Keznamdi: "Nuh Skylarking"
“Skylarking” is an energetic verb—it connotes all the mischievous trappings of a party. So why in the world does Kingston, Jamaica’s Keznamdi not want to be in the business of skylarking? If you burrow into the word’s etymological core, you’ll find a bit of 19th-century nautical slang for sailors who horsed around on the riggings of ships—a dangerous pastime. Keznamdi is clear from the opening seconds of “Nuh Skylarking” that he “makes no mistakes.” All the misadventures of skylarking are just illusions hiding a truer pleasure source: the endless hustle.
Keznamdi has said that his new single is an ode to “self-reliant, hardworking and ingenious people,” and “Nuh Skylarking” is charged by the force of a riddim that sears his powerful lyrics. It’s an attitude that well suits Keznamdi, who is no stranger to craft—his parents helmed the reggae band Chakula, and his sister is the rising reggae artist Kelissa. Keznamdi has flirted with dancehall and electronic music before, but he’s been firmly planted in the contemporary reggae scene, regularly working with artists like Chronixx.
Here, he captures and crystallizes feelings instantaneously with the timbre and athleticism of a voice that can ride a riddim with the best of them. The seamless shift from his previous work in 2015′s smooth “Champion”—penned with Justin Bieber’s writing partner, Poo Bear—to this high-powered dancehall throwback is, if anything, a great sign. Coming off the release of an incredible “ganja refix” of Rihanna’s “Work,” Keznamdi again displays his impressive vocal range, proof that he’s hard at “work, work, work” and it’s paying off.
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