Words by Kaya.lah, Photos by Martei Korley— 
As an artist makes progress in their career, a defined path tends to takes shape. Artists of a certain level of dedication lay their tracks literally and metaphorically, routing them to their desired destination. We like to keep our radar up for such venerated occasions and, from the shores of the Virgin Islands, that is happening presently.
With the new album The Sound out and receiving stellar reviews, a tour in progress in Europe, and U.S. dates on the horizon, including a LargeUp-sponsored NYC album release event at SOBs, the path of Pressure Busspipe is looking bright. The reggae star from Rock City—St. Thomas, U.S.V.I—has switched gears and taken it back to the grassroots for his latest release.
The Sound is a deep album, fully ushering in a side of the artist seen on his debut LP, The Pressure Is On. Pressure’s catalog is full of great culture songs to uplift the soul, but with a higher grade of music production and the absence of any lover’s rock or dancehall on this release, The Sound has us asking, ”ah what is dis yah?”
LargeUp got an opportunity to speak with Busspipe while he and Tippy of I-Grade Records/Zion I Kings, the album’s executive producer, were in Jamaica for album release events at popular roots reggae sessions Kingston Dub Club and Dubwise Jamaica.