Virgin Islands Nice: Pressure Buss Pipe’s New USVI Anthem + Video

Words by Kaya.lah—

“All hail, our Virgin Islands, Em’ralds of the sea,” go the lyrics to the Virgin Islands March, a solemn dedication to these little but impactful Caribbean rocks that’s been the US Virgin Islands national anthem for over 50 years. Now, the USVI has a new, unofficial anthem to go along with it, courtesy of international reggae artist Pressure Buss Pipe.

Last month Pressure released the track “Virgin Islands Nice,” a soulful one-drop tribute to his home soil. DigitAK Films has brought Pressure’s lyrics to life, sparing no expense when it comes to stunning visuals. Just as the song references many of the USVI’s most notable sites and figures (the band Midnite; reggae artist Niyorah; boxer Julian Jackson and family; NBA great Tim Duncan), these and more are all represented in the video, which captures majestic footage on each of the territory’s major islands—St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. The USVI Tourism Board couldn’t have asked for a more appealing document.

It has been a minute since the massive have gotten Pressure steadily applied to them, but the “Love and Affection” singjay is finally slated to release his second official album this year, titled The Sound. As an artist who’s always opted for quality over content, the wait has been long: He released the first single from The Sound, a track titled “Run Away,” back in October of 2012.

As with “Run Away,” “Virgin Islands Nice” was produced by modern roots leaders Zion I Kings, the family of producers and musicians from respected roots production houses/labels Zion High Production, I-Grade Records and Lustre Kings Productions, and recorded at Aqua Sound Studios in St. Croix. With some classy Zion I Kings production to add to Pressure’s catalog (another recent addition is the Fattis Burrell collaboration “Shield and Guide,” premiered here last month), and these first two releases sounding proper, The Sound is looking to be well worth the wait.