From producing “Hold Yuh” for Gyptian to helping Kranium find his sound, Ricky Blaze has been one of the most important figures in New York City’s dancehall scene for nearly a decade. Our bwoy Ricky is of course a notable artist in his own right, with singles like 2010’s crossover hit “Just You and I” and his latest, “Pull It,” to his credit, as well as the 2013 mixtape The Maestro, and a pair of EPs.
Now he’s got an album, too, though you might call Conquer the Moment more of a compilation. The set gathers a mix of new solo tracks and previously unheard productions for Future Fambo, Tifa, Mr. Easy and Blak Ryno and Gyptian, as well as a handful of previously released singles like the misleadingly titled “Overrated” (It’s highly underrated) featuring Shaggy and Kranium. Ricky’s sound has always leaned beyond dancehall and into pop, R&B and EDM, a side of him represented here via Alexus Rose and Chelley, female vocalists he’s had a close hand in developing. The most attention-grabbing cameo on the project might be the one that starts Conquer the Moment: Majah Hype, the Brooklyn comedian who’s taken over the Caribbean after starting out in Ricky’s home turf in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Let’s not get too focused on the guest names, though, as the star as usual is Ricky’s smooth, fluid production. For us (and probably your mom, should she hear Conquer the Moment) the standout track is “Dance,” a smoothed-out, lite reggae track with a touch of classic Beres featuring Mr. Easy and reggae sax king Dean Fraser.
Stream the full project below, and purchase Conquer the Moment here.