You Rate It: Musiq Soulchild x Syleena Johnson, “Feel the Fire”

Words by Jesse Serwer—

It seems like everyone is trying their hand at reggae these days. Snoop. Eddie. Axl. (OK, that last clip’s probably quite a few years old. But you get the picture). Well, add R&B stars Musiq Soulchild and Syleena Johnson to the list. The pair are prepping a joint album called 9ine with Jamaican producer Kemar “Flava” McGregor. Here’s a clip of them in the studio talking about it.

Unlike Snoop, Musiq and Syleena didn’t make a life affirming journey or media-bonanza documentary out of their visit to JA. Judging from the awkward Chappelle reference in the interview clip, they don’t seem to have gotten particularly ensconced in Jamaican culture. But both know their music and are damn fine singers, and that’s apparent on “Feel the Fire,” the first tune to leak from the project. It’s a fairly standard one-drop, but the vocalists’ talent definitely shines through.

Listen via the link below.