Reggae star Protoje announces new album album A Matter of Time, suggests it may only be a “matter of time” before AutoTune infiltrates Jamaican roots music

Reggae star Protoje announces new album album A Matter of Time, suggests it may only be a "matter of time" before AutoTune infiltrates Jamaican roots music
Photo: Chance Nkosi Gomez

“Ascendant reggae superstar” Protoje has been described as a figurehead of the contemporary Reggae Revival movement — an inspiring resurrection of the kind of “conscious organic music” that the little island nation blessed the world with some 50-odd years ago. And no doubt, based on the fact that he has nearly 160 million YouTube views, the dude is no slouch.

However, his upcoming album A Matter of Time, which is due out June 29 on CD and August 3 on digital and vinyl, may tend to deviate just a bit from the genuinely “organic” nature of what some might choose to call bona-fide reggae:

“It’s not as traditional as my last album, but it’s still authentic,” Protoje suggests. “It’s more innovative, more global and more experimental. I want to elevate reggae culture and the world’s perception of it.”

You can decide for yourself on the “authenticity” of the new record by checking out the newly released single “No Guarantee,” which features Jamaican cohort Chronixx on vocals. The track, as well as the entirety of the album, has been described as “articulating the righteous anger of an emerging generation… [and rejuvenating] the decaying art of socially responsible, mentally stimulating messages through witty wordplay and poetic language.”

In other words, it sounds like the LP might be a 2018 reinterpretation of The Fugees’ sterling LP The Score, albeit with more of a Blackheart Man persuasion than an Enter the Wu-Tang one.

You can pre-order A Matter of Time right here through the official Easy Star record store — and like we said, be sure to check out the album track “No Guarantee” down below (although beware; there’s “no guarantee” you won’t fall entirely in love with this bold, brave new world of Jamaican roots music.)



A Matter of Time tracklisting:

01. Flames feat. Chronixx
02. Blood Money
03. Mind Of A King
04. Like This
05. ‘Bout Noon
06. A Matter Of Time
07. No Guarantee feat. Chronixx
08. Lessons
09. Truths & Rights feat. Mortimer
10. Camera Show

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