2010 Artist of The Year: I-Octane

I-OCTANE

Artist of The Year is a very complicated distinction to give to someone in my opinion and it is so, largely because of the way in which you can make the declaration. When I say “best artist” of any given year, most likely it’s looking at it in one of two ways. You can say who had the best year or you can personalize it and say who had the best year TO YOU.

In the case of the former, if we’re talking about who’s had the best year, commercially or in terms of popularity, in 2010, then your answer is either Vybz Kartel or it’s Gyptian. Plain and simple, cut and dry. HOWEVER, because I’ve never been the biggest fan of Gyptian’s (although I do give credit where it’s due) and these days if Kartel releases five tunes, there’s a very good chance that I’m not going to like four of them, I felt kind of odd giving either the honour and instead, as I was going to do anyway, I personalized the issue and said who has been consistently making music that I actually enjoy and I also took it to somewhat of a wider form (so as to not look dumber than I surely do generally) as who I picked is increasingly popular - thankfully.

No one in 2010, to my ear, has CONSISTENTLY made better vibes in Reggae/Dancehall than I-Octane and it is to absolutely no surprise as the youth has been slowly, but calculatedly building his career not necessarily in the brightest of spotlights, but not too far from them either. Over the past year, while not having released a most desired album, I-Octane has really broken through to some serious levels and heights in the music which, even despite an also monstrous year in 2009, were previously unattained by the Clarendon native and he managed to do so in the most beautiful and natural musical form - By making GOOD music. This year he’s managed to become one of the most in-demand artists that we have and he’s also scored numerous #1 hits in the process like such.

So much so has I-Octane impressed that I’m now going to be adding his name to the batch of ’new school’ Roots artist such as Tarrus Riley, Etana, Queen Ifrica and Duane Stephenson, despite the fact that his music has a bit more BITE to it than that of his peers, for the most part. When you look at (and listen to) the work he’s done, unless I’m REALLY overlooking something, it’s all positive material. You don’t find any type of deviation from positivity in his music and I think that’s VERY significant because Octane seems poised to become an artist who can challenge the unwritten but obeyed phenomenon in Reggae that Roots artists can’t ‘crossover’ like Dancehall artists. Well, he’s kind of both and unlike others who may fit into the same category such as Sizzla, Capleton, Anthony B etc. he’s still very young and we’ve never known him to be anything, as an artist, besides what he is right now. I-Octane figures to be the highlight somewhat of a new genre as he isn’t the same type of ‘hybrid’ artist as those legendary chanters, but his style is one which combines mostly new styles.

In 2010, I-Octane also gained popularity on many fronts including by endorsing products and absolutely BASHING the digital market. He’s certainly one of the most active artists that we have and this has well been reflected through digital releases where he may just be THE most active Reggae or Dancehall artists outside of Mavado and Kartel, which is remarkable when you consider everyone who might come in between (Beenie Man, Sizzla, Gyptian . . . He’s more active than all of them). Also, he rounded out the year by making TWO appearances on the latest installment VP Records’ famed ”Strictly The Best” compilation, both of which were rather awkwardly placed, which would make you think that the label just thought it imperative to get him onto the project. He took Stone Love’s award for best Roots Artist and he also became one of, woefully, only three or four artists to actually mash up a Sting stage at Sting 2010 as well as a few other seasonal stage shows locally.

I-Octane is an artist whose future figures to be brighter than his past and even his present, however the present in 2010 was remarkable and not to soon be forgotten, all of which makes him a clear choice as my 2010 Artist of The Year.



I Octane @ Facebook