December might historically sign the top of the calendar yr, however for Masicka, the twelfth month of the yr homes loads of new beginnings. The dancehall famous person opened the month with the discharge of Era of Kings final Friday (Dec. 1), his sophomore studio album and first full-length launch since signing to Def Jam in February. The 17-song set comes on the heels of his summer time hit “Tyrant,” which sat alongside Byron Messia’s “Talibans” and Continual Regulation & Eire Boss’ “V6” amongst this summer time’s defining crossover dancehall hits.
Upon Masicka’s signing to Def Jam, CEO Tunji Balogun stated, by way of a press launch, “Def Jam has all the time been the house for excellent artists throughout the vast spectrum of Black music, and Masicka could be very a lot emblematic of that imaginative and prescient.” Which will seem to be a catch-all company platitude, however Masicka actually does embody the ever-evolving spectrum of Black music. Hailing from Portmore, Jamaica, Masicka grew up listening to not simply dancehall and reggae, but in addition rap music. As Hip-Hop 50 has acknowledged, the connection between dancehall and hip-hop is as storied as it’s symbiotic, and Masicka continues that legacy with a stage identify partially derived from his favourite blockbuster 50 Cent album.
Throughout Era of Kings, Masicka infuses his lure dancehall basis with prospers of R&B (“Moist”) and Afrobeats (“Battle For Us”), calling on a globe-spanning assortment of collaborators to carry his imaginative and prescient of collective royalty to life. Equally introspective and biting, Masicka’s lyrics — which discover every part from settling beef to reflections on his childhood — completely complement his penchant for lush melodic strains and reverb-drenched harmonies. With such a powerful ear, it’s no shock that, regardless of dancehall’s present Stateside business stagnancy, Masicka has been in a position to actually break by.
438, his debut album which additionally received dancehall album of the yr on the 2023 Caribbean Music Awards, has earned over 50,000 equal album models within the U.S. since its Dec. 3, 2021 launch, based on Luminate, and his general catalog has collected over 258.8 million on-demand streams. Upon launch, Era of Kings appears poised to blow up these numbers. In simply over every week, the album has hit No. 1 on Apple Music in 16 international locations, scored the eighth greatest album debut on Spotify U.Okay. for the interval Dec. 1-3 and reached No. 11 on U.S. Apple Music. Moreover, with Era of Kings, Masicka turned the primary artist in historical past to concurrently occupy the highest 17 on Apple Music in Jamaica — and he even surpassed Bob Marley & the Wailers‘ unmoveable Legend compilation for the No. 1 spot on each U.S. iTunes’ and Apple Music’s reggae albums charts.
Nonetheless basking within the glow of the rapid success of Era of Kings, Masicka stopped by the Billboard places of work to speak about his future as a Def Jam recording artist, his formative musical influences and 50 Cent’s affect in Jamaica.
Let’s speak about Era of Kings. The place was your head whereas making this album? What had been you drawing inspiration from?
After the primary album [438], mi really feel like mi cement myself inna di dancehall house with an amazing physique at work. So, with Era of Kings, mi simply really feel prefer it’s my time. The entire period, the entire music, the entire really feel, simply how every part’s going.
How did you go about assembling the tracklist?
I believe that was the toughest half, being we had fairly quite a lot of nice tracks on the album. So, you type of get them fi inform a storyline. Mi went again within the studio a few instances, hyperlink up with di workforce, we decipher a likkle bit after which we expect what we select was extra of the songs that had been what folks can relate to. They’re just like the motivational songs you may get a constructive vibration from.
So, what precisely was the storyline you envisioned for the report?
Triumph. Simply transitioning and taking a better step in the direction of fulfilling your desires. This album was principally telling the folks dem that I’m prepared.
You’ve got some hearth collaborations on the album – Popcaan, Spice and Fridayy, to call just a few – inform me about bringing these artists into your imaginative and prescient.
Probably the most anticipated collab was the Continual Regulation [track], he’s a lyricist from Jamaican and folks all the time wan us fi do a music collectively. That music additionally options Lila Iké too – dangerous upcoming feminine artist. Mi assume di folks dem actually resonate with that collab. The music with Fridayy, it’s completely different, the one with Fave too. However I believe the entire collabs went exceptionally nicely.
Did you attain out to Fridayy or did he attain out to you?
Tunji [Balogun] set that up! Once I heard di monitor, I used to be like, “Yo, this dope,” and Fridayy linked proper as his album dropped – mi love di album, it’s loopy.
Talking of Tunji, you signed to Def Jam earlier this yr, so congratulations! Why Def Jam? What drew you to them particularly?
The course and empowerment for artists tradition they’ve. Mi like how dem work. Mi like Tunji imaginative and prescient greater than anything. We spoke most likely a few yr and a half earlier than [I] really signed. Mi additionally just like the humbleness. Mi assume we share the identical work ethic and imaginative and prescient multi function. Something’s a threat, however mi assume this threat.
Why did now really feel just like the time so that you can signal to a world label?
I believe, personally, mi cowl a whole lot of floor all through the Caribbean. I really feel like I’ve executed every part I wanted to within the Caribbean. I’ve traveled the Caribbean like 6-7 instances already, over and over, and it’s simply making an attempt to get a better attain. They see the expertise, they see the creativity. It’s simply making an attempt fi increase the content material and mek di ting develop and simply construct it. Nuh sense fi have all this expertise and also you stay on the identical degree.
There are a whole lot of hip-hop influences on Generations of Kings and the style has a wealthy relationship with dancehall. Are there any rappers you’d prefer to get on a remix of one among these tracks?
In all probability Lil Child. Lil Child dope. Jay-Z. 50 Cent.
Examine your headspace from the discharge of 438 to the discharge of Era of Kings.
Mi assume mi extra mature. Mi assume mi have extra management by way of how mi need di music fi sound. The ting earlier than it was simply di tip of di iceberg. Mi had simply began to enterprise out into creating albums and creating tasks. Mi assume 438 was dope, similar to Era of Kings. However mentally, mi extra mature, extra settled, and the music a likkle bit extra polished and direct.
What music on Era of Kings took the longest to complete?
Mi assume “Limelight.” Mi report “Limelight” after which depart it for like a month after which mi different verse come. More often than not mi do one thing like that. Mi a simply go inna di studio and spit one thing out. With “Limelight,” di riddim is completely different so mi really do the refrain after which the verses.
Why did you determine to make “Limelight” a single?
Mi assume di vibe — it was a likkle bit after summer time, so you realize everyone must be pumped. Mi assume the vibe and the power and the entire feeling of the music simply felt victorious. Mi simply really feel like we had “Tyrant,” so mi haffi include once more with one thing sick. After the “Tyrant” success, mi simply say, “Alright then, let mi pay attention by every part. What does it really feel like?” “Limelight” was the subsequent factor. It’s exhibiting that it’s our house and we’re right here.
Clearly, we’re within the Social Media Age — how has that been an efficient device for you as you proceed to navigate your profession?
Social media is the Golden Age, man. It mek it lots simpler and mek folks from throughout di world see your music. It helps lots. It assist to advertise, it assist to develop the fan base. Social media is among the key issues proper now for musicians. They’ll simply choose up the cellphone and see anyone in Guatemala and anyone a million miles away. We have now a greater benefit now than the era of artists earlier than us, so we simply haffi make use of that.
What else do you’ve gotten on the horizon to advertise Era of Kings?
Mi a shoot alla di music movies! Nuff video, nuff promo, mi already began engaged on a deluxe. Mi have some songs recorded. Mi assume I’ve some sick collabs on it, it’ll be simply as loopy because the album.
What do you pay attention for in new beats and riddims?
The factor is, you realize, the beat don’t matter. It’s the as soon as mi get the beat and mi really feel a vibe, mi will report. The beat is a floor downside. For me to get a beat and actually write to it, mi like pianos, beats with guitar, percussion. Mi like reside songs which have a soulful feeling to it.
How do you strategy songwriting? Are you extra of a freestyler?
Usually, mi go inna di studio, play di beat for like 2-3 hours, and vibe it, vibe it, vibe it, vibe it, vibe it. Mi cyan write simply sitting down. Mi write if mi haffi write, however mi like freestyle. Mi assume the music higher when mi freestyle. So mi would freestyle it after which return inside, pay attention, see the place we will make some extra preparations and stuff like that. That’s how mi create music. Mi have a studio at house, so mi inna di studio on a regular basis majority of the time.
Typically it’s simply the melody alone mi have, I simply go inna di studio and mumble it. And all through the day, after I’m enjoying a sport or one thing, I simply give it some thought subconsciously, and I end it like that. Mi nuh don’t have any songbook. I’ve by no means had a songbook.
Sonya Stephens not too long ago praised you as a tremendous songwriter, with a whole lot of that you could educate older generations of dance artists. I additionally spoke with Beenie Man few months in the past about sharing data throughout generations of dancehall. What do you assume you and your friends can be taught out of your dancehall elders and vice versa?
Mi assume we will undoubtedly examine the longevity of the artists dem earlier than. All of them have superb careers and dem stood the check of time, like Beenie Man and Bounty Killer. Mi assume the distinction is trendy dancehall simply will get 5 minutes of fame. Mi assume them nuh love di craft. I believe it’s extra about getting on the market than mastering the craft.
Bounty and Beenie Man begin from once they was small, so dem really actually love di music, in order that they by no means had another choices. Now we now have an excessive amount of decisions. There’s no appreciation for the music, so everyone really feel like dem can simply be part of the music and simply name themselves something.
Undoubtedly, mi assume they will be taught to take extra dangers, trigger mi assume we take a lotta dangers, the youthful era. They might take extra dangers and pave extra means for di yutes as a result of dem have the chance and dem might do far more.
There have been quite a lot of international dancehall crossover hits this yr, “Tyrant” amongst them. How do you assume that momentum may be maintained?
We simply have to understand it’s a much bigger market on the market. Individuals with completely different ears, you realize, so we simply haffi attempt stuff. We simply haffi attempt to be interesting, attempt the completely different music — however on the finish of the day, hold originality and hold authenticity. We simply haffi try to merge it with the Afrobeats – they’re on that degree now. Dancehall was on that degree, and it may be on that degree once more. It is going to, Imma converse it into being. I simply assume we want fi come collectively as folks and push di music.
Do you’re feeling that there’s any division that’s stopping that from taking place?
Yeah, undoubtedly. Dancehall is understood for segregation, and that hinders the expansion of the music lots. Mi assume upon getting that togetherness and that unity… mi assume that’s taking place now. Yuh see di yutes dem now? I believe the mindset is completely different, and mi assume the yutes simply work and take extra dangers. I enterprise to say that’s the reason you’ve gotten so many labels trying to the Jamaican market proper now — as a result of mi assume there’s a change coming.
And I believe that risk-taking, particularly by way of mixing genres, is what’s actually serving to trendy dancehall proper now. The place do you assume your braveness to attempt new sounds comes from? Who had been your important musical influences?
Mi love dancehall, however mi began off listening to rap. So, 50 Cent, Eminem, alla dem tings. Get Wealthy Or Die Tryin’, Bloodbath. Mi love music. Mi love dancehall, I’m a dancehall artist, however mi love music. Adele a one among my favourite artists of all time, mi hearken to Lukas Graham, mi hearken to so many various sorts of artists, so mi assume with experimenting, it comes from feeling snug and mastering the craft and training every single day. So, if mi get a beat, mi simply have a look at miself like an instrument as an alternative of only a dancehall artist. If I get a beat a have to sing in Spanish, then mi want fi guh be taught Spanish! [Laughs.]
We solely have one life, so why not experiment and why cage your self right into a field? Develop and take a look at completely different stuff! Mi simply assume di music may be so large and various, you realize?
You had a present in New York not too long ago in your birthday, how was that?
Loopy, loopy. It was my birthday celebration. Di folks dem love me on the market. They love me in New York, so I all the time carry the power. It was a loopy, loopy, loopy, loopy vibe.
Do you’ve gotten any plans to tour quickly?
I’ve a few exhibits, one in Miami. I’ve a present in Jamaica quickly. After which we begin off subsequent yr recent. Proper now, mi only a give attention to GOK, and getting on the market and pushing it.
So, I take it you’ll get some downtime with the household for the vacations.
Yeah, man, simply spending a while. Household is large to me, so mi love fi get a likkle time fi spend with my household. I gotta take a break man. After subsequent week, Def Jam cyan get to me! [Laughs.] Simply kidding!
Looking in the direction of the subsequent 5 years, what are some benchmarks that you simply need to hit?
In 5 years’ time, I actually love fi change into a completely established artist within the U.S. A totally established dancehall artist promoting a whole bunch of 1000’s of data, begin performing in stadiums, and signal some artists.
In terms of signing artists, what you be wanting and listening for?
Usually the identical factor what mi have inna miself. Versatility, the love for di music first. You may have the expertise, however should you don’t like it nah guh totally work. So them haffi have di love and di drive for it first.
Are there any notes you assume the Jamaican recording business can take from the American and African ones as you proceed to work with worldwide labels?
The professionalism. 100% the professionalism and the enterprise behind the music. Mi assume that’s the reason the African business is advancing now and booming like that. Mi assume that’s what we lack, however we’re getting again there, proper? As soon as we get again to that disciplinary degree inside di yutes and inside di music, then we could have buyers focused on working with dancehall artists trigger you’re dedicated to your phrases and your work.
Earlier than we go, I heard there’s a dope story behind your identify.
You realize, really, it was 50 Cent’s album, The Bloodbath. Again in highschool time, my auntie purchased me the album. Initially mi by no means wan change into an artist from di time mi was younger, younger, younger. Mi coulda write songs mi nuh wan flip that.
What did you need to be?
A lawyer, mi was younger! I nonetheless began my music profession younger, like 17, 18. However mi get the CD and I saved enjoying it. My buddies dem used to name me Sicka, after which mi simply determine say, Yo, Masicka, that is it.
50 Cent affect inna Jamaica is huge. You’ve got the G-Unit tank tops, everyone loves Younger Buck, Lloyd Banks — I believe G-Unit was one of many crew that everyone inna Jamaica was simply loopy about. You’ve got different teams that’s mad proficient, however the gangster factor, the aggressive factor simply resonate with our tradition.
