Penthouse Records founder Donovan Germain believes Chronixx shouldn’t have stepped back from reggae music. Speaking exclusively to WMV, the ‘Til Shiloh producer expressed that while he recognized Chronixx’s potential as a key figure in reggae’s new generation, he felt the artist’s commitment fell short. “Me think Chronixx have the opportunity,” Germain explained, “but Buju [Banton] works very hard—you see him there, you have to be really committed. Chronixx took a break, but you can’t take breaks; you have to maintain it and build the catalog. (If you don’t,) ultimately someone else will take your place.”
In July, Chronixx teased fans with clips of three new songs on Instagram, which he has since removed in anticipation of a full release.
The first teaser, titled “No Night,” includes lyrics that evoke Zion: “There is no night there, no night in Zion.” The second song, “Black Marcus,” pays homage to Jamaican national hero Marcus Garvey with the chorus, “when you learn to love yourself, Jah love will help you find your way.” The final teaser, titled “Analog, 432 Hz,” shows Chronixx walking along a train track, singing, “the hotter the battle, the sweeter the victory.”
While these teasers lack traditional reggae beats, they feature the sound of Congo drums and simple piano keys.
The Spanish Town artist is currently unsigned by any major label and has parted ways with Soul Circle Music, the company he co-founded with managers Pierre Bost and Brendon “Daddi Barnz” Sharpe. In a 2021 interview, Chronixx characterized Soul Circle as uniquely different from traditional labels like Chris Blackwell’s Island Records. Despite being independent, he has leveraged the marketing reach of Blackwell’s Blue Mountain Music Publishing, with whom he signed a three-year publishing deal with a seven year option.
Since announcing his sophomore album Dela Splash in 2021, Chronixx has released several singles, including the title track, “Safe N Sound,” and “Freedom Fighter,” but is yet to release the follow up album to his debut album Chronology (2017), distributed by Virgin Records. That album has has sold over 100,000 units in the U.S. according to data provided to WMV by Luminate.
Chronixx received his first RIAA Gold certification for “Eternal Light,” his collaboration with the R&B group Free Nationals, marking over 500,000 units sold in the U.S. The award, issued on September 18, 2024. This song, was the fourth single from Free Nationals’ debut album in 2019.
“Eternal Light” has surpassed 11 million views on YouTube and was featured in the official playlist for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s inauguration in January 2021. Chronixx began his music journey as a child influenced by his father, reggae artist Chronicle.
