We can always count on producer and LargeUp contributor Juss Kool to deliver some heat. The Jamaican-born, New York-raised beatmaker has made some big riddims and tracks, both with and without his name in the credits.
For his latest release, he’s teamed with reggae scion Leno Banton on the appropriately titled “Big.” The track finds the son of Burro Banton — the original Banton — dropping aspirational lyrics over a sweeping dancehall riddim that oozes with hypnotic keys and pulsating drums.
Leno is one of Jamaica’s most promising young artists. His recent EP, Loverman, is full of bops like the delightful “Pina Colada,” but he isn’t quite a household name in Jamaica… yet. “Big” is his stab at a straigtforward dancehall banger, and it delivers.
“This song is about how I envision myself in the future,” the young Banton says. “How I see myself being a force to be reckoned with, in multiple aspects of life. Not just music — in real estate, in creating jobs for other people and just being a household brand.”
Juss Kool speaks glowingly of his collaborator. “Leno is impressive… an artist in the truest sense,” he says. “He pays attention to detail in everything, from the sound in the riddim to the visuals to his production to marketing and the business side.”
Time will tell if this is the one that elevates Leno closer to his goals and that next level of success, but we’ll definitely be adding it to our list of 2021’s best dancehall tracks.
Go “Big” below: