Clarks, San Diego Padres, DJ Khaled, and NFTs Make This #ReggaeFriday

Volume 1, Issue 25 || Visit ReggaeFriday.Life || Curated playlist on YouTube Music || Also follow #ReggaeFriday on Instagram or Facebook.

Happy #ReggaeFriday. It's time to slip away and get those Caribbean vibes going on for the rest of the week. Let's get started beginning with the original Clarks footwear.

Clarks Celebrate Connection To Jamaica With New Film Featuring Koffee, Protoje, Lela Ike, and Others

Clarks Originals have just unveiled a new 10-minute short film celebrating its intimate connection with the island of Jamaica. This is part of a larger "Jamaican Pack" ad campaign that I uncovered in a prior issue of #ReggaeFriday (issue 23).

The connection between Clarks and JA goes back a long way. Ever since the original Desert Boot hit the streets of Kingston almost 60 years ago, the brand has become intertwined with everyday life on the island and is now synonymous with the country’s rich musical history.

The short film can be viewed by clicking HERE or the image below:

Shot on location in November last year, by an all-Jamaican film crew, the Clarks x Jamaica short film includes appearances from famous fans such as the Manchester City footballer Raheem Sterling as well as recording artists Koffee, Protoje, Lila Ike, Sevana, The No-Maddz, and M1illionz, and explores just what it means to wear Clarks in land that has adopted the brand like nowhere else.

Clarks shoes have occupied a special place in Jamaica’s collective wardrobe for over 60 years and people are still invariably asked to “carry down a Clarks” whenever they fly out to Kingston. Not only does the film showcase the leading names in Jamaican music today, but also highlights the collective affinity the people of Jamaica have for the brand.

Visit the Clarks brand website by clicking HERE. I swear, I am gonna buy a pair. The desert boot is my style.

Biden Administration Lifts Trump-era Restrictions Stalling Puerto Rico Hurricane Aid

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development removed restrictions unique to Puerto Rico that had been limiting the island's ability to access certain recovery funds following the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017, the agency announced Monday.

The agency also unlocked access to $8.2 billion in Community Development Block Grant Mitigation funds to help the island build resiliency against future disasters. The aid was previously approved by Congress in 2018.

These actions come as the administration of President Joe Biden attempts to ease tensions between the federal government and the U.S. territory after former President Donald Trump repeatedly opposed disaster funding for Puerto Rico while disputing and failing to acknowledge Maria's death toll.

San Diego native and Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove plays local band's song for walk-up

Joe Musgrove, a new addition to the Padres roster this season, made team history when he threw the first no-hitter for the franchise. The cherry on top of the milestone: he’s a San Diego native.

His loyalty to his city runs deep, and what fans might not know is that his walk-up song also has local roots.

He enters the field of every home game to the song “Vampire” by San Diego-based reggae band Tribal Seeds. Tribal Seeds was started by two brothers, Tony Ray and Steve Jacobo, when they were still students at Bonita Vista High School. If not in the San Diego area or a Padres fan, click HERE or the image below to catch the song:

The brothers say reggae music is something they’ve loved since they were children. Now, more than ten years later, and they’re still creating music.

‘Reggae Vaccine’ Producer Needed a Marley to Heal The People

Marley scion, Julian, has been tapped to headline a big-name compilation which has a title that accurately reflects the times. In a period of Earth’s history where the use of the word ‘vaccine’ must surely come a close second to ‘pandemic’ or ‘COVID-19’, the producers are making a bold statement with an album dubbed Reggae Vaccine.

The album also features Bounty Killa, Anthony B, Gyptian, Jah Vinci, Africa’s Shatta Wale, Wayne Wonder, Ed Sheeran, Jethro Sheeran, and Mojo Morgan from Morgan Heritage.

And they are making an even bolder one by having a half-smiling Julian, with guitar in hand, à la Bob Marley, prominently rocking on the cover of the album, surrounded by his friends. “You need a Marley to heal the people, and that’s one of the reasons why I chose Julian to lead Reggae Vaccine,” declared Sean ‘Contractor’ Edwards, whose Contractor Music, along with Urban Angel, Digital Production and Top Braff Entertainment, joined forces for this production.

ICYMI, Julian recently drop a single "Pages" in October which is on heavy rotation in my home. Another recent favorite drop September 2020 is "Mother Nature" with Junior Reid that is timely with this week's Earth Day celebrations.

Reggae Group, Morgan Heritage, Makes History, Drops Songs as NFTs

Two-time Grammy award-winning reggae group Morgan Heritage makes history today, April 17, as they become the first reggae artist to release their songs as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) ━ a blockchain technology that took the art world by storm last month ━ before release on any other platforms.

The group will be releasing a new song and two digitally remastered titles from their vast catalogue, allowing fans of the reggae group to claim ownership of their songs.

The reggae group made up of Gramps, Peetah and Mr Mojo is the latest musical group to release songs as NFTs. The group has amassed over 36 million streams on their top tracks and has charted on numerous occasions. As leaders and trendsetters, Morgan Heritage is known worldwide for its riveting stage presence and exciting showmanship.

The NFTs are made possible by Bondly Finance. The blockchain company will release three NFTs, each paired with full new music and classic songs from their catalogue.

“To have been chosen by Bondly to be the first Reggae artist in history to release new music along with songs from our catalogue on the blockchain exclusively to the Bondly Community and crypto world, in general, is truly a blessing. We are very excited about the possibilities of working with Bondly through this partnership to open the door for others in our genre around the world as well as our peers across the continent of Africa,” said the group in a statement.

“When I was introduced to their music by PelleK, I fell in love instantly and then realized how big their fan base was, globally. For us here at Bondly when it’s all said and done, we are pleased to be able to be the ones that brought Morgan Heritage and their amazing music to the 100 million cryptocurrency users that exist today,” said Bondly CEO Brandon Smith.

All three tracks are records from the upcoming album ‘Legacy’, which will be released on May 28. The album not only covers the group’s illustrious career but also chronicles its musical journey that spans 60 years of Jamaican music and its evolution throughout.

DJ Khaled Recruits Reggae And Dancehall Royalty For ‘Khaled Khaled’ Album

Known for his affinity for Jamaican music, American producer DJ Khaled pulled together an all-star cast of Dancehall and Reggae stalwarts for ‘another one’ (or possibly a few) of his genius collabs.

The record exec shared several clips of his yaad man link up with Barrington Levy, Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, and Capleton on Instagram with the constant caption, “Working on something special I never forget where I come from. JAH LIV!” With several decades in music, hundreds of hits, and a few Grammys and Gold Certified records between them, the Jamaican legends embody Khaled’s We The Best tagline, and anticipation for the positive vibes is at a high among the dancehall/reggae fanbase. 

Left to right in image above: Bounty Killer, Capleton, DJ Khaled, Barrington Levy, Buju Banton.

Khaled has been teasing the team effort off his upcoming album Khaled Khaled from as far back as October. Levy also uploaded photos on IG of himself and the Wild Thoughts  hitmaker in a studio session telling fans, “In the studio w/the Best. Good vibes and much love always. Heat coming your way, be on the lookout.. Just wait for it it’s going to be grande”. 

#ReggaeFriday Weekend Soundtrack

This week I cover only two album releases that includes Sech and Myke Towers.

SECH / 42

Last Friday Panamanian reggaeton artist Sech released his third studio album 42-- an homage to fellow Panamanian Mariano Rivera. If you know an ounce about Major League Baseball, then you know Mo.

“I saw Mariano Rivera do magic, coming from such a small country,” reggaeton star Sech told Teen Vogue in Spanish over a call from his native Panama, explaining why he titled his newest album 42 after his childhood hero. “What [Mariano] did marked me, and I said, ‘One day I’ll get there.’ And now, it’s like he’s handing me the number.”

If you know Spanish, then you might like to watch a very recent conversation between the Baseball Hall of Famer and New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. Click HERE or the image above to watch the 35-minute piece.

Sech is not remiss in acknowledging the importance of the number 42 as it is the number worn by the late, great Jackie Robinson and eternally retired from use in Major League Baseball. Rivera was the last active player permitted to wear the number (Rivera was wearing 42 before the number was retired by MLB.)

42 is an 11-track album filled with a few collaborations including Wisin y Yandel ("Pata' Abajo") Nicky Jam and Rauw Alejandro ("Playa") and Arcangel ("Te Acuerdas"). The music video release off the album is "Sal y Perrea" which you can watch by clicking HERE or the image below:

It is a thoroughly enjoyable album from-to-back in which Sech mostly carries the album on his own writing and performance. Grammy worthy? No. But, for people new to reggaeton, or addicted like I am to certain rhythms, this album is a perfect one to play in its entirety. Check out "911" by clicking HERE or clicking on the image below:

Did you catch the cameo by Nicky Jam?

The Rich Music-produced album hits on classic reggaeton beats, hooks and rhythms. Whether intentional or not, for me the "ghosts" of early Reggae en Espa?ol artists El General and Nando Boom linger in the air of Sech's album-- more Boom, less General. Both El General and Nando Boom originate from Panama.

Myke Towers / Lyke Myke

Michael Anthony Torres Monge, known by his stage name Myke Towers, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer and songwriter that dropped a 23-track album today. Yes, 23 tracks.

To be clear, Myke is on the rap side of Latin music. He is not a reggaeton artist and has no resemblance to the aforementioned Sech. Myke is the proclaimed Latin Rap King. "Balas Locas" illustrates his excellence and versatility as a Latin rap artist. I include Myke in #ReggaeFriday because I like his material a lot and he does collaborate a ton with reggaetón artists including Maluma, Ozuna, Karol G, Nicky Jam, Anuel AA, Farruko, Arcangel, Sech, and Sebastián Yatra-- to name a few. One of my favorites of his prior material is "Girl."

Instead of delivering an album of reggaeton, Towers opts for straight rap and trap with Lyke Mike. A few hours before the album’s release, he wrote on Twitter, “In Lyke Mike, there’s no commercial music.” Towers also dabbles in a bit of drill music. Check out "Mírenme Ahora" by clicking HERE or the image below:

The title for Towers’ album is a reference to basketball legend Michael Jordan. Among the 23 tracks, he actually limits the number of features to only a few artists like ?engo Flow, Jon Z, and Miky Woodz. For a huge part of the LP, Towers goes it alone and lets that malleable flow of his run wild.

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Editor's Note: #ReggaeFriday, reggaefriday.life, and the curated #ReggaeFriday playlist is part of a self-created idea that started in early June 2020. This collective is intended to expose, elevate, educate, celebrate, and expand an appreciation of the people, culture, influences, and music of the Caribbean. Heavy doses of reggae and reggaeton music are merged together here where in real life they are more often treated separate. Beneath this, I hope to help help others learn to better appreciate how a tiny geographic area, in particular the people located on the islands of Puerto Rico and Jamaica, has an enduring and never-ending positive impact on people and culture around the world.