Toppa Top ’14: The Best Reggae Singles of 2014

Words by LargeUp Crew

It was another interesting year for reggae. “Revived” a year ago by the emergence of young upstart acts like Chronixx and Protoje, this year those artists went from outsiders to insiders, continuing their conquering path on the way to becoming some of the genre’s most visible and influential acts. At the same time, a number of veterans returned to form in 2014 with some big tunes, including Damian and Stephen Marley, and Jah Cure. Top productions came from a mixture of old-guard (Sly and Robbie, Shane Brown) and upstart (Winta James, Craig “Giark” Dixon) producers.

Jamaica wasn’t the only place in the Caribbean driving reggae this year—some of the best roots and culture in 2014 came from the U.S. Virgin Islands, specifically St. Croix, homebase of I-Grade Records, which released great records by Pressure Busspipe and Midnite. England too brought its fair share of vibes, with artists like Hollie Cook, Randy Valentine and Shuga bringing some very different flavors forward.

After parsing through a year’s worth of one-drop, roots and culture, lovers rock and dubwise tracks, we’ve selected the 14 most essential reggae tunes of 2014.

Start the list here.

14. No-Maddz “Shotta”

If you thought No-Maddz were just a bunch of oddballs who do musical theatre and run around the countryside singing about “Poo Puku Poo,” “Shotta” should change your mind. The second single from their upcoming LP with Sly and Robbie, this Riddim Twins-produced track is a rough-and-tough dubwise anthem imbued with the spirit of Peter Tosh. —Jesse Serwer

13. Hollie Cook “Postman”

We’re convinced that Hollie Cook is a superstar, but she hasn’t had that single to bring her there yet. “Postman” won’t make her one—it’s a trippy, unusual thing with steel drums, strings and Indian tabla—but it’s arguably her best and most extravagant single to date, and the gorgeous video is just one more reason to become infatuated with this Lovers Rock chanteuse. —Jesse Serwer

12. Pressure Busspipe “Virgin Islands Nice”

Pressure Busspipe brought the Virgin Islands its ultimate pride song and history lesson on The Sound, his big collaborative LP with I Grade Records, and its in-house production squad, Zion I Kings. In case you didn’t know already, on this tune, Pressure lets us know that “sweet sweet St. Thomas real nice, St. Croix full of pure vibes,” and “St. John a real paradise”—just check the music video, which contains sweeping aerial shots of the three islands and a number the VI’s more well-known faces. The USVI Tourist board has adopted the anthem as its own, dedicating a whole page on its website to the video. In the spring, Pressure performed the song live on our LargeUp Sessions radio show and also on TV’s The Wendy Williams Show. —Kieran Meadows

11: Chronixx “Iyah Walk”

Digital-B, a label responsible for some of the most crucial reggae and dancehall releases of the ’80s and ’90s, has recently been revived under the direction of Craig “Giark” Dixon, son of label founder and namesake (and production legend) Bobby “Digital” Dixon. Giark’s first production this year was the Islababad riddim, a dubwise riddim with an unusual, Middle Eastern-influenced guitar lead. Though not as ubiquitious as some of his other singles this year, Chronixx’s “Iyah Walk” is the standout track on Islababad, and one of his best tracks to date. —Jesse Serwer

10. Jah9 “Avocado”

One of reggae’s strongest new female voices, Jah9, brought us a fresh ode to everyone’s favorite green fruit, the avocado. Produced by Rory StoneLove, the single showed us a different side to the typically-serious Jah9. The lighthearted lovers song does leave us wondering who it is she’s actually serenading—is it her lover Orlando, or the avocado itself? In the visuals for the tune, just released last month, we see that the Falmouth, Jamaica native clearly loves both, or that one is a metaphor for the other and vice-versa. The result is that we’re left with a feeling similar to that first bite of a perfectly-ripe avocado, when it melts in your mouth. In this case, the healthy and wholesome vibes hit your ears the same way. Check our recent interview with Jah9 here. —Kieran Meadows

9. Chronixx “Capture Land”

Lord America ah capture land! Di whole a Jamaica a capture land! Chronixx makes a bold declaration about freedom, slavery and civil rights on the looming dubwise track “Capture Land.” The tune was one of several singles from Dread And Terrible, the groundbreaking EP that spawned a world tour with international appearances across North America, Europe, and the latest stop in Australia and New Sealand! (These also included “Spirulina,” “Rastaman Wheel Out” and, of course, his biggest hit to date “Here Comes Trouble,” a top finisher on our 2013 reggae list). For us, one of the biggest highlights of the year came when Chronixx and Zinc Fence Redemption performed “Capture Land” for over 10,000 admirers (including rock icon Mick Jagger) at our own packed-out free concert (pictured above in the opening page of this post) in Central Park in July. —Lady Laleebella

8/7. Tarrus Riley “Dem A Watch”/”123 I Love You”

Tarrus Riley’s Shane Brown-produced Love Situation was our album of the year for 2014—we wouldn’t be surprised if this superb record continues to produce hits for years to come. The two tracks from the album which were released as singles in 2014, “Dem a Watch” and “1-2-3 I Love You” document different sides. Where “Dem a Watch” details a relationship on the rocks, “1-2-3 I Love You” is an earnest plea to a lover to come back. Both are pitch-perfect updates of classic styles, merging rocksteady with lovers rock and, in the case of “1-2-3 I Love You” and the interlude featured in the beginning of “Dem a Watch” video, even a bit of R&B group harmony. —Jesse Serwer

6. Stephen Marley feat. Capleton and Sizzla “Rockstone”

If the songs that leaked this year from Stephen “Ragga” Marley’s highly anticipated album are any indication of the quality of Revelation Part 2: The Fruit of Life, then we have a lot to look forward to. One of those songs was a three-the-hard-way combo between Ragga and the Bobo Shanti powerhouse tag-team of Capleton and Sizzla, and all three are in tip-top form on the high-energy track. Sounding hauntingly similar to his father as ever, Stephen sings the hook here, and also treats us to some some serious deejaying over a surprising dubstep-inspired drop towards the end. This EDM flip of the beat takes the track just over the top, making it possibly Marley’s biggest anthem since “Traffic Jam.” —Kieran Meadows

5. Nesbeth “Ole Gangalee”

Nesbeth is not a new artist by any means, but 2014 was a breakthrough year for the singjay from Kingston. Invoking dancehall artist Louie Culture’s 1992 classic “Gangalee,” he fashioned a “cultural” rudebwoy anthem that’s been getting non-stop forwards since it dropped in the spring. It might not have crossed over internationally as much as some of the other songs on this list but, few records elicited a bigger response from the core reggae crowd in Jamaica this year. —Jesse Serwer

4. Notis feat. Iba Mahr- “Diamond Sox”

Much has been made of the return of roots reggae in Jamaica, and the exciting young artists it’s brought forth, like Chronixx, Jesse Royal and Jah9. But don’t sleep on Iba Mahr. The underrated Rasta soldier has been recording his own brand of conscious reggae in Jamaica for half a decade himself and dropped one of the best singles of the year in 2014. An ode to classic Jamaican style—namely argyle or “diamond” socks with “Wallabee Clarks and mi mesh marina” as Mahr sings—the single has a great roots energy, and is catchy as hell. Like all the best reggae dropping nowadays “Diamond Sox” still maintains a distinct, forward-thinking approach thanks in large part to excellent backing from drummer Wayne “Unga Barunga” Thompson and bassist Jason Welsch, collectively known as Notis. “Diamond Sox” is everything we’ve come to love from this new conscious sound and style (down to the Greensleeves-era cover art), assuring us that the roots resurgence in Jamaica is bound to keep the reggae torch lit for a time to come. —Saxon Baird

3. Jah Cure “Life We Live”

“Life We Live” is one of those songs that feels like you’ve known it for years the first time it plays. Sure that’s partly because the rhythm track from Sketch Carey (of Iyacure Production)is a variation on the familiar Heavenless riddim, but the natural mystic Cure references in his chorus must have been in the air when he wrote this because he happened on a vibe that’s quickly made this one of the biggest anthems in Jamaica, and is sure to be one of the singer’s biggest tunes to date. Add to that a gorgeous, unpretentious video (featuring Cure in the back of a pickup truck), and you have the recipe for years’ worth of lighter flicks. —Jesse Serwer

2. Protoje feat. Chronixx “Who Knows”

In 2013, the reggae revival brought together live instruments, soulful voices and powerful personalities to make reggae a mission and not a competition. The spiritual awakening of young musicians in Jamaica united a wide range of talents into one musical movement focused on Rastafari, and it only got bigger and more visible in 2014. Following on the heels of “Selassie Souljahz,” their 2013 collaboration with Kabaka Pyramid and Sizzla, the movement’s most visible proponents Chronixx and Protoje teamed up once again on “Who Knows,” the first singl from Protoje’s upcoming Ancient Future project.

Winta James of Overstand Entertainment, keyboardist for Damian Marley and the man behind the ubiquitous Rootsman riddim, co-produced the track, which features a thick, heavy dubwise riddim underneath Chronixx’s crisp singing and Protoje’s nimble lyrical delivery. The song also begat one of the year’s most memorable videos, directed by Better Mus Come‘s Storm Saulter, in which Protoje and Chronixx embark upon an adventure across Jamaica’s idyllic north coast. The dynamic duo travel by car, bike, and boat to reach their final destination, enduring a number of road blocks along the way. With courage and optimism, everything comes together in the end. As for the great things in store for 2015, who knows? —Lady Laleebella

1. Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley “Is It Worth It (Gunman World)”

Originally released in 2013 (and highlighted in last year’s Toppa Top reggae list)  Chronixx’s “Here Comes Trouble” and Jesse Royal’s “Modern Day Judas” were two of the most ubiquitous reggae songs this year, and though nearing two years old at this point they’re still reaching new audiences. Binding the two tracks together is Winta James’ Rootsman riddim, a dubwise modern update of Sly and Robbie’s instrumental from Ini Kamoze’s “Wings With Me” that has become one the definitive reggae riddims of the modern era. Nearly a year after its release, Jr. Gong solidified Rootsman’s stattus with his own release on the track, “Is It Worth It (Gunman World),” and it too appears destined for a long and fruitful life. The subject of an inventive and just-released video directed by Nabil Elderkin (the director behind lauded visuals from Frank Ocean, Kanye West and FKA Twigs), “Is It Worth It” is arguably Damian’s most stirring and massive-sounding anthem since “Welcome to Jamrock” hit nearly a decade ago. —Jesse Serwer