Words by Natalie Weiner—
Getting ready for swimsuit season? Detoxing after a long winter of Netflix and takeout? Well it looks like Jamaica’s Chronixx is on a health kick, too—the latest song from the artist’s upcoming Dread & Terrible EP is an eponymous ode to the “superfood” spirulina. The supplement, derived from an algae, is said to have uses from preventing allergies to promoting weight loss. For Chronixx, (at least according to the song) it’s what keeps him going during a long tour—he’ll even choose it over a Red Stripe!
“Spirulina” is just one in a long tradition of reggae songs about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In Horace Andy’s late 1970s tune “Ital is Vital,” for example, he extolls the virtues of a traditional Rastafarian diet; Early B kept the nutritional advice going in the 1980s with “Certain Food We Eat.” And no, they’re not metaphors for satiating another kind of appetite…
According to Chronixx, “it was nutrition that rescued [him] from certain illnesses.” This song is his way of “promoting a healthy lifestyle,” bringing the trendy supplement from the world of Lululemon and Soulcycle to the rasta youth of Jamaica.
The full EP drops April 1st, and Chronixx is heading out on a European tour next week to spread the word. Look out for more audio from the project ahead of its release, and also a big announcement from the LargeUp crew about Chronixx.