Masicka – Forever Reign

In what has been a relatively quiet 2026 for reggae music (yes Buju dropped but Sizzla didn’t), you can still count on some heat to make its way from yard to the worldwide massive. Particularly when you’re one of the top don dadas of dancehall music, who’s literally looked upon to carry the genre in light of the ever-changing tastes of fans who love and appreciate quote-unquote “world music”.

Yes, you have to acknowledge the chunk that Afrobeat has taken out of what was exclusively the territory of your Vybz Kartel, Popcaan, and Busy Signal stalwarts. Now the pie is getting sliced so many more times than it used to be, and Afrobeat has bogarded its way into the conversation as to what knocks in the clubs and bars more. For people like me, ehhh, the argument is cute. But as much as my African brothers and sisters have made their mark, nothing beats the riddims and stylies emanating from the 876. I mean no disrespect when I say that at the end of the day, when you want island vibes, Burna Boy and Wizkid just ain’t cuttin’ it.

Now anybody, of course, that’s peeped my prior reviews knows that I prefer my 90’s dancehall over the current torchbearers any day, all day, but I’m certainly young enough to keep my head to the ground and can objectively bring my Reggae-Vibes fam the real deal you deserve on your fave’s new albums regardless of my own personal preferences. It’s only right after all, and at the end of the day, heat is heat, and Masicka has had no problem delivering since he stepped on the scene waaaay back in 2011.

Since then, the Portmore representer has been one of THEM. Despite just one album to his credit, his singles stay in rotation in the clubs and dancehalls and are the perfect accompaniment for any vibe you need sounds for. Opening up to great effects. Forever Reign gets the party cracking with Psalm 1, a perfect vehicle for Masicka’s distinctive singing style. Autotune is HEAVY as it pertains to the current roster of modern dancehall, and it’s clearly a can’t beat em, join em scenario for many of the top male artists. That’s okay though, as it does not detract from what this man brings to the table.

Continuing the vibe with 3 straight club-worthy bangers, Slip & Slide, Oak Tree, and Pointless, all head nodders in their own right, he follows that up with Shakazulu and Spend before there is any deviation in the direction of the album. Safe to say that you won’t find a ton of experimentation on many current dancehall albums, and Forever Reign is no different. Not until midway through this offering do you get a switch-up.

Good can likely be considered a “ballad” in that Masicka shows his softer side and romanticizes “getting busy” in a style only he could employ, and what album would be complete without the requisite Afrobeat cut, the surprisingly good G Wagon. While the average fan wouldn’t mind seeing some experimentation from the artist and, in many cases, encourage it, there’s something to be said for the formulaic approach. The artists know what sells, and what keeps their names buzzing in the clubs, and far be it for them to go against the grain just to prove a point.

True to form, Masicka gets right back in his wheelhouse with a banging duet, Honor Roll, with young up-and-comer Kaff Gad, a praiseworthy producer/deejay who specializes in the trap sound so inherent to current dancehall music. Speaking of the trap sound, I think that this is where my problem begins with Forever Reign.

Subsequent tracks Boasty, Cross The Waters, and Wicked Spell, while all decent, really don’t offer much in the form of excitement. I don’t want to get into my old man yelling at clouds bag, but that has always been my problem with that style of dancehall. Yes, it knocks in the dance but unfortunately brings little value outside of it in terms of true listening enjoyment. At this point in the album, I’m largely tuned out and digesting “empty calories” for the sake of the review.

Cross the Waters, Wicked Spell, It’s Not Too Late, all are okay, I guess? By the time I got to the nicer-than-nice Breaking Chains and the smooth duet Parables featuring Lila Ike, the album’s toe-tapping closer, I had to remind myself that I was listening to one of the genres hottest artists. That’s no indictment on Masicka, more so just an honest acknowledgement that musical change is inevitable, and you can either roll with it, or stay firmly in the 90’s, pining for the Dave Kelly and Penthouse Records sound that, no matter how you slice it, was and always will be better. (Yes, I said it and it felt good!)

I however, have a job to do, and I’ll always do it with fairness, so if you’re asking if Forever Reign is worthy of your time and dollars, absolutely yes. If you’re asking, will it be the kind of album you’ll reach for on your commute to work? That I can’t really answer without us having a serious sit down over some ice-cold Guinness. In full honesty, I would have like this album more if he had trimmed it from the lofty 17 cuts.

Regardless, Masicka has added to his legend, and solidifies his spot when it comes to being a face of dancehall music. Gotta listen to my girl Mary J Blige and “leave the hateration out this dancery”.