Kabaka Pyramid marks 15 years since 'Rebel Music' EP with new 10-track release
The Grammy-winning reggae artist's 'Rebel Music: The Lyrics Tape' moves between reggae, dancehall and hip-hop while staying rooted in sound system culture.
NEW YORK, United States. Grammy Award-winning reggae artist Kabaka Pyramid has released Rebel Music: The Lyrics Tape, a 10-track project marking the 15th anniversary of his breakthrough Rebel Music EP.
Brooklyn-based, Jamaican-born publicist Ronnie Tomlinson, chief executive of Destine Media, Inc., said the project brings him "full circle with the original fan base that embraced his music".
"Rather than recreating a moment from the past, Rebel Music: The Lyrics Tape builds upon the foundation that helped introduce Kabaka Pyramid as one of a new generation of voices in Jamaican music," Tomlinson told Caribbean Life.
Three tracks
Tomlinson said three tracks, "Rotation", "From Weh Day" and "We Dem Wah", move between reggae, dancehall and hip-hop while remaining rooted in Jamaican sound system culture.
She described "Rotation" as "a vibrant Rub-A-Dub anthem celebrating reggae culture" and a call to DJs, selectors and sound systems to keep reggae in rotation.
"There is so much going on in the world, and I really believe if we played more reggae, we would be better off," Kabaka Pyramid said. "Reggae has a healing nature."
"From Weh Day", produced by Fatbabs and co-produced by Kabaka Pyramid, turns to reggae's legacy and future. Tomlinson said the song challenges DJs, veteran artists and the wider music community to invest in reggae's next generation, "while calling for greater balance between reggae and dancehall within Jamaica's musical landscape".
"We Dem Wah", produced by Jazzwad, pays tribute to 1990s dancehall and hip-hop, drawing on Jamaican artists including Super Cat and Ninjaman and reworking one of dancehall's most recognisable basslines.
A full-circle moment
Tomlinson said the 15-year milestone was "a significant full-circle moment". The original EP built a connection with listeners drawn to his ability to move between reggae and hip-hop, pairing intricate lyricism with socially conscious messages.
That foundation helped carry him from Jamaica's emerging reggae movement to international stages and, eventually, Grammy recognition with The Kalling, she said.
"Now, Rebel Music: The Lyrics Tape speaks not only to where that journey began, but to the fans who have traveled it with him," Tomlinson said.
