June Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks of the Month: Masicka, Mical Teja, NHANCE, Trilla-G & More

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If the heatwave during the New York City Democratic mayoral primary election didn't make it clear enough, summer has arrived.
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As Pride celebrations blanketed the city over the weekend, Michaël Brun's BAYO! Fest took over Brooklyn's Barclays Center for its biggest staging yet. The nine-year-old festival featured surprise appearances from several artists, including Moliy, whose Bashment Sound-produced 'Shake It to the Max' has a litany of remixes on the way, from a Latin rework to new versions featuring Vybz Kartel and Sean Paul. Another notable guest at Brun's Caribbean music festival was none other than Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Party's fast-rising new star and the victor of the mayoral primary.
'As the next mayor of this city, I will be proud to stand up for Haitian New Yorkers every single day,' he said to the packed arena on Saturday (June 28), just days after winning the election. 'We are going to fight to get Ayiti off the travel ban. We are going to fight Donald Trump as he tries to end TPS [temporary protected status]. And we're gonna stand up for Ayiti, because you taught the world about freedom, it's time for us to return the favor.'
Mamdani's crowd-rousing speech underscored just how galvanizing his victory was for many New Yorkers — and how Caribbean artists have been packing out arenas across the city in recent years. BAYO! Fest comes just two months after Vybz Kartel's two sold-out comeback shows at Barclays — and just a week before Bounty Killer headlines the venue on July 5. The trend extends to Long Island's UBS Arena, which has hosted five $1 million-grossing Caribbean-headlined shows across four different genres, including reggae, soca, dancehall and konpa.
Naturally, Billboard's monthly Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks column will not cover every last track, but our Spotify playlist — which is linked below — will expand on the 10 highlighted songs. So, without any further ado:
Perhaps the most melodically gifted artist in dancehall right now, Masicka is back with another summertime banger. Marking his first official collaboration with Latin Grammy-nominated Jamaican producer Rvssian, 'Rich Sex' is Masicka's pledge to shower his lady with as many gifts as his money can buy. Oscillating between a laid-back flow that complements the sultry snares and a crooning cadence that tips the track into melodic rap territory, Masicka handles Rvssian's shimmering 'Story Book' riddim with ease, and delivers a worthy follow-up to his latest hit, 'Mute.'
Fusing bouyon with Dennery segment, Dominican 2025 Bouyon Road March champ Trilla G and Saint Lucian artist Sedale have teamed up for a new road anthem in 'Good Good.' The two stars trade directive chants — including in Saint Lucian Kwéyòl — across a beat swirling with whirring synths and pounding, breakneck drums that compel every listener to start moving.
Nicki Minaj has definitely done her part to help platform Caribbean artists over the past decade and change, so it seems fitting that dancehall stars JayBlem and Byron Messia would sample one of her best deep cuts for a new track. Rapping over trap beat introduced by a sample of 'Save Me' from 2010's Pink Friday, JayBlem spits, 'Blem science him/ Dems eh crime don't pay, but di client will/ Just drop e coupe, rise one mil'/ And mi still a feel pain, suh mi high off pill,' drawing a connection between Nicki's distraught ballad and his own moody narrative. Byron delivers a complementary guest verse that plays to his own trap dancehall strengths, resulting in one of the strongest offerings from the scene in recent months.
'If I minding my business, and they minding my business, then who minding they business?' asks Saint Lucian artist Qpid over Stratozphere Music's 'Recycle' riddim. It's a brilliant question, and one that will surely be thrown at those chiefly concerned with how others are enjoying themselves this summer. Qpid brings the perfect, vivacious energy to match the riddim's power soca drums, making 'Your Business' an instant addition to any pre-Carnival playlist.
In his new interview with Billboard, Konshens named 'Bend' as one of his favorite tracks from his recently-released Pool Party LP — and the song he's most excited for people to hear. He hopes that the track's chugging reggaetón beat will inspire rich conversation about the genre and its relationship with dancehall. Joining forces with new-school superstar Skillibeng, Konshens bridges generations with this Pool Party cut, finding common sonic ground in seductive verses dedicated to the beauty of the bend over.
To close out his new Home LP, Micael Teja opted for a reflective ballad to pay homage to not just his own home of Trinidad and Tobago, but also the West Indies at large. 'Nowhere in the world you could live so happy, from town to de valley/ We love gyal and party, and we nuh trouble nobody/ From de highlands, to the city/ My sweet twin island, red, white, black, when yuh see me,' he croons over Tano's sparse, but somehow still warm, production.
Nhance, son of former Portmore Empire artist Gaza Sheba, has been making waves as a star in his own right, and his new Monsta of My Era EP proves his rightful place is amongst the top of his class of new-generation dancehall singjays. 'Stay to Myself,' the second track on the project, delivers more of his trademark plaintive, self-reflective balladry — this time over a forlorn, guitar-inflected beat. 'Sometime mi wan stay to myself/ Sometime mi nuh wan see nobody else,' he sings, his voice dripping with shades of sadness only solitude can bring.
Fresh off his first JUNO Award nomination for best reggae recording of the year (for 2024's 'Fallback'), rising Kingston-born artist King Cruff barred up something serious on his new 'Bunch' single. Produced by !llmind and Don Mills, 'Bunch' gifts Cruff with a hypnotic, snare-accompanied beat accented by a dancehall vocal loop. As he paints the soundscape with rapid-fire bars, Cruff rattles off one-liners that seek to mend Jamaican men's social PR, like: 'Stand at attention when I stand up for my queen' and 'Don't you know Jamaican men do not cheat!'
YG isn't the only Gen Z Marley with something to say! Soul-Rebel Marley, grandson of music icon Bob Marley, released his second-ever single at the top of June — and it's an on-theme follow-up to his debut single, 'Loving Jah.' Anchored by the refrain, 'Holy Father, I pray to you/ Give thanks to you/ For all you do,' the new single finds Soul-Rebel pairing his smooth voice over a beat that nods to both Afrobeats and amapiano. Joining him on the self-produced song is his three-time Grammy-winning mother, Cedella Marley, who provides delicate backing harmonies.
Teaming up with Loud City Music, Conkarah has unleashed his brand new original single 'Can't Stop Loving You.' An ode to the mesmerizing haze of love, Conkarah croons that he 'can quit drinking whiskey' and 'could even put down the rum if he wanted to,' but just can't stop loving his baby. With his raspy vocals pairing well with Loud City's easy-rocking, brass-accented arrangement, Conkarah reminds us that the love ballad isn't dead.
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