Kabaka Pyramid

Kabaka Pyramid, yeah chances are your not forgetting that name anytime soon, seems to be one of the most promising upcoming musicians in reggae to date. At least according to Diggy.

Kabaka Pyramid is one of the most promising talents i have seen in a while
-Protoje

And we can’t lie, if Indignation approves then of course Ride And Whistle will support. So Check out the First single off his upcoming mixtape “Rebel Music” here. And be sure to facebook this guy, his page is cool. - Ride and Whistle eMagazine

It’s good to ask questions . Thanks to Duane Bebble Rock McDonald who responded to our facebook post a couple days ago, we got this awesome link to some new music we of course had to share with you guys.


So this is Kabaka Pyramid, and yes, his lyrics seem to be as intricate as his name. Don’t let the humble looks fool you, this man is very educated and it is evident in his music he has a message in his music.

It only took us three seconds to know this would one day be our new favorite artiste, but we assume you have a little bit more time than us, so listen to his 10 track EP and let us know who you feel. - Ride and Whistle eMagazine

Who is Kabaka Pyramid? Don't be surprised if you hear people asking that question over the next several months. Arriving with Rebel Music, his free debut EP on Bebble Music, Kabaka Pyramid sounds like a smooth fusion of Damian Jr. Gong Marley, Gappy Ranks and Jahdan Blakkamore – in other words, a strong DJ with street-wise swagger and mainstream potential. His confident vocal presence and crisp backing riddims make this is one of the brightest new reggae offerings of 2011.
A thoroughly a 21st century artist, with a web presence on Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp and links with Don Corleon-endorsed artist Protoje, Kabaka Pyramid's music is also solidly built and blends hip-hop rhythms with melodious reggae one-drop riffs. In between the cracking drum programs, innovative keys and samples is Kabaka's vocal flow, one that gallops ahead of the beat, then settles back in time for the choruses.

The EP starts with a bang on the Steel Pulse "Blues Dance Raid"-sampling "Feel Di Vibes," a joyous party anthem that celebrates all things good: herb, women and music. If the riddim sounds a little familar, it's because J. Cole and Kanye West's "Looking for Trouble" also lifts from the Steel Pulse tune, but "Feel Di Vibes" is a better fit. Title song "Rebel Music" is an 85 BPM jam with a groove similar to "Welcome To Jamrock" – serious lyrics that indict the poor state of music and offer biographical details into Kabaka's sober livity – "I used to bun the weed a lot, now I try and read a lot" he sings.
The EP's middle tracks, "Prophecy" and "Betta Muss Come" lean more toward hip-hop but still feature a decidedly Jamaican feel – like an update on The Fugee's The Score album or the roughneck reggae-infused hip-hop of Brooklyn's Smif N Wessun. The aforementioned breakout artist Protoje appears on "Warrior," which has Nyahbinghi drumming and lush, cinematic synths reminiscent of Peter Gabriel's evocative productions. The song is a positive example of how taking risks can pay-off in Jamaican music.
Kabaka Pyramid is offering Rebel Music – the full 10-song EP for free right now. If you want a taste of the future, visit this Pyramid. - ForwardEver

Kabaka Pyramid - Rebel Music 2011. Crucial & hard debut set from the Kingston deejay and producer. 10 tracks. Leads with 6 solid roots rhythms before venturing onto some cool dancehall and hip-hop beats. Lyrically solid - strictly conscious reality business here... Original style, original riddims. Collaborations with singers Protoje and Koro-Fyah.
One to watch out for in 2012... - SiamRootsical Reggae Riddim

Kabaka Pyramid sat down with the Jamaica Star to talk about his new EP Rebel Music

CLICK URL FOR VIDEO - Jamaica Star

"I have always been musically a split personality"

CLICK URL FOR FULL ARTICLE - United Reggae Magazine

Free downloads

Collie Buddz - Playback EP
Kabaka Pyramid - Rebel Music EP
Mark Wonder and Zion Roots - The Dragonslayer
Mandinka Warrior and Mr Williamz - Dancehall Nice Again
Jahmali – Sounds with a Purpose

CLICK URL FOR FULL ARTICLE - United Reggae Magazine

German singer Cornadoor and Jamaican hip-hop/roots reggae singjay Kabaka Pyramid have a new single together.

They hooked up on Facebook after hearing songs from their respective album 'Without Restrictions' and 'Rebel Music EP'. Both liked what they heard and decided to do music together.

The single Final Move is the result working over the Internet, and the tune was sent back and forth by e-mail after each artist had changed bits and pieces.

Final Move is by produced by Swiss Weedy G Soundforce and drops on April 13th on vinyl and digital download. - United Reggae Magazine

Kingstonian singjay Kabaka Pyramid has just released the interesting single Free from Chains, available for free download over at Bandcamp. It is a tasty mix of roots and early dancehall scented with some hip-hop. The riddims is in the same vein as Stephen Marley’s recent Jah Army riddim.

The single is taken from the EP 'Rebel Music', scheduled for release in July, - United Reggae Magazine

Click link to view Magazine feature. (language: German) - riddim Magazine

Freiburg, Germany:

Roots Reggae/Dancehall artiste Kabaka Pyramid recently left the island for his 'Ready Fi di Road Tour 2012' in Europe.

The 13-show stint runs from April 18 to May 26 and will take Kabaka to places like Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, The Netherlands, and France.

The tour officially got under way last weekend with the fast-rising act doing two shows in Germany. On Friday night, the vibes was at Club Kamikaze in the city of Freiburg. Kabaka performed an energetic 40-minute set to the delight of the audience.

On Saturday night, Kabaka again performed to a full house in the northern German city of Kiel.

Kabaka was joined in Kiel by German reggae artiste Coornadoor, and the two performed their recently released single, Final Move, for the first time together to a captivated audience. The Kiel massive was moving from start to finish of the 50-minute performance, at times singing songs from the Rebel Music EP word for word. Among the crowd favourites were Ready Fi di Road, Prophecy, Feel the Vibes, Warrior, and the first single from the EP, Free from Chains.

By all accounts, the 'Ready Fi di Road Tour 2012' got off to a tremendous start with the artiste gearing up for the next set of dates in Annecy, France, on April 27, and then Innsbruck, Austria, on the 28th of April. - Jamaica Star

Kabaka Pyramid, the final performer The Gleaner saw, was explosive, direct and spiritual.

Though serious, his performance had a light feel to it as he engaged the audience with witty, thought-provoking lyrics.

Kabaka Pyramid told the crowd his "appetites for mics" was like "kids for Christmas" in the song Lyrical Exercise. He called up fellow artiste Sly Rankine and the duo gave an account of a young Kingstonian woman in She Gone, who was shown a bad example by her mother and, in turn, led a dangerous, promiscuous life. - Jamaica Gleaner

Click Link to read the Magazine Feature - Aesthetics Now Magazine

Kabaka Pyramid, like his last name, has many sides to his artistry. Style, substance, delivery and ideology are some of the aspects, which all converge to make Kabaka Pyramid who he is.

The 24-year-old St Andrew native, whose real name is Keron Salmon, is new to the Jamaican music scene in many ways. Despite rapping on most of his tracks, he also deejays and sings. His tracks are engineered to deliver Afrocentric messages. These messages are not only delivered through the conventional radio-play route but also by the use of viral marketing, such as Facebook, MySpace, his label's website www.bebblerock.com and through his two recent mixed tapes - The Transition: Volume 1 and 2.

Kabaka is trying to stamp his mark not only on the Jamaican hip-hop scene, but internationally as well. He came onto the scene in 2003 with his Bebble team who released a mixed tape that year entitled Daily Basis.

While releasing more mixed tapes such as Sea Full of Madness, he went through a name change from Ronny Pyramid - his Jamaican alter ego. An avid Pan Africanist, he said he wanted an African name and chose the name Kabaka, who was a Ugandan king, fusing it with Pyramid.

Afrocentric musician

"Kabaka is an Afrocentric musician who seeks to uplift people, regardless of their stature, race or modes of life. I don't limit my music."

His use of an American accent to deliver his rap rhymes, is done, he said, to reach more people, and not because he is trying to adapt a false persona.

"People always ask me why I use an American accent to rap, when they say I can DJ and singjay, and I say I wouldn't consider myself a singer, but I do this for people universally so that they can understand what I am saying. A lot of times people listen to Jamaican music and while they jump up and down, they are not getting the message and we want people to be comfortable."

Don't get it twisted. Kabaka still mixes it up by delivering his dancehall songs in an unmistakable Jamaican accent.

His use of viral means to spread his message has, however, been hitting all the right notes. This seems to be a formula on the rise all over the world.

As record sales dip across the world, the normal playbook of releasing a single, a video and radio play, to hype it, has not reaped the same dividends. This has forced artistes in the US, the major market for music, to come up with alternative means of connecting with a fan base. Enter the mixed tape. It has been used to tremendous effect by multiplatinum rapper Lil Wayne and new sensations Drake, Wale and J.Cole.

international strides

Kabaka's work hasn't gone unnoticed as one of his singles, Dear Hip-Hop, was chosen by US celebrity deejay Green Lantern and included on his MySpace Invasion mixed tape in 2007. The mixed tape, which was a part of a competition, also saw Kabaka's single placing second.

With this early momentum, Kabaka Pyramid is hoping to keep it going with his new mixed tape, The Transition: Volume 2. He also has a dancehall-themed single, Enemy Lines, on the rhythm of the same name by Code Red productions.

His close friend and associate, head of Bebble Rock Records, Abishai Hoilett, said they have big expectations of this record.

"Kabaka Pyramid does a lot of rapping on this mixed tape and he has a 360 holistic view to introduce to the people. It is a very lyrical album and we are trying to connect with the youths. It is very different from the 'jump up' thing. We are putting out a message that we want to sink in."

Kabaka is encouraging everyone to get the mixed tape at www.bebblerock.com. Kabaka Pyramid's music can be heard at www.myspace.com/naturalraskas and www.myspace.com/bebbleteamproductions. - The Jamaica Star

Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

"It's about time for that Rebel Music," chants Kabaka Pyramid, who has a hip-hop/dancehall flavour to his music. Having released his Rebel Music Project EP online in July, Kabaka is looking to stamp his mark on the Jamaican music scene.

Born Keron Salmon and hailing from St Andrew, Kabaka Pyramid has shown many sides to his music and message since starting in the music industry. Utilising a rap style that he has developed from his love for acts such as Nas and Dead Prez, Kabaka also combines the deejaying and rebellious side of local acts such as Sizzla, Capleton and more.

Speaking with The Sunday Gleaner recently, the artiste said, "I started out bout 2002, I was actually in the States doing school and came back and my brother and his friends had a studio at home. From there, we formed the Bebble Rock team doing hip hop fused with dancehall music."

Own label

From there, Kabaka and his Bebble Rock team soon formed their own label and released two mixed tapes online - The Transition - Volume 1 and 2, which got the sound of Kabaka out to the world. He also released more mixed tapes such as Sea Full of Madness and went through a name change from Ronny Pyramid - his Jamaican alter ego. An avid Pan Africanist, he said he wanted an African name and chose the name Kabaka, who was a Ugandan king, fusing it with 'pyramid'.

Kabaka's work hasn't gone unnoticed as one of his singles, Dear Hip-Hop, was chosen by US celebrity deejay Green Lantern and included on his MySpace Invasion mixed tape in 2007. The mixed tape, which was a part of a competition, also saw Kabaka's single placing second. In July of this year, Kabaka compiled his Rebel Music Project EP on the Bebble Rock Independent label, free online for fans. "It was released mainly on the Internet. I did 11 songs and chose 10 songs for the EP. The response thus far has been going good. The feedback has come from as far as California and Florida and especially in Europe, places like Germany," he said.

Aside from being in studio, the artiste has hit the smaller venues around Kingston, such as the JARIA reggae month show, Jamnesia, Wickie Wackie Live, Manifesto Jamaica shows and more. Outside of music, Kabaka is involved with Manifesto Jamaica as their spiritual and martial arts umbrella head, teaching yoga and more. He is currently promoting three singles out now off his EP, Free From Change, Ready Fi Di Road and I Alone.

"I'm taking time to release those songs from the EP and also collaborating with producers in Germany, so you can look out for that material soon," he added.

In the future, Kabaka says he hopes to be touring the world and spreading music and one day hopes to be based in Africa. - Jamaica Gleaner

As soon as the play button is hit, the listener can tell this mixtape offers something different. A fresh, hybrid sound which mixes cultural roots reggae, sprinkled with a hip hop influence. Most artistes/producers these days try to fuse dancehall and hip hop into a watered down pop music sound for export but I think the fusion of cultural roots reggae with hip hop is an interesting and fairly new concept; and with Keron Salmon aka Kabaka Pyramid using music as a gateway, is trying use his voice to touch minds. Daring to be different and not follow the rest as a new artist, he mixes life stories into poetry. Kabaka Pyramid’s latest project “Rebel Music EP”, powered by his conscious sound which is then complimented by a flow nurtured in hip hop features production from a number of upcoming producers as well as Protoje’s Indiggnation outfit.


In my opinion, if I had to compare Pyramid the artiste to anyone, I view him as a tamer version of rapper M-1 from dead prez in terms of content but with a Mos Def vibe, flow and style-wise. The Rebel Music EP doesn’t ever falling into the obvious age-old traps of making pointless semi-conscious tracks or merely rapping for rapping’s sake. It is in his flow, rhythm-shifting speech patterns and intricate rhyme schemes and exceptional wordplay where his talent shines. He truly offers something different with definite mainstream potential while Rebel Music itself speaks volumes and is simply something the music industry has been lacking for a while.

“Ok….at the beginning of 2011 we, Bebble Rock collectively made a decision to create a hybrid sound, fusing the two main genres of music that I been doin’ over the past 9 years – reggae and hip hop. We had recorded “Better Muss Come” shortly before that….we knew something big was brewing. A few months later I produced and recorded “Free From Chains” at which point we started to get excited about doing a mixtape of some sort. This is about the time Protoje came by the studio and was saying how I should do a free mixtape to spread the word that I’m here, and I’m ready to do some (proverbial) damage! A few weeks later I began zoning in on the project up at Proto’s crib where we were messing around with various “Bangers”, picking and choosing ones for the project, by which time we knew would be called Rebel Music (Free From Chain’s original title). Protoje had also contributed beats he had received from young producers like Zincfence, King Biggz, and Lewis Planter. The hip hop version of Prophecy was produced by Pay Check from California. Within 3 months, after labourious toiling over the mixing process, image design and arrangement. It was done and released online on July 15th with hardcopy CDs to follow shortly after.

Where it differs from my two previous mixtapes is that it has a stronger reggae influence, while the previous tapes were 100% Hip Hop….not readily accepted by the Jamaican masses and media. Similarities are the lyricism, conscious content, in house and immediate circle production.”

Standout Tracks: The Sound, Warrior, Ready Fi The Road and Free From Chains. Grab or stream Rebel Music below.
- Aesthetics Now