Toppa Top 10: Ten Artists To Watch in 2013

Words by Jesse Serwer and Erin MacLeod, Chronixx Photo by Martei Korley—

We’ve got a strong feeling that 2013 will be a changing-of-the-guards type year for Caribbean music. With that in mind, we’ve selected 10 artists set to distinguish themselves in the next 12 months, from Daniel Bambaata Marley—Ziggy’s eldest son, and the first in line from a new generation of Marley artists—to Asa Bantan, a deejay from Dominica poised to buss that island’s bouyon sound across the region and beyond. Also featured are conscious crooner Chronixx (pictured above), our pick for the year’s top new artist to watch, and OMI, the Jamaican singer behind the infectious new reggae/pop tune, “Cheerleader.”

10. Daniel Bambaata Marley

The second-generation Marleys have certainly had their day: Now it’s the third generation’s turn to rise. Leading the way is Ziggy’s eldest son, Daniel Bambaata Marley. The most impressive aspect of his debut single “2 Feet” is how little it sounds like something by a Marley. This Ghetto Youth is definitely carving out his own lane.

9. Pentateuch

There’s a wave of young, new reggae bands emerging in Jamaica, and Pentateuch are definitely at the forefront. After building their name with shows in Jamaica and releasing their Computer Paul-assisted debut LP The Genesis, the scripture-referencing five-piece are poised to bring their roots sound to international shores in 2013.

8. Kabaka Pyramid

Kabaka Pyramid released music across several different genres and under several different monikers before finding his stride on 2011’s Rebel Music EP, which harmoniously combined reggae, vintage dancehall and ’90s hip-hop. Alongside peers and collaborators Protoje and Chronixx (the three are set to release a new tune called “Selassie Souljahz” alongside Sizzla soon) he’s a central figure in a new movement in Jamaican music that’s heavily influenced—but hardly limited—by roots reggae.

7. Esprit de Corps

The members of LA’s Esprit de Corps have plenty of experience—producer/musician Fred Card is a long time collaborator of Earl Zero’s who has produced for Tanya Stephens among others, while vocalist Cherry is the soul singer formerly known as Cherokee (check her out on Soul Train). But as a unit, they’re brand new. After impressing us with their curious take on lovers rock on “Is It Too Late” (from their debut EP Be Easy) and the doo-wop/ska hybrid “Cherry,” we’re eager to hear what they have in store next.

6. Darrio

Deep-voiced deejay Darrio comes into 2013 riding off the momentum of  “Gal Siddung,” a collaboration with Konshens which recently topped the Jamaican charts. Time will tell if he can turn the co-starring role into legitimate solo success.

5. Asa Bantan

Asa Bantan is Dominica’s top young star, and the surest chance bet yet to buss the island’s homegrown bouyon sound—an uptempo, soca-paced style with elements of Dominican kadans (or cadence-lypso) music, jump-up, and, increasingly, dancehall-style deejay vocals— worldwide. Bantan had crowds from across the Eastern Caribbean going mad for his tunes “Wet Fete” and “I People That Know People” at this fall’s World Creole Music Festival, while his single “One Man” dominated the island’s streets and car systems. Look out for a LargeUp TV webisode featuring Asa soon.

4. Teetimus

Teetimus had one of the biggest years of anyone in dancehall—behind the boards. The Brooklyn/JA-based beatmaker produced the year’s two biggest crossover tunes in Mr. Vegas’ “Bruk it Down” and Damian Marley’s “Affairs of the Heart,” and even sold a track to Trey Songz. But Teetimus, who has also been known to go by the moniker “Rock Star,” is also an artist, having featured most recently alongside Vybz Kartel on “UFO Medz.” If he can elevate his vocals to the level of his EDM-influenced productions, he might just have a future in front of the mic.

3. Burna Boy

Africa has become one of the biggest markets for Jamaican music recently: could one of reggae or dancehall’s next big stars could hail from the mother continent? Nigerian deejay Burna Boy‘s music isn’t expressly dancehall, but rather a fusion of many different elements—his latest single, “Tonight,” is a tri-lingual house tune. But a distinct bashment flavor runs through his catalog, most notably on his breakout hit/summer anthem “Like to Party.”

2. OMI

Omar “OMI” Pasley first caught our attention last year with his wholesome, ridiculously catchy pop-reggae tune “Cheerleader,” and its smart, story-driven video. And, without much hype, the suavely dressed singer has quickly built a following. Tunes like the suggestive “Standing on all Threes” have shown he’s more than a one-trick pony, and heavyweights like Ernest Ranglin and Sly Dunbar have given him their backing: each adds his respective touch to OMI’s latest single, “Fireworks.”

1. Chronixx

In 2013, there’s no Jamaican artist pegged for success more than Chronixx. Over the past couple years he’s put on stage show after stage show, while dropping some of the most memorable melodies in recent memory. Evidence can be found on “They Don’t Know” and “Capitalist” (ft. Infinite), tunes that tend to stick around long after they’ve been heard. Add to this his new, Major Lazer-produced Catch a Fire mixtape, which featured a terrific freestyle on the instrumental from the already terrific “Get Free” .

So what’s coming up in 2013? “I’m not like the youth who sits down and makes plans,” Chronixx told LargeUp at Mikey Bennett’s Grafton Studios in Kingston. “It’s supposed to be free flow. You can’t plan music. You can’t plan life. I think Jah will keep me grounded within this music so I can execute his plan. For next year, we are looking at an album. It has been finished and waiting for a long time. I am trying to release more than one album. Because we have a ton load of songs.” Clearly, Chronixx is just getting started.

And regardless of what happens, this roots reggae artist is committed to consciousness. He insists that his music is informed by Rastafari, but also his own life. As he puts it, “The thing with music is that people don’t just hear music, they feel it. So if you sing about something that is not genuine, or something that you are not living, then the people won’t feel it.”