'Hold You' aims to pull reggae from slump

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

With a hit song rocking local and overseas airwaves, roots singer Gyptian is looking for even bigger things with Hold You, his latest album which was released last week by VP Records.

The 15-track set contains Hold You, Gyptian's monster hit of the same name, with Trinidad-American singer Nicki Minaj, which has peaked at number 31 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart and number 76 on that publication's Pop 100.

Having made a name with conscious chart-riders like Serious Times and Mama Don't Cry, Gyptian hit pay dirt with the funky Hold You, which was produced by Richard 'Ricky Blaze' Johnson.

After hitting the mark with message songs, Gyptian wanted to present a different side.

"Wi showing the world seh wi versatile, an' wi don't put wi egg inna one basket," the dreadlocked vocalist boasted. He said he was surprised at the success of Hold You, which was first recorded two years ago.

"When it do it neva mix right, there was no balance," he said. "But it powerful yuh nuh, put mi pon a different level."

Guest appearances

That 'different level' has resulted in Gyptian making guest appearances at New York shows alongside rapper The Dream and singer Omarion, formerly of the group B2K.

His management is eager to capitalise on the resurgence. Gyptian was scheduled to leave yesterday for shows in California, which includes a slot on the Monterey Reggae Festival.

These will be followed by a performance at the annual Caribana Festival in Toronto, Canada, next month. In September, he heads to Nigeria and Ghana before rounding off a busy itinerary with a month-long stay in Europe.

Hold You has thrown dancehall/reggae a lifeline. Jamaican pop music has not recovered from a disastrous 2009, which saw expectant albums from Tarrus Riley and Mavado failing to impress record buyers in the United States (US).

Riley's Contagious and Mr Brooks ... A Better Tomorrow, by Mavado, were also distributed by VP, the Jamaican-owned Queens, New York, company that controls the largest chunk of the US reggae market.

Hold You, the album, has been getting solid reviews from The Washington Post.

Gyptian is optimistic his third album can spark a turnaround in fortunes for reggae in 2010.

"If is even a gold record (500,000 units), me'd a satisfy," he said.

Johnson and John 'FX' Crawford share production duties on Hold You.