Cham, formerly known as Baby Cham, opens up about the legacy of Till Shiloh, the changing music landscape, and his upcoming 8-track project—set to arrive in a year when no new reggae or dancehall album has charted on the Billboard charts in 2025.
Only re-releases such as Vybz Kartel’s Viking: 10th Anniversary (Deluxe), Sister Nancy’s One Two (1982), and Bob Marley’s Uprising (1980) have appeared.
According to Cham, the problem is multifaceted: streaming has changed the game, and artists aren’t putting in the groundwork to sell and promote their music like they used to.
“There’s too many ways to listen now,” he said. “People go on YouTube or stream it. But to chart, you need both streams and sales. And if you’re not pushing purchase links, it won’t happen.”
Buju Banton’s Till Shiloh, released 30 years ago was certified Gold in the US in 2020. The album marked a turning point in Jamaican music. With songs like “Untold Stories” and “Not an Easy Road,” it bridged raw dancehall energy with deep roots reggae consciousness.
“Till Shiloh, yo… Till Shiloh. One of the biggest albums of all time,” Cham declares, recalling his teenage years at Calabar High School when Buju Banton shook the world with his magnum opus. “That was my final year. Everybody wanted to become a Rasta at the time. That’s really the impact that album had.”
“To me, Till Shiloh is probably the baddest dancehall-reggae album ever,” Cham said. “People call it reggae, but you had ‘Walk Like a Champion,’ you had ‘Only Man.’ There were dancehall songs on it. It’s a classic for sure.”
Cham points out that Till Shiloh set a standard that current dancehall albums haven’t been able to meet.
Back in the day, Cham recalls first-week numbers that would be unimaginable now for a dancehall artist.
“I remember Ghetto Story selling 80,000 CDs in its first week,” Cham recalled. The album went on to reach number 53 on the Billboard 200, number 11 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, number 5 on the Top Rap Albums chart, and claimed the top spot on the Reggae Albums chart. “Now, selling 80,000 units could get you into the top five on the Billboard 200.”
Since its release, Ghetto Story has sold 100,000 units in stream and sales according to Luminate but Cham believes the lack of real promotion—especially in North America—is part of the decline.
“Social media can only take you so far,” he said. “You have to be on the ground. Hit the radio stations. Shake hands. Know which cities are buying your music. We were in Tampa, New York, D.C.—doing the legwork.”
Cham is putting that same work ethic into his return with a new album “Sherlock” dropping Friday, July 25—his first solo project sing Ghetto Story.
The album—though originally conceived as an EP—has grown into a full-length project with eight tracks, which Cham considers the sweet spot for performing live.
“They say anything over six tracks is an album,” he explained. “I wanted songs that could live onstage for years. So I built it that way.”
The Billboard and Grammy Opportunity
If his album charts, it will be the first new reggae or dancehall album to hit the Billboard Reggae Albums chart in 2025.
He also knows Grammy buzz is possible as there’s barely any competition this year. “If we get the right eyes and ears, who knows? We could take it.”
Who’s Behind the Project?
The album’s production is tight and personal. Beats came from Fanatix, but none from his longtime collaborator Dave Kelly this time.
“I produced it myself, along with Steve and Dave. Fanatix sent the beats,” he said about the first single ‘Hustling In My Blood’ ft. Stephen & Damian Marley. “I picked what we liked, and built the songs from there,” he said.
What’s Next?
Cham headlined Y2K Summer Jam in Miramar last Sunday, and gave fans a first taste of the new material.
“It’s not just about the album drop—it’s about showing people the artform again,” Cham said.
And beyond charts and accolades, Cham is thinking legacy.
“I did Get a Story in 2006. That album turns 20 next year—and people still singing ‘Ghetto Story’ like it dropped last week,” he said with pride. “That’s timeless music. That’s what we’re aiming for again.”
