Reggae Goes Hip-Hop With Kabaka Pyramid [MTV Iggy]

Kabaka Pyramid may best be known for his association with the growing “conscious” reggae revival in Jamaica that includes such artists as Chronixx and Protoje.

And while he shares the same unwavering allegiance to the teachings of Rastafarianism as these other artists, Pyramid’s own sound differs in both its inspiration and his unique sound which heavily influenced by conscious hip-hop and early dancehall.

Much of the reason for this is Pyramid’s own background in hip-hop which is where his career started. As Pyramid explains, “the hip-hop side originally came easier for me. I am more prone to lyrics and an lyrical ability. That part came natural for me right away.” The reggae side of Pyramid’s music took work and eventually accumulated in the 2011 Rebel Music EP which was a bit of a watershed moment for the reggae revival in Jamaica scoring a minor radio hit in Jamaica with “Free from Chains.” The EP fused an early digital dancehall sound with roots reggae and hip-hop, sampling everything from Steel Pulse to Al Green while featuring Kabaka Pyramid’s unique, rap-influenced delivery. The result is an energetic offering full of Kingston-raised swagger, Rasta positivity and socially-conscious lyrics that would appeal to fans of both Buju Banton and Dead Prez.

Since the release of Rebel Music, Pyramid has scored two more hits in Jamaica with “King Kabaka” and the politically charged “No Capitalist.” In 2012, he toured Europe and the Western US, while in May of this year Pyramid was ranked as the number one artist on Billboard’s Next Big Sound chart.

Despite his growing popularity, Pyramid still finds resistance to his fusion of reggae with hip-hop and other styles. “You have hip-hop people in Jamaica who want to keep the sound pure,” Pyramid explains. “And you have reggae people in Jamaica who want to keep it pure because Jamaica has a big ego when it comes to reggae. The real pioneers of reggae music started in Jamaica, so a lot of people don’t want it to be fused or evolve.” But the fusion between hip-hop and “conscious” dancehall that seamlessly flows when Pyramid is in front of a mic is a mix that just makes sense for him. ”I see it as a natural progression,” states Pyramid. “After all, reggae has always taken on different aspects of other types of music.”

Currently working on a new EP and looking to drop a full-length early next year, consider Pyramid the dark-horse candidate of the reggae revival to find real popularity and traction in not only Jamaica but overseas as well.

via mtviggy