Blaize releases debut album

Dancehall artiste Blaize has released his debut album, ' Dancehall Untrapped', achieving a goal which he set for himself and one which he hopes is a preamble to achieving other goals he has set his sight on.

"It's a surreal type of vibe. Mi record mi first professional song in 2006 after leaving high school, and you know after you record your first song, you say, 'Yes, mi a go buss now' yuh zimmi. And from 2006 to 2024, you know dem way deh, whole heap a start and stop. Mi give up pon music couple years ago and mi tek up nine to five. Every time mi say mi done wid music and a try the regular life, it's like you know say a that you fi a do," said Blaize, whose given name is Andrew Folkes. "A whole heap a work put inna this, so it's great to see this manifest. It's an overwhelming feeling."

In 2023, he focused on his book, The Power of Pain, and while promoting it, he did a little freestyling and put them on Instgram; persons gravitated to his stuff.

"Mi end up a perform a Sumfest last year and I remember after Sumfest, mi a tell somebody say a next year a my year, mi a go put out an album 2024, and mi a go win Grammy 2025; so a it this," he said. He revealed that attorney and restaurateur Ron Young was integral in his journey, along with dubplate legend Panta Son.

"Ron Young, one of the co-owners for Janga's, decide say him a go manage me. The first single weh mi release, Got This, inna January, mi write the song and end up freestyle it pon Panta Son riddim. Him drop the riddim from 'bout November or December. So when mi send him the voicenote, him a say tha song yah bad, so mi did always plan fi drop me book inna March. Then mi say mi a go drop an EP so we start work wid Panta now and him send me some riddims and mi just a write and a write; and Ron say just do an album and done," he said.