In an unprecedented endorsement, Kabaka Pyramid, the recipient of the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album, has thrown his support behind Burning Spear for reggae’s biggest trophy at the upcoming 66th annual Grammy Awards. The “Ready For The Road” artist expressed his admiration for the fellow nominees but highlighted Burning Spear’s distinctive edge this year.
“Who me wah win? Burning Spear, Burning Spear me a defend. Wicked album. Big up Buju, Buju feature pon me album me give thanks, Buju a legend, Juju Royal a me bredda, Beenie Man legend Inna the thing, anybody can get it but but me love Burning Spear album, me love it different.” Kabaka Pyramid conveyed in an interview with WMV.
The contenders for the Best Reggae Album category at the 2024 Grammy Awards include “Born For Greatness” by Buju Banton, “Simma” by Beenie Man, “Cali Roots Riddim 2023” by Collie Buddz, “No Destroyer” by Burning Spear, and “Colors Of Royal” by Julian Marley.
Reflecting on his own triumph, Kabaka Pyramid, who clinched the Best Reggae Album accolade at the 65th annual Grammy Awards for his debut album “The Kalling,” produced by 5 time Grammy winner Damian Jr. Gong Marley expressed profound gratitude, describing the experience of winning his first Grammy as “a great feeling, me just give thanks for the blessings.”
“No Destroyer” is Burning Spear‘s 13th nomination for Best Reggae Album having won the award twice at the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000 for Calling Rastafari, and again for 2009’s Jah Is Real.
Spear, born Winston Rodney, was first nominated at the 28th annual Grammy Awards for his second Roots Reggae studio album Resistance (Heartbeat Records).
Known for his simplistic but poignant anti-establishment lyrics, Burning Spear, 78, uses “No Destroyer” to take aim at big companies in the music industry. On the track “No Fool,” he sings,
“Some people think I man is a fool/ I never low them to use I like tool/ I set the rules then the people be cool/ one day somehow they will known the truth/ It passes down from family to families/ I man work as hard as I breathe/ they try to claim I man’s craft and be rude but Jah Jah sees they’re such a big fool/ In the music industry, there are a lot of tricks; some people know how to fix and twist…they sign up with the crooked one… think they are so smart; the artist’s name, copyright, and trademark/They never give the artist a call. If we don’t work, they say we’re lazy, and when we talk, they want to incriminate we/ every man have a story/ this is a total this is I man story.”
The winner for the Best Reggae Album category will be determined by eligible Grammy voters who are currently in their final round of voting which started December 14 through to January 4.
The Grammy Award for the Best Regge Recording was establish and presented in a pre-show ceremony in 1985. In 1992 the category name and criteria underwent a change to Best Reggae Album. Black Uhuru won the first “Best Reggae Recording” Grammy but Musical Youth who were mad popular with the song “Pass The Dutchie” was the first reggae act to be nominated for Best New Artist at the 26th Annual Grammy award.
Watch Kabaka Pyramid’s impromptu WMV interview below:
