Lila Iké bringing own sound to Protoje's camp

Protoje continues to expand the Indiggnation brand with the introduction of his latest protege, Lila IkÈ.

This reggae artiste's strategy is as traditional and old-school as her sound.

Though you will find her participating in a number of features, Lila IkÈ has only released two official tracks thus far.

"I'm going to be pushing these singles. I'm not looking to release anymore until next year. I want to put my name in the history books," she told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Her first single, Biggest Fan, was written for her mother and released in April 2017. She sings with a depth resembling Queen Ifrica, lightened by her youth and small frame.

Last week, the singer dropped the follow-up single, Gotti Gotti, which carries a similar deep-bellied tone over a groovy, melodious reggae bass line, and reinforces the throwback nature of her sound.

Gotti Gotti was written for the Jamaican adage 'getti getti nuh want it', a nod to the artiste's attention to tradition.

Lila Ike told THE WEEKEND STAR that her family is very musical, but nobody chose to venture into a music career.

"I used to sing for my family, perform at funerals and at church, but I wasn't a part of the choir," she explained.

She said her mother was initially wary of her affinity for music. But Lila said the interest in the art form came from her.

"She love har '90s music dem; Garnett Silk, Sizzla, soul music, country ... this is the music I was exposed to and I guess it has conditioned the type of music I make," Lila IkÈ said.

The young artiste was introduced to Protoje by a mutual friend at the pre-album launch of Ancient Future in 2015.

"We were holding a vibe and he was interacting with us and we stated to talk about me and my music. My friend allowed him to hear a song of mine, and I guess a kind of friendship developed from there," she said.

Though her transition into being a career musician was informal, she has already hit the European road as opening act for Protoje on his summer tour, alongside Sevana.

These days, Lila IkÈ is continuing the transition by teaching herself to play acoustic guitar and recording more music with the Indiggnation camp.

In addition to her two official singles, she has lent her vocals to tracks released by Protoje, Koro Fyah and Royal Blu.

She was also invited to participate in BBC1 Xtra Toddla T's 'Freshman Cypher' in February alongside Shenseea, Blvk H3ro and Leno Banton.