Words by Natalie Weiner—
Jamaican dancehall artist Assassin isn’t exactly known for sunny reggae tunes—he’s built his reputation going in hard on tracks like “Idiot Thing That,” “Anywhere We Go,” and helped bring the edge to Kanye’s dark Yeezus track, “I’m In It.” After all, they didn’t start calling him Assassin for nothing.
But on his new record, “Day In Day Out,” Agent Sasco steps out of his badman persona to talk about the struggles of everyday life in Jamaica. With relatable lyrics (“four steps forward and five steps back”) and a catchy chorus, “Day In Day Out” is a layman’s anthem that showcases Assassin at his most mellow—it even sounds like he may have been listening to a little Bill Withers? He’s definitely not sacrificing the flow, though.
Stream/download the tune below, check out a live unplugged version from JusBus TV, and tell us what you think in the comments. And be sure to catch tomorrow night’s edition of the LargeUp Sessions, when Assassin will be our special guest alongside Tanisha Scott. Tune in at 6pm EST on RadioLily.com.