5. Masicka feat. Vybz Kartel, “Infrared”

“Infrared” brought together one of the baddest new hardcore artists on the scene, in Masicka, with the long-standing champion of this category, Vybz Kartel. When you have the World Boss in combination with a budding artist with great potential, it’s almost a given that song will go far. “Infrared” goes down as one of the baddest songs of 2017 for a number of reasons but, most notably, because it became an anthem for friends from all over. When this drops in the dancehall, it’s a time to salute to your your bish, your dawg — whatever you call your true friends — and signifies a desire to protect one another and level up together, as in lyrics like, “My dawgs dem haffi live” and “Streets haffi honor we/Dogs dem a mi family.” — Kadene Pitter