‘Super Heavy’ reunion for T.O.K
BAY-C, former member of dancehall quartet T.O.K, introduced his latest solo project, King Bass, to appreciative guests attending ‘Super Heavy Wednesdays’ at Janga’s Sound Bar & Grill recently. However, the evening’s highlight was when the headliner was joined on stage by former bandmates Craig T and Alex to perform their wildly popular hit songs.
Bay-C was elated with the reception.
“This was the first time I am performing tracks from my new album, King Bass, in Kingston so [I} was pretty excited to begin with. The patrons showed so much love for my new music and style as a solo artiste,” he said.
“We really turned it up a notch when my former group mates joined me to perform our old hits. The crowd was rocking and singing along word for word, which is always a joy to hear. It shows us how impactful our music is, and it is always those moments that I cherish as an entertainer,” he continued.
Released June 3, 2022, the 17-track King Bass is on the Bombrush Records imprint. The tracklisting includes Mula, Hustle the Money, Zenna, Do U Right, Why Pree, Magnet, Gangster Prayer, Playground, Bad Bitch, Badman Town, Don Dadda Trill, and From Mawnin.
In 2016 Bay-C released his solo EP Better Must Come. Two years after, he released his debut album Holy Temple.
In a previous interview the Jamaica Observer Bay-C spoke about the project.
“This project is more aligned with my dancehall roots. I just felt like, based in the feedback and overall climate at this time, this is the direction in which I wanted to head. Holy Temple saw me singing more and playing instruments. For this album I’m using up the bass voice, and it was such a joy to be able to spit rhymes and flow in the studio. It was really like muscle memory, and I had so much fun and have been inspired by some of the current acts in the dancehall space,” he said.
Bay-C also said he loves the platform that Super Heavy Wednesdays provides.
“Plus, I really like the Super Heavy platform and have attended in support of other artistes in the past, so being able to present my album there was a great vibe. I think more established artistes should take notice of the event and opt to bring their great music into the space,” he opined.
Formed in 1996, TOK comprised Alistaire “Alex” McCalla, Roshaun “Bay C” Clarke, Craig “Craigy T” Thompson, and Xavier “Flexx” Davidson. They had a string of hits but decided to call it quits in 2015 to pursue solo careers. They were best known for such hits as Footprints, Gal You Ah Lead, Chi Chi Man, Eagles Cry, and She’s Hot.
Super Heavy Wednesdays is held every Wednesday at Janga’s Sound Bar & Grill. The event is a weekly live music event showcasing up-and-coming talent on a small stage. The event focuses on reggae, dancehall, and Afrobeat, and features two guest DJs weekly. The event is promoted by the Brand New Machine team, manager of international recording artiste Sean, Paul Steve “Urchin” Wilson, and musician Terrence “Farenizzi” Harold. The event is being hosted to help foster the re-emergence of the Kingston live music scene post-COVID-19.