Toppa Top 21: 21 Artists To Watch For 2014

Words by LargeUp Crew, Photo by Martei Korley—

A year ago, the LargeUp braintrust sat down and selected ten “Artists to Watch” for 2013. Not every pick delivered on their promise, but our top choice, Chronixx—little known outside Jamaica at the time—has since emerged into one of Caribbean music’s most visible ambassadors.

As the reggae revival associated with Chronixx continues to gain currency, and soca infiltrates playlists around the world, we’re seeing enthusiasm for Caribbean music reach levels not seen in a decade. With this in mind, we’ve expanded our Artists to Watch list for 2014 to include 21 acts set to impact music in the region this year, and beyond.

Click here to begin our 21 artist salute.

This list was set to be 20 artists long, but then we had British MC Lady Leshurr on our radio show, The LargeUp Sessions, Thursday night. A native of Birmingham, England with roots in the island of St. Kitts, Leshurr’s been making waves in the U.K. for a few years now, but, as we learned the other night, her profile is increasingly international. She’s spent the last few weeks on a whirlwind tour of U.S. studios, recording with LargeUp-approved beatmakers including JayCeeOh and Geko Jones. Until those tracks see the light, familiarize yourself with “Upset,” which showcases her Missy-like flows over a beat sampling Peter Tosh’s classic bumboclaat tirade. —Jesse Serwer

20. Erphaan Alves

With writing credits for Kes the Band (“Precision Wine”) and Machel Montano (“Doh Fraid”) under his belt, it’s no surprise musical protégé Erphaan Alves has released material (see “On D Spot” and 2014’s “Bumpa Bounce”) of his own that has garnered comparisons to the very veterans that request his lyrical savvy. And at only 21 years old, Mr. Alves certainly has plenty of time to prove that the praise and hype is well deserved. —Marcha M. Johnson

19. Kuenta i Tambu (KiT)

Kuenta i Tambu— KiT for short—caught our attention this spring with “Jackhammer,” which set a diatribe against bad dancing from vocalist Diamanta von Lieschdeck against the fusion of Dutch Caribbean rhythms and electronic sounds they’ve dubbed “Tambutronic.” The group—which is based in Amsterdam, but has its roots in Curacao— just dropped their debut LP, also called Tambutronic, this month, and plan to tour globally later this year following successful appearances at NYC’s Globalfest, Aruba’s Caribbean Sea Jazz fest and other festival gigs. —Jesse Serwer

18. Notice

Photo: Big Mike

Notice (formerly Notice Productions), the drum and bass production duo of Wayne “Unga Barunga” Thompson and Jason Welsch, are known for doling out dancehall hits such as Ding Dong’s “Holiday” and, most recently, Konshens’ “They Say.” This year the pair are set roll out their brand of EDM/Dub in a new venture as artists. We got an exclusive listen to some of their new stuff, and we’re putting our bets on Notice as they get set to bring their sound to the stage in 2014. For a sample of their new sound, check “Sound the Trumpet” featuring Iba Mahr and Ras Penco. —Chenee Daley

17. Kranium

New York’s been a major center for reggae since Wackie’s set up shop in the Bronx 35 years ago, but it’s been a while since a NY-raised artist has made an impact in the reggae/dancehall world. Enter Kranium, whose “Nobody Has To Know” has received airplay on major stations Hot 97 and Power 105. The singjay has a U.S. tour planned for the spring, including an already confirmed appearance at the country’s biggest annual reggae/dancehall show, Best of the Best. –Jesse Serwer

16. Alkaline

Photo: Varun Baker

Alkaline definitely has people talking. The young deejay claimed last year to have tattooed his eyes and, while this may or may not be a publicity stunt, it caught the attention of Vice, which turned eye tattooing into a social media meme last week. At home in Jamaica, the attention has centered more on his tunes, like “Things Mi Love” and “Gyal Bruk Out.” (There’s also his “dancehall in space” outfit from Sting, above). We won’t claim to be particularly impressed by either, but we can definitely understand their appeal with young Jamaicans raised on Vybz Kartel and Tommy Lee. —Jesse Serwer

15. Tosh

You might know JA-born, Florida-based Tosh Alexander from her high-pitched chatting on the intro to Busta Rhymes’ summer single “Twerk It,” but her own music is generally more suited to the bedroom than the bashment. “Tell Me Why” is a dreamy R&B track with echoes of a Kelly Rowland or Ciara, and her latest, “Right On Time,” fuses pop with subtle touches of dancehall. And she’s not hard to look at, either. Watch the brand-new video for “Tell Me Why” below and see (and hear) more Tosh in our Oct. 2013 “Get to Know Tosh Alexander” feature. —Jesse Serwer

14. Jah Banks

If you’ve tuned into our radio show, The LargeUp Sessions, lately, you should already be familiar with Jah Banks. The Brooklyn-born Jamaican is definitely LargeUp family. But don’t shout nepotism just yet. Play his tune “Take A Ride” (catch it in the video below) a few times and try to stop yourself from singing, Nah we nuh fuk wit likkle eediat bwoy. Then check some of his other tunes and tell us his loose blend of throwback hip-hop (think Fu-Schnickens or Da Bush Babees), reggae and current club sounds isn’t a refreshing breath of fresh air.  —Jesse Serwer

13. Marcy Chin

Ward 21 have a knack for finding talent, especially of the female variety. They gave us TNT—Tifa, Natalie Storm, Timberlee—each among modern dancehall’s most skilled lady deejays. Suku, Kunley McCarthy and Mean Dog’s latest female find is Marcy Chin, who’s turned up on some of the most interesting tunes from Ward 21’s Badda Badda Gang lately, including Deewunn’s “Bunx Up,” Ward’s “Mic Magician,” as well as several tunes on Dutty Fowl, one of our picks for 2013’s top riddims, and her own “Body Able.”  For more Marcy, check Ward 21, Federation Sound + DJ Autograph’s Hello Again mixtape. —Jesse Serwer

12. Wayne J

From Dennis Brown to Beenie Man and Machel Montano, some of the Caribbean’s most notable artists got their start when they were barely old enough to tie their shoes. Just 10 years old, Wayne J looks set to continue the tradition and become Jamaica’s first child dancehall star since QQ hit the scene nearly a decade back.

With performances alongside Ninjaman (above, at Capleton’s annual St. Mary A Mi Come From concert in 2012) and Super Cat (at Sting last month) already under his belt, the pre-pubescent protege recently dropped an EP, A Wayne J Enuh, featuring the single “18 or Older.” We caught up with Wayne and his team at Rebel Salute last weekend, and we hear the kid’s already got hundreds of songs in the bag, so expect to be hearing much, much more from him. —Jesse Serwer

11. Olatunji

Coming up in soca music, it’s easy to sound like everyone else, or favor someone else, or simply get lost in the crowd. Olatunji is an exception to this rule. Not only do his signature vocals and ad libs, undeniably recognizable in hits like “Bam Bam” and “Call Meh,” set him apart from the rest, but the diversity in his style and ability to execute it almost flawlessly puts this innovator well on the path to establishing his own lane and making progressive and memorable strides in others. —Marcha M. Johnson

10. Chi Ching Ching

We had some debate as to whether Chi Ching Ching belonged on this list, as he’s been a known commodity in Kingston for some time now. Having spent time with “Mr. Air Wick” over the Christmas holiday, though, it became clear that the dancer, deejay and all-around entertainer is now ready to move beyond Jamaica’s confines. With an EDM remix EP and European tour (catch the trailer below) coming up with Eccentrix Sound, Ching—the ‘C’ in Gyptian and Munga Honorebel’s GMC crew—is definitely branching out in new directions. —Jesse Serwer

9. Paebak

Photo: Justin Pallack

Representing St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, aka Rock City, Paebak is the Caribbean’s best bet for international hip-hop success. The USVI MC delivered quality content throughout 2013, including his impressive History mixtape and a video for lead single “VI OGs,” which landed him on MTV Jams. The former is a 360-degree portrait of life in “America’s paradise,” with thought-provoking rhymes and feelgood vibes doled out in equal measure, and some great production from local Virgin Islands talent. A new EP, Small Island, Big Dreams is in the works for 2014, as are more shows in the U.S.; in the meantime, look out for our Paebak interview on LargeUp. —Jesse Serwer

8. Freetown Collective


Lou Lyons and Muhammad Muwakil formed Freetown Collective in 2010 after meeting in university two years earlier, catching the ears and minds of the Trinidadian public with thought-provoking lyrics, and catchy song arrangements. Having graced stages in the Bahamas, Cuba, Grenada, Guyana and London and starred in Blue Cinamon Group’s feature film God Loves The Fighter, the duo were last year sought out by Machel Montano to collaborate on the remix of his tune “Represent.” Did we mention their track “Good Swimma” with Tobago-born producer Q-Major off the God Loves the Fighter soundtrack album, which has caught the attention of Major Lazer and may soon be remixed for Major’s upcoming mixtape? Is it any wonder why they are a part of this list? —Tishanna Williams

7. J Capri

J Capri had two of the biggest dancehall singles of 2013: “Whine and Kotch” with Charly Blacks and “Pull Up to the Bumper” with Konshens. We don’t know much of anything about her, but RVSSIAN, the producer behind her sound and the aforementioned singles, tells us there’s much more to come, with a next single, “Reverse It,” set to drop any day now. —Jesse Serwer

6. Jah 9

Jah 9 might’ve made last year’s list, but she didn’t have that tune yet. Well, now, she does. Her latest single “Steamers A Bubble” captures the energy of the reggae revival as well as anything else from the movement’s better known names, and is sure to continue picking up steam as we head towards the warmer months. And there’s no mistaking Jah 9 for any other Jamaican vocalist right now: she’s developed her own “Jazz on Dub” style, with a vocal delivery best described as yardie Nina Simone.  —Jesse Serwer

5. Amara La Negra

She first caught our eye with her looks, but she captured our hearts with her talent (combined with her looks). We put you on to Dominican singer Amara La Negra when we caught on to “Ayy,” her remake of the Brazilian funk tune “Vai” from Mulher Melancia; since then, she’s been performing at Latin clubs from Miami to Washington Heights. Not only can you see that luscious afro on TV regularly in the D.R., but an upcoming collaboration with Mr. Vegas (on the remix of his “Give it to Har”) means she may soon be as visible in the rest of the Caribbean, too. —Michellee Nelson

4. Sons of Dub

Photo: Justin Pallack

Led by Jamaica’s Addis Pablo, son of late dub/reggae legend Augustus Pablo, and Trinidad’s Ras Jammy, Sons of Dub are a truly global outfit. Other contributors to the group include Trinidad’s Ras Daniel (at left in the photo above) and Jah Bami (at right), and Singapore-via-Canada’s Masia One. Musically, their sound is just as expansive. Though the music’s roots are at all times in Jamaica, tunes like “Vybz Wa Yuh Feel,” a collaboration with Russian beatmakers El Toro, attest to their international influences with otherworldly electronic sounds.

In under two years, the crew has already amassed a massive amount of music, touching on a multitude of dub-based genres. If the waters of their extensive Soundcloud page are too deep, dive into the Sons of Dub sound via their Walshy Fire/Major Lazer-curated mixtape premiered here last month, and get to know them in our Meditations documentary series.  —Jesse Serwer

3. Liam Bailey

The featured vocalist on one of our favorite 2013 tunes, drum and bass kingpin Shy FX’s pitch-perfect reggae throwback “Soon Come,” Liam Bailey comes with impressive credentials. The U.K. singer was signed by Amy Winehouse to her Lioness label, before her death, and is currently working with Amy’s own mentor, production genius Salaam Remi. His catalog thus far is mixed, but not in terms of quality: Bailey, the child of mixed, British and Jamaican parents, is as proficient in soul, as he is in reggae. While we hope he continues his affair with island sounds, we doubt we’ll be mad at whatever he brings next.  —Jesse Serwer

2. Samantha J

Photo: Kevin Ornelas

Grabbing the attention of both local and international media right out the gate with her first single “Tight Skirt,” Samantha J had no intention of creeping quietly onto the scene. The dancehall-pop singer from Ocho Rios could be seen everywhere from 106 & Park to HLN in the latter part of 2013, as she hit the road to do promo and meet fans. She only has one song to her credit at this point, but if the other tunes on her upcoming album are anything like the the acoustic preview she gave us recently, then we can’t wait to see what else this budding artist has in store for 2014. Watch her unplugged performance of “Tight Skirt” below, and read our interview with Samantha here. —Michellee Nelson

1. Jesse Royal

As much chatter as we’ve heard about the reggae revival, one of the movement’s key players is still seriously underrated. With a few years of catalog already behind him, Jesse Royal dropped one of our favorite mixtapes, In Comes the Small Axe, in 2013, showcasing his knack for big, Jr. Gong-style anthems and his outspoken views on Jamaica’s political system. While the accolades and media hype didn’t come as quickly and strongly as it did some of his peers, that’s alright because it’s looking like 2014 is going to be his year. Having heard some of the music he’s got in store and having caught several of his recent performances in Jamaica, we’re fully expecting Jesse to emerge into a major figure in Jamaican music for a long time to come. Read our interview with him here. and catch him alongside Sons of Dub in our Meditations video series below.  —Jesse Serwer