New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Today, fast-rising visionary artist King Cruff announces his long-awaited debut EP WHAT HAVE I 'DON releasing November 14th via Tuff Gong Collective/Universal Music Canada, the country's leading music company. Known for his poetic lyricism and innovative sound that blends elements of hip-hop, dancehall, reggae and funk, King Cruff's debut project promises to further solidify him as an artist to watch.
With his potent new single "EASY!", out today, King Cruff pays homage to Y2K hip-hop and reveals a bold, braggadocious side of his artistry. "'EASY!' is another shade of Cruff that I'm introducing to my audience," he says. "It's a lot more rugged, a lot more aggressive than previous releases. It's more of me beating my chest, which I think people would attribute to an earlier version of my sound. 'EASY!' carries that feel that is undoubtedly early 2000s with the performance being very Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes-esque, and the production being reminiscent of The Neptunes. On top of that, the delivery itself is still very dancehall. I'm trying to show people that there are so many ways to create with the dancehall sound, it just needs that experimentation."
"EASY!" marks King Cruff's third collaboration with Grammy and Latin Grammy-nominated duo Banx & Ranx, following the dancehall/reggae track "FALLBACK" (which was named one of Billboard's Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks of the Month) and their summer smash "PROPPA GHANDA", which is still charting at Top 40 radio since its release in May. "More and more, I see my collaborations with Banx & Ranx becoming recognized as one of those iconic artist-producer duos, like Future and Metro, or Smino and Monte Booker," says King Cruff. "When we're in the studio, we just don't miss."
Canadian-Jamaican artist King Cruff (Solomon Marley-Spence) was born with the talents of songwriting and performance in his blood. An introspective storyteller, he sees his songs as think pieces that embody the poetic lyricism, vibrant rhythms, and innovative soundscapes that define his artistry. Drawing on his audio engineering background, the versatile King Cruff fuses genres across the diaspora including hip-hop, Afrobeats, dancehall, and reggae.
While reggae royalty is in his blood, King Cruff's rapid flow and patois-laced lyrical style reveals the influence hip-hop lyricists such as Andre 3000 and Kendrick Lamar have had on him choosing to carve his own path and building his own legacy.
The 26-year-old artist is a natural-born performer who has spent the past year on stages in Canada, the US, and Jamaica for cultural events like the Tuff Gong Takeover in New York alongside Skip Marley, Toronto's Caribana, Afro Carib Fest, School Night, Bastid's BBQ Jamaica, Bastid's BBQ Toronto, Flavours & Vibes, on tour with DillanPonders, and at both the LA and Toronto opening nights of the Bob Marley One Love Experience. King Cruff made his debut at HISTORY in front of a sold-out crowd opening for Damian Marley and Stephen Marley on their Traffic Jam Tour, shared Jamaican stages with Buju Banton, Runkus, Julian Marley, YG Marley and Lauryn Hill, and was named the Reggae/Afro Beats Artiste of the Year at the 2023/2024 Essence and Culture Awards.
