After a number of false begins, summer season lastly appears to have settled in. Which means music festivals, numerous carnival celebrations, and the seek for a music of the summer season are in full impact.
Could featured album releases from dancehall stars like Valiant (Show Them Mistaken) and Ding Dong (From Ding Dong to World Ding), however the month’s buzziest information story arrived in its final weekend. Vybz Kartel, who not too long ago introduced his first world tour in over 20 years, and Moliy, whose international Afro-dancehall smash “Shake It to the Max” not too long ago entered the Billboard Hot 100, have been each set to play Trinidad’s One Caribbean Music Pageant on Could 31. Nevertheless, because of “non-fullfilment of contractual obligations,” as per Kartel’s administration, the King of Dancehall pulled out of the competition simply hours earlier than he was set to hit the stage. In response to Kartel’s workforce, the dancehall titan didn’t obtain his full cost earlier than the competition passed off.
“Vybz Kartel was formally contracted to carry out at [One Caribbean Music Festival] 2025 for a complete sum of $1.35 million. Thus far, $950,000 has been paid on to the [artist], whereas an extra $150,000 was disbursed to his authorized consultant,” the promoter defined. “The remaining steadiness due was made obtainable in full; nevertheless, because of authorized and monetary rules in Trinidad and Tobago, the organisers have been unable to disburse the ultimate quantity in money.”
As for Moliy, the Ghanaian-American singer pulled out of the occasion, citing the promoter’s failures to satisfy “key contractual obligations.”
“Moliy arrived in Trinidad prepared and excited to carry out, however since touchdown, her workforce has not acquired any communication from the competition organizers,” her administration workforce defined in a press launch. “Mixed with their failure to satisfy key contractual obligations, this has made it not possible for the efficiency to proceed.”
Nonetheless, One Caribbean Music Pageant continued as deliberate, with performances from artists akin to Chronic Law, Rvssian and Sizzla Kalonji.
Exterior of that competition kerfuffle, Caribbean artists are having fun with a very notable second within the stay leisure house. Beenie Man headlined a blockbuster present at Lengthy Island’s UBS Enviornment on Could 24, and Bounty Killer will headline Brooklyn’s Barclays Middle subsequent month (July 5), underscoring Caribbean music’s transition to arena-headlining status in the 2020s.
Naturally, Billboard’s month-to-month Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks column is not going to cowl each final monitor, however our Spotify playlist — which is linked under — will develop on the ten highlighted songs. So, with none additional ado:
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Freshest Discover: Asa Bantan, “God Is Good”
Dominica-bred Boyoun artist Asa Bantan blends gospel and soca on his social feed providing, “God Is Good,” and the consequence is among the greatest soca songs of the 12 months up to now. Mixing timeless gospel refrains like “God is sweet on a regular basis, and on a regular basis God is sweet,” Bantan assaults the thrilling drum-forward manufacturing with a vocal efficiency brimming with gratitude and elation. Whether or not your sanctuary is in a church, on the street, or someplace in between, Bantan’s “God Is Good” reminds us how music’s vitality can effortlessly permeate seemingly disparate areas.
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Authentic Koffee, “Koffee”
Again along with her first solo single in three years, Grammy-winning reggae star Authentic Koffee is again underneath a brand new moniker, along with her new single paying tribute to the artist identify that secured hits like 2019’s “Toast.”
“I nearly drop my liquor, ’trigger proper now no one sicker/ Besides the one Masicka, I inform my dawgs, ‘Go sick ’em’/ They wanna research me, however they couldn’t copy my rigor/ Within the drop prime, my nigga, go inform badmind fi sustain,” she nimbly spits over bouncy manufacturing from Ghanaian beatmaker GuiltyBeatz. She provides a wholesome serving of her much-missed wordplay (no one sicker/Masicka) whereas nonetheless honoring the age-old custom of popping your s–t — no matter how lengthy you could have could have been absent from the sport.
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Bayka & Spice, “Miss Fairly”
Jamaican artist Bayka has been packing on the worldwide collaborations this 12 months, nevertheless it’s his link-up with fellow JA star Spice that’s the most popular monitor on his new Gyal Dem Shift EP. “Face fairly, and my two stiff titty/ Come from Lube Metropolis/ Moist, fats clear kitty/ Pum pum fluffy, this grippy and grip/ Buss off mi panty, Miu Miu, not Vicky,” Spice slickly spits on the onset of her verses, injecting her signature verve to remix the DJ Mac’s Spanish guitar-laced manufacturing.
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A!MS, Julian Marley & Anateus feat. Hypertone, “Mild & Love”
British-Cypriot artist A!MS has joined forces with Grammy-winning reggae star Julian Marley and Grammy-winning producer Anateus for the Hypertone-assisted “Mild & Love,” the lead single from A!MS’ forthcoming Peak Season LP.
Over an infectious electro-dancehall beat, Marley and South London native Hypetone croon an ode to the therapeutic properties of the pure world, singing, “When it hurts/ Look to the Earth/ Don’t trouble with chemical compounds/ God works miracles that you just deserve/ Lengthy life, good mild and love.” Later, A!MS brings a few of his signature melodic rap to hold ahead the guarded skepticism of roots reggae songwriting. “They wanna go away us out within the jungle alone/ Don’t imagine them, they simply need the management,” he warns on the bouzouki-inflected monitor.
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Ding Dong & Skillibeng, “Di New Pull Up”
“Badman Ahead Badman Pull Up” has dominated dancefloors for twenty years now, and dancer-turned-deejay Ding Dong lastly dropped his debut album on the prime of final month (Could 2). Among the many album’s standouts is a brand new Skillibeng-assisted tackle Ding Dong’s signature music, titled “Di New Pull Up.” Bridging two generations of dancehall stars, Skillibeng brings a tasteful, melodic vitality to the high-octane monitor, which additionally options manufacturing from Ricky Blaze. On the identical time, Ding Dong provides new verses that correctly flesh out the unique monitor.
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Michaël Brun & Shirazee, “Elevate”
With BAYO, his extremely anticipated single-day musical competition, just some weeks away (June 28), Grammy-winning Haitian DJ Michaël Brun has shared some new music forward of his Barclays Middle takeover. Linking with Shirazee, the pair’s second collaboration following 2018’s “Soweto,” Brun continues bridging Benin and the Caribbean with shimmering Afro-house manufacturing that cradles Shirazee’s melodious voice. With the monitor’s percussive parts equally nodding to Caribbean riddims and Afrobeats drums, Brun has delivered one thing of a calmer successor to Moliy’s “Shake It to the Max.”
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Hector Roots Lewis feat. KA$E & Johnny Cosmic, “Battle Cry”
A little bit over a 12 months after starring within the field office-topping Bob Marley: One Love movie, Jamaican multi-hyphenate Hector Roots Lewis has delivered Cosmic Roots, his debut album. Produced by Johnny Cosmic, the album explores Lewis’ tackle roots reggae by means of solo joints and collaborations with the likes of Busy Sign, J Boog and KA$E, the latter of whom seems on standout reduce, “Battle Cry.”
“You’ll by no means stroll alone/ The voice inside will information you house/ Sound the bell and let it ring/ Hear the souls, the songs they sing,” he sings within the pre-chorus, invoking centuries of defiant, resilient voices towards numerous types of oppression throughout Cosmic’s militant manufacturing.
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Collie Buddz & Stick Determine, “Good Life (2017)”
Initially recorded in 2017, “Good Life” is the progeny of a studio session that was misplaced to time. Now, the combo has been recovered, and Grammy-nominated reggae stars Stick Determine and Collie Buddz have shared it with the world. “One shot trigger mi want it baaad/ Subsequent shot for the week weh mi had/ Three pictures make me bun out mi job when me look pon mi examine mi really feel like me get robbed,” Collie sings, setting the emotional stage for his seek for the “good life” by means of no matter vices are at his disposal.
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Konshens, “Again That Azz Up”
Juvenile’s turn-of-the-century smash “Again Dat Azz Up” is an everlasting anthem — nevertheless it’s additionally a beat that may lend itself to just about any style, as confirmed by Jamaican dancehall star Konshens. Throughout a pattern of Mannie Contemporary’s authentic beat, Konshens absolutely leans into his dancehall basis, sacrificing neither his cadence nor lingo as he brings the NOLA bounce manufacturing to JA. He kicks off his verse with, “Cock up yuh physique, yow, fling it pon di riddim,” expertly embodying the cross-genre mantle of grasp of ceremonies.
“I used to be understanding at Hit Manufacturing facility in Miami and Birdman despatched the beat to my supervisor and advised me to do [something] on it,” Konshens defined in a press launch. “On the identical time, I used to be in the course of an argument that uncooked dancehall can match on any beat and work… what you’re listening to is actually, precisely what we did that night time [in the studio] ….100% genuine dancehall lyrics.”
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DJ Cheem feat. Jagwa De Champ, “Pictures”
Klassik Frescobar’s “Dansa” has been the most well-liked monitor on DJ Kalli and Boogy Rankss’ riddim, however Bajan-American soca artist DJ Cheem has now entered the chat. With some assist from Jagwa De Champ, DJ Cheem’s “Pictures” captures the identical dance and party-forward vitality of Frescobar’s authentic, however he infuses it with a lyrical give attention to the hypnotic powers of fine liquor. Hear out for extra takes on this riddim as “Dansa” continues its international ascent.