King Bass, the latest album from Bay C, hits music markets on Friday, in what the artiste said is part of a summer blitz after the two-year pause due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The album, which is his second solo project, comes four years after his debut with Holy Temple, and despite the flurry currently being experienced in the industry as acts work to pick up the pieces with a gradual opening of the entertainment industry, Bay C is confident that this project will hit the mark with his growing audience.

“After the two-year pause, we were just ready to go. All my ducks lined up and we had all the featured artistes sign off and we just said: ‘Let’s go for it’. I guess the best will rise to the top. The lead single Mula, produced by Toots Hibbert’s grandson, King Blizzy, has been generating quite a buzz in the streets and, if this is anything to go by, then we have something good on our hands. I doubt I will have the top album of the summer and that’s not what I want, but the project comes with a lot of dynamic and different flavours so it will appeal to the party crowd, the hardcore dancehall fans, and my international fan base. It represents a part of my solo journey,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

As part of his summer promotion, Bay C has already been booked for Reggae Summerjam, Germany’s popular reggae festival, as well as Keep it Real Jam, another festival also in Germany. He is also looking at spot gigs across Europe during the period with events in the UK and Italy already confirmed.

King Bass represents a sharp departure from the material presented on Holy Temple. It takes the artiste back to his core dancehall days as opposed to the more conscious reggae on the maiden solo project.

“This was all intentional. Nothing I do is left up to chance. I always knew I wanted to do a spiritual project for my début; it’s like when you are going to have a meal, you say grace and give thanks to bless it before you eat. In addition, I am not predictable; so I just destroyed any box people wanted to put me in. But I know people want to hear the Bay C they have come to know and love over the years so I’m giving them all that original dancehall,” said the former member of the dancehall quartet TOK.

“King Bass stays within that tone… the bass baritone and the topics and themes tend to be directed at the females who are the ones who have always loved the voice. It features collaborations with a number of friends in the industry, including Bounty Killer, Chris Martin, Wasp, French reggae artiste Collash, a young artiste called Cindy Lyons, and even my daughter makes an appearance. The album is true to me and my journey in the dancehall space,” Bay C said.