Dexta View on New Album
Having featured on African star Davido's history-making album, Timeless, versatile dancehall standout Dexta Daps says he is delighted to have been given the opportunity to lend his vocals to the project and believes its success is a sign of the genres' impact in the global music space.
Davido's fourth studio album has enjoyed a tremendous response from music lovers across the globe and is currently the highest charted African album to date with Dexta Daps featuring on the sixth track, a female-friendly, dance-inspiring entry titled BOP.Following its release on March 31, Timeless has enjoyed impressive numbers in Davido's home country Nigeria on several streaming platforms and has also commanded critical acclaim internationally as the highest charting album by an African artiste on the US iTunes chart at number one. The album also topped the Apple Music Album chart in 26 countries.The 17-track project also made its debut on the Billboard 200 chart at number 37 for two weeks and continues to smash multiple records with Spotify announcing that in addition to Nigeria, the artiste's music is the most streamed in United Kingdom, Canada and France.Timeless also created history on Audiomack, hitting over 12 million streams in its first 24 hours, more than any other album in the platform's history."I'm honoured to be a part of this record-breaking, history-making project with my brother Davido, the album is really timeless. It's a great look for both cultures, mi love the vibe," Dexta Daps briefly shared with the Jamaica Observer."@davido congrats on the number one album brother 100 percent on repeat, DAVIDO AND DEXTA DAPS TRACK 6," he added in a message to the African star through a post on social media platform Instagram.In Nigeria, Timeless grabbed the all-time record for the biggest debut week by any album on Spotify Nigeria on its first day of release, tallying 4.91 million streams on March 31, beating the previous record debut week total of 4.89 million by Burna Boy's 'Love, Damini'.Timeless has sold over 17,000 units in the United States alone, while in Nigeria, the album is now eligible for platinum certification with over 61,600 units in the first three weeks of its release in the country.In an interview with HOT 97, Davido highlighted that it was the first time that he did not feature a US artiste on his album and expressed elation that the project was still able to garner support and respect in the US market in spite of this. He also believes its a clear sign of the genre's increasing global recognition.BOP features Dexta Daps' silky vocals and suggestive lyrics, wrapped on an uptempo Afrobeat track which is sure to resonate on the party scene as the pair encourages the females to "mix up the rum with the wine" and "Party and enjoy your life".
Christopher Martin in Germany
Singer Christopher Martin was on his way to St Ann on Friday morning when he learnt that a 2010 collaboration he did with German reggae artiste Gentleman had been certified gold."I feel great, it's a great feeling. To hear about it shows that when you do solid and quality work it always pays off," Martin disclosed in an interview with the Jamaica Observer on Friday.The song, To the Top, which is featured on Gentleman's Diversity album, which was recorded in Jamaica at the Big Yard studios, was a hit in three countries including Germany. It peaked at #13 on the German National Top 100 chart, #51 in Austria, and #23 in Switzerland.The gold certification, which commemorates more than 200,000 units sold via physical sales and streaming, was issued by Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI), the music conglomerate which certified songs and albums in Germany.Martin explained how the collaboration with Gentleman came about."I always admired Gentleman and how he dealt with music, so when I got to meet him I expressed that, when the time is right, I'd like for us to record a song together. When he came to Jamaica around the time that he was working on his Diversity album at Big Yard, he linked me and I went to the studio. That's how it all came about," Martin expressed.He described working with Gentleman.Genius Japanese Invention Cleans Everything in Your HouseJapanese Cleaning
"It was very easy; he loves music, he loves the art form, and he loves performing. He's a very jovial person; all-round good vibes. Bless up, Gentleman," said Martin.He said the song was well-received when it was released 13 years ago."I'm happy that people love the song. They always loved that song because it's very powerful and uplifting. To be a part of this milestone, I am very happy."He added, "This is big vibes, big deal business; I'm feeling like a gold medallist."
The Diversity album also featured the collaborations Tempolution with veteran singer and producer Anthony Red Roze, Another Melody with Tanya Stephens, and Good Old Days with Sugar Minott.Martin, who is best known for a string of hits, including Driver, Cheaters Prayer, Big Deal and Take My Love, has made a name for himself in contemporary music following his 2005 win in the Digicel Rising Stars competition.
Last week, a remix of his 2022 hit Guaranteed was released, featuring Bounty Killer and Busy Signal. It was produced by Robert Livingston.