleveland “Clevie” Browne are more than producers – they are pioneers of dancehall reggae’s digital age. Thus, it is only fitting that this compilation album featuring their top hits is deemed Digital Revolution, set for release on January 25, 2011 from 17 North Parade, a division of VP Records. Having built their world-renowned reputations as studio musicians, with Steely playing keyboards and Clevie playing drums, the duo rose to prominence as the house band at King Jammy’s studio at the time when drum machines were first introduced on reggae records. They quickly became Jamaica’s hottest production team and together forged a sound that would rule the dancehall scene for...

T.I has announced the release date of his eighth studio album Trouble Man and its December 18th, a perfect New Year gift for his fans. T.I has been working hard ever since he came out of prison last year after a nine-month prison term on gun charges. T.I arrived at BET’s 106 & Park to speak on his BET Hip-Hop Awards nomination and he let this information drop during the conversation. T.I has DJ Toomp, Pharrell Williams, Andre 3000, and Cee Lo Green appearing on the album. T.I also hinted that this could be his last rap album; he believes rap is not what it used to be.

Barbadian born singer/songwriter Nyron debuts his music to the world with his EP on July 31, 2012. Determined to give the world a sample of his sounds, the EP contains three tracks spanning three genres, and will be available digitally worldwide with distribution from FOX FUSE. A Barbadian breeding led to a diverse musical portfolio for this budding artist, who harbors strong backgrounds in the R&B, pop and soca genres. With the goal of giving fans a solid introduction to his versatility, each song on the EP explores a different genre, and presents an artist without boundaries. "My music speaks to life's emotions," reveals Nyron. "When I write and record my music, I must be able to take the listener on a journey. Music is the...

With his debut album on the horizon, MasSicker has teamed up with the upcoming reggae/pop sensation Jemere Morgan on his remix of "Come Right Back" originally released on Seanizzle's Split Personality rhythm "It was a natural thing" says Mas. "From mi link with Jemere he made it clear that he's a big time fan of the sounds, "Come Right Back" in particular, and I've also been following his thing and feeling his tune particularly "Paradise" over Delly Ranx's Turnpike Riddim and "Sunshine Glow". Since we both walk that line of Reggae/R&B favor it was a combination that just made perfect sense" With so much drama in the dancehall as of late, it is amazing that this young artiste has managed to stay so quietly focused on his craft...

VP Records is set to release the 20th edition of the best-selling annual reggae compilation Reggae Gold. The June 26th release of Reggae Gold 2012 will mark this achievement with a two disc set offering double the hits. The deluxe package includes a commemorative sticker and 15” x 10” fold out poster of the this year’s Reggae Gold cover girls. The compilation’s first disc carries on the Reggae Gold tradition with the year’s most popular reggae hits. Highlights include Sean Paul’s latest single “She Doesn’t Mind,” Jamaica’s hottest newcomer Popcaan’s “Only Man She Want“ and 4 newly commissioned exclusive songs including Busy Signal's “Kingston Town (Remix)” featuring Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley, Tarrus Riley's "Not Missing You," Etana's...

The iconic Jamaican producers, Cleveland “Clevie” Browne and Wyclef “Steely” Johnson, created a rich catalog throughout their 30-year partnership. Steely and Clevie were best known for their 80s and 90s hits which helped revolutionize the digital dancehall era, but the duo created a impressive body of work in the early 2000s (before Steely passed away in 2009) that never saw the light of day until Memories. The album was released on September 6 by VP Records, Memories is a collection of classic hits from the late 60s & 70s revamped with Steely and Clevie's contemporary production. Many of the original vocalists remain on the songs including John Holt, Leroy Sibbles (lead singer of The Heptones), Ken Boothe and The Chantells, while...

Whether it’s currently on the top of the Jamaican charts, a huge underground seller on the streets or the massive club jam sweeping the dancehalls, Strictly The Best’s annual series provides the hottest catalog of dancehall/reggae music for the fall, winter and new year to come. On November 22, VP Records’ will unleash their latest installments – Strictly The Best Vol. 44 and Vol. 45. Strictly the Best Vol. 44 rallies the most in-demand roots and lover’s rock singers for a must-have set from artists like Beres Hammond, Tarrus Riley, Gyptian, Queen Ifrica, Freddie McGregor, and Etana, while Strictly the Best Vol. 45 contains the season’s most popular, cutting-edge dancehall anthems, banging in the clubs and on Caribbean radio from...

Rocksteady Legends The Tennors are pleased to announce the release of Jamaica 50. The single’s release comes almost four months before Jamaica’s independence. “Music can take a long time to circle the globe. We wanted to make sure that Jamaica 50 wouldn’t be a song that is played for a week at independence, but that it instead got a chance to seep into the hearts and minds of the people”, said founding member George Murphy aka Clive Tennors. The Tennors are best known for their smash hits Pressure and Slide, Cleopatra and Ride Yuh Donkey. The trio recently reunited after a 35 year hiatus. Along with Murphy, the group includes original member Ronnie Davis (who was also a member of The Itals) and new member Henry “Sadiki” Buckley, Jr...

Due to the overwhelming response from fans and industry alike, Busy Signal's benchmark album Reggae Music Again will be available digitally and in stores throughout the Caribbean on April 10. The U.S. in-store release date remains on April 24. This forthcoming album on VP Records shows the dancehall artist in a new light as he pays homage to his roots with a full set of traditional reggae songs. Better known for his sharp-spitting rhymes on hardcore dancehall hits like "Tic Toc" (remixed by M.I.A. and Rye Rye) and "Wine Pon De Edge," Busy Signal emerges as a charismatic roots reggae artist. The intricate, multi-layered one-drop rhythms heard on Reggae Music Again werecreated by some of Jamaica's most acclaimed musicians (Kirk...

Hailing from California’s Bay Area, Groundation will unleash their new studio album, entitled Building An Ark, on April 24, 2012 via Dub Rockers/VP/Universal Music. This 10-track set will be the first release off the new imprint Dub Rockers from reggae giant VP Records. The internationally acclaimed band stays true to the essence of their dynamic sound - capturing the true spirit of roots reggae while blending elements of jazz, funk, Latin and transcendental dub. The album’s hypnotic funk-based rhythms move from earthy percussion-based tracks to complex impressionistic dub compositions. This sophisticated selection of genre-bending sounds provides the perfect template for some of their most fiery militant and conscious lyrics to date...

Better known for his sharp-spitting rhymes on hardcore dancehall hits like “Tic Toc” (remixed by M.I.A. and Rye Rye) and “Wine Pon De Edge,” Busy Signal emerges as a charismatic roots reggae artist on his forthcoming album Reggae Music Again, out April 24th on VP Records. A stark departure from the sequenced beats that dominated Busy’s three previous albums, the intricate, multi-layered one-drop rhythms heard on Reggae Music Again were created by some of Jamaica’s most acclaimed musicians (Robbie Lyn, Dean Fraser, Kirk Bennett), and recorded live at Kingston’s legendary Tuff Gong studios. Each of the album’s 14 tracks celebrates the uplifting spirit and tightly woven grooves that epitomize Jamaica’s signature rhythm. “Modern Day...

Rick Ross plans to capitalize on his current popularity by releasing two albums this year. The first, God Forgives, I Don’t still doesn’t have a release date, but his pal DJ Khaled tells XXL that he was just “putting the finishing touches on it” a few days ago. The second album, also in progress, is currently untitled.

On Jan 24, 17 North Parade will release Live At The Turntable Club for the first time on CD. The original 1974 release, presented and produced by Niney The Observer, was the first live album recorded in Jamaica that gave the rest of the world aural access to Kingston's lively music scene during a definitive era in reggae. With electrifying live performances from Dennis Brown, Delroy Wilson, Big Youth and backing band Soul Syndicate, Live At The Turntable Club is a vibrant snap shot of the key players who paved the way for the roots genre. Reggae's most accomplished recording engineers - King Tubby, Errol Thompson and Dennis Thompson - along with Niney and these legendary artists were at the peak of their musical careers when they...