Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica, Andre Johnson (aka Dre Island) uses his music with one purpose in mind: betterment of humanity. His long awaited debut album (and when I say long, I mean almost a decade long), is the perfect mix of dancehall and reggae coupled with social consciousness at the forefront. On "Still Remain", Johnson is honest about the struggles he sees; not to wallow, but instead to bring awareness. "Creating less jobs, more complications. More homeless youths in a bus station. Good days short, and bad days long", he sings, with the culminating truth of, "We will prevail". He is a uniter, not a divider. He knows, however, that prevailing does not happen overnight. He preaches persistence on "Never Run Dry", saying "All the things dem a do and all the things dem a try. Years dem a fight but still Rasta survive."
Release date: July 24, 2020
Similar artist(s): Jah 9, Jesse Royal, Bob Marley
Top tracks: More Love, Days of Stone, Never Run Dry, I Rise