Words by Jesse Serwer—
Alpha Blondy, the veteran reggae artist from the Ivory Coast, is celebrating the 30th anniversary of his debut release Jah Glory! this year, and recently released the album Mystic Power album earlier this year. The rock-infused single “My American Dream” is one of several English-language tunes on the LP (another being “Hope,” a collaboration with Beenie Man), with other tracks sung in French and Alpha’s native language, Dioula.
Lyrically, the track speaks to his reasons for departing America to head back to Africa. The song and visuals both seem at least partly inspired by James Brown’s “Living in America” (Remember the scene in Rocky 4 with Dolph Lundgren?), but with that song’s patriotism flipped on its head by an outsider who, as Blondy sings, can’t take the pressure. Watch the video below, and check out more from Alpha Blondy here.