Words by Jesse Serwer
Arguably the most consistent and certainly one of the most prolific new reggae/dancehall artists to emerge from Jamaica recently, I-Octane is having a big year. Having built up a solid catalog of singles, such as “Nuh Love Inna Dem” and “Nuh Ramp Wid Wi,” the singjay is just now getting around to actual releases. Straight From the Heart, an eight-song EP, is out Dec. 6 with Crying to the Nation, I-Octane’s debut album, set for release shortly thereafter, on Jan. 31, through VP Records. Adding to his sizable repertoire of badmind-themed singles, meanwhile, is “Informer A Work.” Directed by Yosef Imagination, the video, which premiered online last night, takes a humorous tack to a song which was recently banned by Jamaica’s Zip FM due to the subtext of lyrics like “So if yuh kno wah good fi yuh health bwoy, betta keep di chattings to yuh self bwoy.” Hard to figure why more dancehall videos aren’t taking the comedy route—it’s just what the doctor ordered for a genre plagued by controversy.