Trojan Jamaica/BMG is proud to celebrate the life and legacy of the late, great U-Roy with today’s release of U-Roy’s final album, SOLID GOLD U-ROY. The eagerly awaited album – which features guest appearances from such icons as Ziggy Marley, Shaggy, Mick Jones of The Clash, Santigold, Sly & Robbie, David Hinds of Steel Pulse, Big Youth, Tarrus Riley, Rygin King, Jesse Royal, Richie Spice, and Scientist – is available now at all DSPs, streaming services and limited-edition colored vinyl.
Produced by label co-founders Zak Starkey and Sshh Liguz, with Youth, and mixed by David Sardy (Toots & The Maytals, Oasis, The Who), SOLID GOLD U-ROY boasts a stellar band of superstars comprised of Zak on guitar, New Orleans legend Cyril Neville on percussion, as well as reggae royalty, including drummer Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare on bass and backing vocals, Tony Chin on guitar and backing vocals, Robbie Lyn on keyboards, trumpet player Stingwray and saxophonist/horn arranger/backing vocalist Dean Fraser.
Originally scheduled for release in 2020, SOLID GOLD U-ROY now serves as a musical memorial to the one and only U-Roy, who sadly passed away on February 17 of this year. One of the most profoundly influential reggae stars of his generation, U-Roy left behind an unmatched legacy as an originator of the chatty rhythmic vocal style known as toasting – a key foundational element in the development of rap and hip hop in the 1970s. Today’s release is marked by the premiere of an official visualizer for album highlight and Bob Marley classic, “Trenchtown Rock,” with U-Roy and Ziggy Marley.
DOWNLOAD/STREAM SOLID GOLD U-ROY
SOLID GOLD U-ROY was previously heralded by such tracks as U-Roy and Rygin King’s “Stop That Train” and U-Roy and Santigold’s “Man Next Door,” both of which are joined by official music videos directed by Nick Franco/1185 Films in collaboration with Zak and Sshh and streaming now at the official Trojan Jamaica YouTube channel.
LISTEN TO U-ROY AND RYGIN KING “STOP THAT TRAIN”
LISTEN TO U-ROY AND SANTIGOLD “MAN NEXT DOOR”
Last year saw SOLID GOLD U-ROY first announced alongside a new release of U-Roy’s iconic “Wake The Town,” Originally released in 1970, the track proved a #1 Jamaican pop chart phenomenon and immediately established U-Roy as an international star. Last year’s release of “Wake The Town” coincided with a tour of Brazil by an all-star band featuring U-Roy, Zak, and Sshh that performed to over 150,000 fans in early 2020.
