Royal Blu has got the flows, he has the young lion swag and he has the temperament that will allow him to continue to chip away, grow and emerge as an important voice from the contemporary reggae (future reggae) music scene.
We have known Royal Blu since he was 'Blu Kid' Taj's likkle bredda who could Dj. He has touched many a stage since 2012 in Manor Park at 'Live from Kingston' billed alongside the greatness of Chronixx, Iba Mahr & Keida. While he has made his way with many releases, 'Style & Pattern' really stands out, and of course 'Jusschool' are tunes for you to have in your reggae playlist. His most recent release with the 5Gs, was flames for us...why? Well, when you are the youngest and least well known amongst lyrical assassins like Kabaka Pyramid, Munga, Jesse Royal, & Runkus and you body your bars the way he did...well, it shows prowess. This is the reason why we miss great riddim jugglin, but anyway that's another conversation all together.
It has been said in various circles that reggae music is in a precarious space at the moment. The sound is changing. Some welcome it, some are weary, elders are talking and dogs are barking. Artists like Royal Blu are poised to ride this new sonic wave to the next manifestation of reggae music - and we (the non-hating Reggae OG's) are very hopeful that they will keep Jah message and deliver it in fine style to the next generation.
We asked Blu what his top 5 reggae songs are and he was kind enough to whats app them back without a reminder...it's the kind of youth he is. Listen to these and then follow it up with Royal Blu's latest mixtape with the Portmore Culture Curator DJ Stamma.
ROYAL BLU's TOP 5 CULTURE TUNES
Bob Marley - Forever Loving Jah
Junior Byles - Fade Away
Buju Banton - Hills and Valleys
Black Uhuru - Shine Eye
Barrington Levy - Black Roses