Yaadcore puts his all into ‘The Calling’

A ‘calling’ is an urge towards a particular way of life or career, and that’s exactly what neo roots reggae artiste, Yaadcore, sings about in his sophomore single, The Calling. Co-produced by Haiti-born Young Zoe, Ian McKee and also Yaadcore, wearing his dual artiste and producer’s cape, the song was released on June 5, and has found a niche within the 12 Yaad singer’s eclectic audience.

He readily admits that he is “overwhelmed by the feelings The Calling a ignite inna the people” and this was obvious in the responses from Lila Ike, Walshy Fire, Dutty Bookman and Dr Phillip Combs, who all did video responses about their particular calling, which were posted on Yaadcore’s Instagram account. He explains that the song is actually a reply to his debut, Ready Now, which has been in the space for just over a year. “It is the answer to whoever was feeling sceptical about me becoming an artiste. It is speaking to creatives who look to answer their proverbial ‘call’ that appears when it’s time to set fire to one’s passion,” he told The Gleaner. Listening to him on this reggae/hip-hop fusion, proclaiming that he “heard the calling one early morning and I’m gonna put my all in,” it’s a bit if a stretch to grasp that Yaadcore actually started his artiste life as a deejay. This is what makes his calling so significant.

REALISE THE CALLING

“I want people to connect with the song and realise their calling. I want them to listen to the call – ignoring the discouraging talks and obstacles. Once there’s life, there’s hope. ‘Wah nuh dead, nuh dash it weh’,” he affirms, quoting a Jamaican proverb, which is also a powerful line in The Calling. The song is part of a recently released 27-track, mixtape project of which the artiste is quite proud. “It is titled Sumn Different and the name is derived from a monthly event I started earlier this year at Herb House. It was held every full moon, and the reason for that was our desire to harness the energy and be part of the rebirth associated with that cycle,” Yaadcore shared with The Gleaner. When COVID-19 interrupted that flow, the mixtape, which dropped on June 4, started its own life phase.

Sumn Different features brand-new music from Yaadcore and Karbon, an artiste signed to his 12 Yaad outfit, along with a few guest appearances from his friends, Lila Ike, Runkus and others. It is the third release coming out of the partnership between Yaadcore’s 12 Yaad Records and Delicious Vinyl Island – the first being No Fenke Fenke, released in 2018. “It has paved the way for the upcoming EP and for me and Karbon to introduce our songs in a palatable way,” the Mandeville resident stated.

Co-founder of the popular Dubwise dances which has taken on a global spin, and also the Reggae Aroma mixtapes, Yaadcore, christened Rory Cha, is considered one of the more influential young artistes in the genre currently. In 2019, he answered his calling and quickly established himself, but that was after he made the quantum leap from the dancehall into something more “upful”.

“First gravitating to dancehall, he soon became disillusioned with the genre’s explicit content leading to his transition over to what he describes as the seeds of the reggae revival – a close-knit group of young reggae singers, deejays and musicians who blend the upful, cultural vibes of classic roots reggae with a modern approach to music-making and branding,” Yaadcore’s bio states.

The Calling is distributed by US-based independent label, Delicious Vinyl Island.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com