Junior Reid teams up with American producer Mike Will Made It for 18th album

Veteran singer Junior Reid is not new to international projects. His repertoire boasts numerous collaborations with foreign acts like The Game on the 2006 track It's Okay, and other singles with acts like Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys and Fabulous. This time around, the Tu Tu Tweng act is upping the ante with his 18th studio album, Kingston Yard Style, being produced by American record producer Mike Will Made It.

The hybrid project, scheduled for release sometime next year, will lace the genres of hip and reggae on 14 tracks. Reid has high expectations for the album.

"We expect the greatest because when two greats come together and create music, you know everything straight, you can only get the best out of that," Reid told The Gleaner. "Right now we're in talks to release it under Ear Drummer Records, which is Mike Will's label, and that is under Interscope Universal so you know that's really big."

Mike Will Made It is known as the mentor and founder of hip hop duo Rae Sremmurd, and is the beat maker behind the duo's 2016 smash single Black Beatles featuring Gucci Mane. He has also produced chart-topping songs like Miley Cyrus' We Can't Stop, Pour it Up by Rihanna, and Turn on the Lights by Future.

"I always knew of his (Mike Will Made It) work, but I met him after I performed at the Red Bull Culture Clash competition in Atlanta last year," Reid said. "He invited me to his studio to record some songs, and I spent about two to three weeks in Atlanta making a whole lot of tracks. At first we were just doing some songs, then it got deeper 'til I realised that I had voiced over 24 songs, so we decided to put out an album."

His last album, The Living Legend, was released on his label in 2015 and featured 20 tracks.

Reid credits his unwavering international demand to his signature sound. In September, the One Blood singer released Mash it Up Again, a collaboration with New York-based rapper Fully Top Dolla.

"It's just the sound, everybody wants to get a part of that Junior Red unique sound," he said. "DJ Sunshine was the first one to call me collaboration king, and when you check it out it's true. I've done songs with Mims, Swiss Beats, a lot of artistes, not to mention the young and up-and-coming artistes in America. It's a pleasure for them to get a song from Junior Reid."

Reid is now in promotion mode for his latest single Money Tree, produced on his JR Productions label.