We all know there are a multitude of musicians and singers out there, that we don’t hear about, putting out good music. Independent artists don’t have the same budget to bring attention to their music as those signed to big labels. I have always known this but recently it was brought to my attention even more by Jamaican Reggae artist Blvk H3ro. I had previously seen the name Blvk H3ro listed on some Riddim albums but nothing more. It wasn’t until he followed me on Twitter that I dug into who this young artist is.
Blvk H3ro describes himself as a Neo Reggae/Dancehall artist, to quote him, “a big pot a soup looking like everything into one”. He says his influences come from many genres of music, the secret is to create a balance between them all.
Blvk H3ro (pronounced Black Hero) was born in Waterford, a neighborhood in Portmore, Jamaica, the son of a Pentecostal deacon. Like many Jamaican youth, he grew up in the church and subsequently participated by playing drums and singing from the age of 8. The church wasn’t his only musical influence as he got older though because, within earshot of his home, he could hear the annual Sting Festival with its iconic clashes and performances by Jamaica’s celebrated Reggae and Dancehall artists.
After High School Blvk H3ro started working in a bank to fund his ambition to attend college, as he came from a poor background and college would otherwise not be an option. A musical career was not in his plans at that time. He was foreseeing a future in finance. He quickly progressed upwards in the banking world, the bank saw his potential and was willing to pay for his college education. Unknown to the bank personnel something was about to happen that would change all that.
A new influx of employees was transferred to the bank and among them was a co-worker with whom Blvk H3ro became friendly. The co-worker told Blvk H3ro about the beats he produced in his home studio in his spare time. Blvk H3ro was fascinated by this and was invited to go to his home to see what this was about. While listening to the beats in his co-worker’s garden Blvk H3ro started to freestyle to the beats and about 10-15 minutes in they realized a crowd of people had appeared. Domino games had stopped as folks gathered around to listen. His co-worker realizing Blvk H3ro had talent said he would pay for him to have a session at a real recording studio. He said, “If you don’t like it we won’t do it again”. A week later they went to the studio and recorded. At that time Blvk H3ro wasn’t singing, it was more like rap. When he heard himself being played back, he couldn’t believe it was him. He kept asking “Is that me? Did you do something to my voice?” Looking back he realizes it wasn’t that good but the seed was planted.
After that session, Blvk H3ro was hooked. Every night was spent at the studio and he started to be late for work every day. His superiors at the bank couldn’t understand what was happening to their rising star and warned him that his tardiness couldn’t continue. Unfortunately (but fortunately for us) the warning had no effect and he was subsequently fired from the bank.
Blvk H3ro moved out of his family home and into a house with his producer friend and another guy, using his savings and a credit card to pay for rent and studio time, often helping out when the two others were having difficulties. But like many young people first out on their own, the credit card usage finally caught up with him. He did a stint working in a call center but after seeing how employees were exploited, was very vocal about this and was subsequently fired from that position.
Realizing the dire situation with encroaching debt, Blvk H3ro became very despondent. He retired to his room and cried and prayed asking why he was given this talent but finances were stopping him from furthering it. A voice in his head told him that he was a hero for speaking up for his fellow workers and to keep the faith, that it would work out. He knew that there are many black heroes in the world and he had just been told he was one of them. Blvk H3ro was born. He wanted the name to stand out so he spent some time working on different ways to get it more noticeable. The number 3 has always been his number. He was born on the 3rd of the month. Inserting a 3 into Hero to make it stand out was a no-brainer, so now to change the Black. After some thought the unique spelling of Blvk was created.
Blvk H3ro became a professional artist in 2012 but life as an artist was hard. He was homeless, often couch surfing or sleeping on radio station floors, but his mission to be a voice for the voiceless was cemented. Around this time Protoje and Chronixx were emerging as the leading new conscious reggae artists and gaining worldwide recognition. Blvk H3ro saw himself as the leader of the next wave of positive reggae music visionaries, along with Samory I and Lila Ike.
Blvk H3ro released his first project in 2016, an E.P. “The H3rb Connoisseur” (dubbed THC) which led to tour dates in Europe in 2017 including performances at Reggaejam in Germany and Reggae Geel in Belgium. His debut album “The Immortal Steppa” was released in 2019 with the breakthrough track “Feet Don’t Fail” leading the way. In 2020 he collaborated with another rising artist Wayne J on a classic dancehall E.P. “New Millenium”, his first release on the Delicious Vinyl Island label, a subsidiary of the L.A.-based record label Delicious Vinyl. One of the tracks was a remix of “Young Boss” from dancehall’s young star Skillibeng.
Blvk H3ro has been mentored by some of Reggae music’s greats throughout his musical journey. Bunny Wailer brought him onstage to perform on what was to be his final tour in 2019. He subsequently recorded half a dozen tracks with him. These are the last recordings of Bunny Wailer before his passing.
Like most artists throughout the world, the pandemic was a time for writing and recording, and In 2021 he had 3 tracks (that 3 again) included on UB40’s album “Bigga Baddariddim”. In 2022 when things started opening up again, Blvk H3ro opened shows for Reggae icons like Steel Pulse, Stephen Marley, and Collie Buddz. He had previously collaborated with Collie Buddz on the 2021 “Cali Roots Riddim”. This was a year when he was crisscrossing the U.S.A. with appearances at The Emerald Cup and Reggae On The Mountain in California. This made Blvk H3ro realize that although he wasn’t getting recognition in his own land he was reaching many other parts of the world. “These 2 million people in Jamaica, even if none of them like what you are doing, there are 7 billion people out there.”
So far 2023 has been a busy year for Blvk Hero with appearances at Cali Vibes Festival, S.O.B.’s, SXSW, City Splash, and Sierra Nevada World Music Festival along with a memorable appearance at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London, England where he opened for UB40, gaining him the title of the youngest Jamaican ever to perform there. He has gained a big following in the U.K. with it becoming his highest streaming country. He believes it’s not just the music but his professionalism that has caused this. He paid his way to get there and was always on time for performances, appearances, and interviews.
Photo Credit VP Records_Ajamu Myrie
Blvk H3ro’s musical ability goes beyond reggae and dancehall as he has started to blend elements of Afro Beats into some of his music. He was nominated for a 2023 Grammy in the category “Best Global Music Performance” alongside Ghana’s Rocky Duwani for their collaboration “Neva Bow Down”. This nomination came as a total shock to him.
When I asked Blvk H3ro why he thought that even though these monumental events were happening still many reggae fans didn’t know him, he said he had observed that the music that is abrasive and derogatory is the music that gets noticed. He said that conscious reggae artists are mostly humble artists who don’t make controversial waves garnering headlines and numbers ( who is number 1 and who looks good), playing the game. He believes because he is outspoken about this he is being somewhat blacklisted and blocked. Despite that, he believes that music is organic and that his music is getting through and reaching people even if the numbers are not seen on all the Social Media platforms. “The international reggae people’s radar, especially in America, is just picking up. Perhaps I’ve been just a little too humble. They were not really paying attention like ‘Oh but wait, this dude actually has fans, and music actually enrich people, like on tour, like what?’ “ I’m doing so much but I just try to stay focussed on the work because I never get the love. So instead of just getting mad and being like ********, I just turned that into work and pray that one day. I’m actually singing good music. They would more propel the people singing negative and it hurts, but I can’t stop.” His refusal to compromise his values for the sake of commercial success is a testament to his integrity as an artist.
Continuing in 2023 comes Blvk H3ro’s “Annabella Remix” featuring British singer-songwriter and rapper Kojo Funds. This single led to his highly anticipated album “On A Mission” which was released on August 18th on the Delicious Vinyl Island label. This album features collaborations with artists such as Skillibeng, Teejay, Demarco, Anthony B, Dre Island, Kojo Funds, and Winky-D, and is a mix of genre-blending reggae, dancehall, and afrobeat rhythms with touches of soul and R&B. The album title reflects Blvk H3ro’s mission, “I want you to feel you’re right in the middle of whatever mission you’re on personally and relate it back to your life.” “That’s my mission, that’s my purpose”. This album is very personal to Blvk H3ro and he is excited but nervous as to how it will be received. “I really think it’s going to be a journey but I’m nervous. Me and the team think it’s good but how good.”
Blvk H3ro’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience and determination in the face of adversity. Despite starting on a completely different career path in banking, his passion for music led him to embrace his talent and pursue his dream. Blvk H3ro’s desire to be a voice for the voiceless and to create music with a positive impact underscores his commitment to social issues. His outspokenness about exploitation in workplaces and the dominance of abrasive music in the industry further emphasizes his dedication to not only making music but also advocating for change.
In essence, Blvk H3ro’s journey is an inspiring tale of an artist who defied conventional paths, faced challenges head-on, and remained committed to his vision. His story highlights the complexities of the music industry, the importance of staying true to oneself, and the transformative power of music in advocating for positive change.
Published in Red Ink Magazine
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