by Howard Campbell
SOUTH FLORIDA – Dancehall star Gyptian is back on the scene with two new songs that cater to different markets. Only Room For Two and Hot Gyal Walk Out were officially released on May 19 by VP Records.
Only Room For Two, a blend of dancehall and Afrobeats, is produced by Kiami Chadwick Smith, also known as Staxx. Hot Gyal Walk Out, a straight ahead dancehall track, is produced by Ricardo “Ricky Blaze” Johnson. Johnson produced Hold You, the singer’s 2010 hit song.
According to Gyptian, Only Room For Two is, “Jus’ me a do reggae fusion. It’s all about marketing an’ reaching different audiences.”
The Jamaican artist did just that with the catchy Hold You which peaked at number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 16 on the British national chart.
A remix of that song, with Trinidadian hip hop star Nicky Minaj, spent 29 weeks in Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart. It was a departure from the rootsy reggae songs Gyptian did early in his career such as Serious Times, Is There A Place and Mama, Don’t Cry.
The dreadlocked vocalist says he has never tried to duplicate the success of Hold You.
“What Hold You did was outsell di other songs, but there was never any pressure ‘cause wi financially stable an’ wi get a lotta work out there. So no, there has never been any pressure,” Gyptian stated.
Only Room For Two and Hot Gyal Walk Out are Gyptian’s initial releases in the United States for 2023. His first song, Ampiano, came out early in the year specifically for the European market.
Gyptian disclosed that he has a busy show itinerary lined-up. That kicks off on June 10 at MainGate Nightclub in Allentown, Pennsylvania, followed eight days later by a gig at Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk in Brooklyn, New York.
He has back-to-back shows July 3-4 at the Rock Steady in Atlanta, Georgia.
