ohh gosh it's the Lila Iké thread

This has been a great year for music already, but my low-key favorite release so far is Lila Iké's ExPerience EP, which seamlessly blends various Jamaican genres with rnb and some singer-songwriter introspection. Some earlier discussion from the rolling dancehall thread:

The Iké EP, ExPerience, is excellent. Rather than heading in a roots-revival direction like I'd assumed based on "Where I'm Coming From", it's much more like updated (80s) lover's rock. At least until the last track where she takes on Sly & Robbie's riddim for The Tamlins' "Baltimore," which if you're going to voice a classic is a goddamn good choice, not to mention it's pretty groovy anyway

― dip to dup (rob), Saturday, May 23, 2020 9:20 AM (one month ago) bookmarkflaglink

Agreed. I love the diversity I'm discovering in Jamaican music "behind" the traditional roots - dancehall binary. And each song has something different to offer but keeps that unique Jamaican singing style. Mother of God the way she hits those notes on 'Second Chance'. This EP is placing on my year-end list.

― Nabozo, Saturday, May 23, 2020 9:51 AM (one month ago) bookmarkflaglink

Yeah I love how commanding her voice can be, but then the vibrato maintains a constant note of vulnerability. More broadly, the roots-dancehall binary is definitely overstated, obscuring genres like rocksteady and lovers plus tons of artists worked in both areas and there has always been plenty of mixing of the two genres/impulses.

― dip to dup (rob), Saturday, May 23, 2020 9:59 AM (one month ago) bookmarkflaglink

Listening to "Solitude", "Stars Align" and "Forget Me" in a loop. So, so good.

― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Saturday, May 23, 2020 11:38 AM (one month ago)

I first got into her thanks to the talawah authority she displays on "Where I'm Coming From" and in its rad video (though as mentioned above it's a bit more militant-sounding than the rest of the EP):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NDaJtcusi4

"Forget Me" has a good vid now too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00WWfo14Xd4

I approve of this thread!

Love that video for “Forget Me”. Good to see she’s focusing on what to me are the songs that make her and this EP extra special, even when “Forget Me” and “Solitude” are the least streamed tracks on Spotify so far.

“Solitude” also has a (visualizer) video btw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxrY8TWKJL0

I get a Monica vibe from “Forget Me” and especially “Solitude”. The one of those days bit in there could very well be a reference to “Don’t Take It Personal”.

As for Big Song #3, “Stars Align”, that’s the one that sounds most like a potential (crossover) hit. I have no doubt there’s a video for it in the works. It’s a perfect fit with Chloe x Halle’s “Do It”, for instance.

Oh and here’s a Billboard profile on her from last year

agreed on "Stars Align," love her singjay style on that one and v cool production

I don't really know Monica at all (I was basically a corny indie fuxxor in that era--I still have moments like "damn Aaliyah is dope, who knew? lol @ me"), so I'll have to investigate that further.

All Iké's videos are at least good if not great; lots of cool styles in the dembow-with-fingersnaps "I Spy":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4a0eg-M9us

And reading that profile reminded me how good she is on Protoje's straight roots "Not Another Word" (which would make an excellent 2020 anthem):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVAKYPCQAek

Lila does Tiny Desk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbPa0QH_zxA

so good!

nominally a track on Protoje's new album, but "In Bloom" belongs to Lila:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_HQprAlM_E

that’s gorgeous

Looks like HER's reggae turn isn't just a brief infatuation

Bare tingz. Bare Vybz @HERMusicx 🌸 pic.twitter.com/fZIfIeC65p

— 🌸IN BLOOM🌸 (@LilaIkeJa) September 12, 2020

Lila taking her inspiration from our Tiwa thread there I see

Remix for "Thy Will" with man of the moment Skillibeng:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3wP1NHfyww

that's a little chaotic but very cool. nice to hear something current that's so dubby

In Bloom 2 (Still Blooming):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDed3IQ-u7E
Protoje x Lila Iké ft. IzyBeats • Still Blooming

she's got a new one, "Batty Rider Shorts":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seoen8FArzg

the lyrics get dark, but it's good

Darker and slightly sharper compared to the romance of the ExPerience - still dreamy and intense but it's got some added oomph - also like it

I have to admit, confronting the subject matter has made me less inclined to return to this after a few listens, but it would be perfect as an album track. Production is indeed very nice though

The subject matter made me think of French rap classic "Laisse pas traîner ton fils" (don't let your son hang around) by NTM that address the parents of the youth that find their education in the violent streets (classic theme also found in films like La Haine), and which has lyrics like

Is this what you want for your son?
Is this how you want him to grow up?
I have no advice to give, but if you don't want him to slip
Look at him, when he talks to you, listen to him
Don't let him look elsewhere for the love that should be in your eyes

Lika Iké is a bit the version for daughters - makes sense

Yeah "subject matter" was maybe too encompassing; it's just the few lines about the predator uncle combined with the bit about adult men leering at young girls (where the title comes from). It's not graphic or anything either, might have just been feeling sensitive last time I listened?

Honestly, it's a testament to her talent. I can listen to a dozen songs about murdering people with guns and not feel bothered, whereas she has me feeling a little upset after a single couplet

She dropped a handful of fantastic collabs last year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUawDmzBFy4

Jahshii & Lila Iké - Blessings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFv1EPx7xfU

Lila Iké ft. Joey Bada$$ - Fry Plantain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYcfqroKKC4

Ini Kamoze x Lila Iké - I Want You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIr-K8UeK2k

Mortimer ft. Kabaka Pyramid & Lila Iké - Bruises

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7K1XgYsuUM

Lila Iké ft. H.E.R. - He Loves Us Both

Oh cool, didn't realise we had a Lila Ike thread

yeah hopefully these are leading up to a full project from her

Sad how quiet some of the promising new reggae artists from a few years back have gone: Koffee most acutely, but Chronixx has also vanished. I listened to Mortimer's album over the weekend and liked it quite a bit -- with the reservation that emotionally it's often downcast or bleak, which is what more or less eventually caused me to lose interest in most dancehall (though Mortimer doesn't do violent nihilism). I also added Samory I's album from last year to my queue