Toppa Top ’15: The 15 Best Caribbean Albums of 2015

From international dub connections to Afro-Cuban soul to major-label debuts from Virgin Islands hitmakers, this year was full of diverse, full-length offerings from Caribbean artists. There were great reggae albums, too,  but more than ever it was clear that music in the Caribbean is bigger than just one genre. Here’s our picks for the best albums of Caribbean origin in 2015.

Start the list here, and see all of our Toppa Top ’15 lists here.

15. Alborosie Meets King Jammy – Dub of Thrones

In the style of classic dub clash LPs like King Tubby Meets Uptown Rockers and King Jammy’s own classic meetings with Scientist, this surprising joint effort from the Jamaican dancehall godfather and Sicily-born/Kingston-living Alborosie sounds straight out of dub’s classic analog era, with buckets of bass and reverb spilling out of every track. Deejay pioneer U Roy and renowned Jamaican singer Errol Dunkley make appearances, for an added listening bonus.—Saxon Baird

14. Machel Montano – Monk Monte

Machel Montano‘s Monk Monté is this year’s legit soca party album, with several moments of glory. Machel gave us the epitome of carnival vibes with his massive hit single “Like Ah Boss,” while revelers got the party started, not deaded, with “Party Done,” featuring Angela Hunte. The album takes off with its first single, “Remedy”, an ode to the therapy that a good wining of the waist can bring. And Montano’s lyrical style pairs up well on the classic soca riddim, “Great Parade” featuring Patrice Roberts. It’s the perfect song for the road march finale, which revelers look forward to year round. Monk Monté is a crossover record, because it connects popular music to the world of soca, holding appeal for any music lover that needs a quick introduction to Trinadad’s signature music movement. — Kalifa Madden

13. Beken – Troubadour

During the two Duvalier dictatorships, a boulevard named Portail Leogane became Port Au Prince’s center for guitar playing in the street and in bars, and of the production of both romantic and political lyrics. Portail Leogane, “Portay,” was where truck drivers dropped their passengers off, and walked to the nearest bar for a drink, and where the elite and the middle classes socialized with the poor. The Portail even had a cuisine, Poul Logey (Ze Bouyi, Soup Joumou, Bega) to match the drinking and the talking. Jean-Prosper Dauphin, a courageous troubadour with one leg known as Beken, is the best musician that the Portail has produced. His songs like “Kwa Pa m” have become classics of Haitian song. Right after the Earthquake in 2010, Beken’s music became the most played in the streets of Port Au Prince, during a time of tremendous pain and grief. His first release in the US, after a long hiatus, Troubadour (Thirty Tigers), is a showcase of his guitar mastery, as well as the Portail scene that has all but died. All of the songs on the album are great. “Ton Nwel” is a standout, and is a sad Christmas song. Troubadour is an album to listen to as an example of artistic mastery, but also as the product of a subculture that has almost died with the times. —Adolf Alzuphar

12. Noel Ellis Meets Lone Ark – Zion

Lone Ark is the music project of Spaniard Roberto Sanchez, who has periodically revealed his genius for (re)producing a classic roots sound over recent years. His unexpected 2015 release shows he hasn’t lost his touch. Teaming up with singer Noel Ellis (son of rocksteady legend Alton Ellis) as part of the France-based imprint Iroko Records’ showcase series, the excellent Zion offers up a number of songs (and dubs) that could seamlessly slot into a mix of golden-era reggae.— Saxon Baird

11. Kreyol La – Invictus

When Haiti’s Konpa Kreyol broke up in 2005, keyboard maestro David Dupoux started his own band with Micheal Benjamin, Krezi Mizik, and the rest of Konpa Kreyol became Kreyol La. Konpa Kreyol had exploded onto the Konpa scene in 1999 with a sophisticated mellow musical direction and lyrics rooted in comic, romantic but also tragic youthful urban life in Haiti. Kreyol La’s sound was much less sophisticated, with lyrics and musical direction closer to daily street sounds and Port Au Prince street culture. Kreyol La became very popular, but they weren’t Konpa Kreyol. Their newest release, Invictus, Latin for “invincible,” told its fans a completely different story – it was their best yet and even more sophisticated than anything by Konpa Kreyol. Songs like “Before and After” and “Triye” are gems. Invictus is the best Haitian album of 2015 in any genre, and a must listen for anyone interested in modern Kreyol music. —Adolf Alzuphar

10.Vybz Kartel – Vi-King

Vybz Kartel ruled dancehall once more in 2015. From the start of the year ’til finish, the Worl’ Boss just kept coming with hits, par for the course for an artist without peer. Many of the best tracks from his 2015 campaign originally appeared on Viking (Vybz is King), an 11-track EP that could have been sold as an LP with a few more songs instead of skits. Among them were “Dancehall,” already one of dancehall culture’s great anthems, and easily the year’s biggest track in the dancehalls; the sweetly melodic “Gon Get Better”; and the autobiographical “Unstoppable.” —Jesse Serwer

9. Major Lazer – Peace is the Mission

Diplo, Jillionaire and Walshy Fire stayed true to their progressive sound and high standards on Major Lazer’s Peace is the Mission, defining the sound of summer with island- and dancehall-inspred EDM pop fire. Fans of the music collective got exactly what they expected on their much-anticipated third studio album: The hit single “Lean On” (featuring MØ), was the go-to anthem for every DJ around the world looking to stir up the dancefloor. “Be Together” with Wild Belle provided a mellow intro to the record, setting the tone for the vibes that lay ahead. In just under 35 minutes, the record covered slick collabos with Chronixx, Travis Scott, Jovi Rockwell, 2 Chainz, Pusha T and Mad Cobra. Machel Montano also brought the peace with his uptempo single “All My Love” featuring Ariana Grande. Peace is the Mission blazed the sounds of dancehall and reggae with perfect moments of pop melodies, hip-hop lyrics and electronic brass. In November, the group released an extended version of Peace is the Mission, with even more collaborations, completing possibly their best record to date. —Kalifa Madden

8. Jah Cure – The Cure

Fans of Jah Cure waited two long years for the singer to expand his catalog. This summer, the reggae singer debuted his much anticipated studio album The Cure (VP Records) to rave reviews, holding the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s U.S. reggae album chart for three consecutive weeks. The album opens with the meditative track “No Friend of Mine,” setting a tone of spiritual introspection. The record dives deep and takes the best elements of the reggae genre: the distinctive horns, binghi-drums, electric piano, tambourine and guitar, all the while adorned by the singer’s signature croon. Jah Cure also gives us a glimpse into his loving sensitivity, with ballads such as (the John Legend cover) “All of Me” and “Set Me Free.” Connecting with West Coast fans, he promotes a love for California’s herb culture with “Made in California.” Recently, the album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Reggae Album. —Kalifa Madden

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTg-ecV4yXw_m8KRATGljqtdgEPflAjSn

7. Iba Mahr – Diamond Sox

Iba Mahr, the youth from Harar with the most distinctive vibrato this side of Jacob Miller, has been at the midstof the so-called “reggae revival” movement, making a name for himself with brilliantly-penned and soulfully sung singles over modern roots riddims. With all the hype surrounding artists like Chronixx, Jesse Royal, and Protoje, Iba is one of the few revival artists to drop a full-length studio album (the others being Protoje and Jah9). The Diamond Sox LP is a worthy follow-up to his stellar 2014 EP Great Is H.I.M., which is far and away the best release from a revival artis, and features several of the same tunes, such as “Sound A Alarm,” and “Will I Wait (In Vain).”

The album, produced by Jermaine Edwards and Roland McDermot for Born Rollin Productions, showcases Iba’s unique vocal style over no-nonsense, dubbed-out roots riddims. Diamond Sox features a whole heap of guest artists including Capleton, Jah9, Notis, Dean Frazier, and Jahmali. Also featured on the LP is a killer remix of Iba’s “Diamond Sox” featuring Tarrus Riley. —Midnight Raver

6. Protoje – Ancient Future

We already knew Protoje could make a good album. He’d already made two, mostly under-the-radar LPs with his first cousin, Donovan “Don Corleon” Bennett at the helm, in the earlier part of the decade, in The Seven-Year Itch and The Eight-Year Affair. Ancient Future arrived in a completely different moment, with Protoje now the anointed leader of a music movement that’s piqued the interest of Vogue and Mick Jagger, and made him one of the most recognized and popular reggae artists worldwide. This new world, and the fact that the album was not produced by Bennett but rather Damian Marley keyboardist Winta James (in his first album as a producer) made Ancient Future something of a fresh start for Protoje. As its title suggests, the album offered a more modernized vision of reggae (“Criminal,” ‘Stylin”) while also looking to the past for inspiration, pulling from ska and 1970s England on “Answer To Your Name,” one of several tracks which features samples. The result was the most complete effort to date from an artist who has come to define the sound of modern reggae. — Jesse Serwer

5. Dayme Arocena- Nueva Era

Nueva Era was a perfect title for the debut album from Cuban singer Daymé Arocena. 2015 was the dawn of a new era for her homeland, as Cuba’s diplomatic thaw with the US brought greater interest to the island, and naturally it’s already globally-treasured music. Nueva Era arrived in a timely fashion, bringing forth a fresh fusion of Afro-Cuban and classic American jazz and R&B. Havana, with a bit of ’90s Philly neo-soul. “Madres” sounds like it could have been recorded during a break from D’Angelo’s Brown Sugar sessions, while “Don’t Unplug My Body” has echoes of Jill Scott, but with some bata drums. — Jesse Serwer

4. Madd Again – MaddTing, Vol. 1

Manchester’s Madd Again injected a fresh energy into the UK’s Caribbean scene with their hybrid of dancehall and grime in 2015. The quartet of Zed Bias, Trigga, Specialist Moss and Killa Benz haven’t got much notice on this side of the ocean, but their single “Duggu” was a certified bashment anthem in England. And they successfully elaborated on their sound over the course of a full-length LP, with songs like “Jump Inna Mi Whip” and “Cross Man Once,” showing that they were more than just a hype ting. If you’re missing the lighthearted, fun vibes of dancehall crews like Ward 21, Scare Dem and Monster Shack, then this album is just what you’ve been waiting for. — Jesse Serwer

3. Kranium- Rumors

Kranium, a 24-year-old from Queens with roots in Montego Bay Jamaica, is New York’s first major dancehall artist since Shaggy. Though he wasn’t yet a household name, he signed a multi-album deal with Atlantic Records in January as their premiere reggae artist on the strength of “Nobody Has to Know,” which hit No. 32 on the Billboard charts with its sultry, soulful sound. The single also caught the attention of Ty Dolla $ign, Major Lazer and KickRaux, and that’s when the magic happened, returning this year in a fresh remix to light the summer on fire.

Released in October, Kranium’s debut album, Rumors, further brought forth the feeling of his smash summer hit, exemplifying the artist’s ability to interpret traditional Caribbean beats (from the two-man team of LMR Pro and Ricky Blaze) while infusing them with urban undertones and R&B melodies. It is atmospheric dancehall at its best, and really shows this vibe with the tune “Stamina.” Kranium also takes time to kick some vintage dancehall flavor with “Draw Me Out.” All in all, Kranium lets the listener know that he is versatile, yet firm in establishing his own atmospheric sound. One thing is for sure, Kranium is no one-hit wonder. — Kalifa Madden

2. R City – What Dreams Are Made Of

When R City broke big this summer with their radio-killing, Top 10-charting Adam Levine collaboration “Locked Away,” it would have been fair to expect a very pop-oriented set from their debut album, What Dreams Are Made Of. The Virgin Islands duo had signed to pop kingpin Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe label, and their previous efforts to release albums in the major-label system had all been shelved, presumably for lack commercial appeal. They could have just beat that “Locked Away“ formula to death, won over some more suburban housewives, and been on their way.

Instead, St. Thomas-raised brothers Timothy and Theron Thomas delivered a hard-hitting hip-hop and dancehall-fueled album full of undiluted Caribbean flavor. (The very first words, from opening track “Like This”: So you think you can diss the international badman dem?/Straight outta Virgin Islands, we don’t play no games with no kinda jokey bwoy) Sure, the writers behind Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop” brought their bag of pop hooks, but there’s never a point on the album where their blend of pop, R&B, dancehall and hip-hop feels forced, or inauthentic. These dudes fit comfortably into all four worlds at once, without having to compromise one bit, and that is an impressive feat. It’s hard to think of any other albums, besides for possibly Sean Paul’s Dutty Rock, that have cracked that code successfully. On What Dreams Are Made Of, R City didn’t even really have to try. —Jesse Serwer

1. No-Maddz – Sly & Robbie Presents No Maddz

Our number one album of 2015 is the stellar debut from dub poets turned reggae stars No-Maddz. Even before this record, we knew the boys from No-Maddz were gifted, but on this album the group took their talents to a new level, taking their knack for lyrical poetry and fusing it with hook-laden reggae, among many other genres. Under the production guise of the legendary duo Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, Sly & Robbie Presents No-Maddz offers up a stunning, diverse set that ranges from the deep, dubwise reggae of the single “Shotta” to the catchy lovers rock of “Romance,” to the Motown-inspired R&B of “Love Story” and the effusive modern ska of “Life Of the Party.” The No-Maddz live up to their name as musical travelers, but they’re never tourists: they thoroughly make each style their own, bringing their distinctive “bongo band” flavor to each track. Best of all, we’re sure this is only a hint at even more great things to come from them. — Saxon Baird