T.O.K., Hailed As The World’s Greatest Dancehall Supergroup; New album, “Our World” set for August release on VP Records
MIRAMAR – Acclaimed by the New York Times as “the world’s greatest dancehall‐reggae boy band,” T.O.K. ‐ the fearless foursome of Alex, Flexx, BayC and Craigy T.– finally arrive with their third album on VP Records Our World , set to be released August 25, 2009.
Combining sweet melodies and taught R&B harmonies with tough toasting skills,T.O.K.’s versatility and unprecedented style have made them arguably the most successful group in dancehall history.
From romping club anthems to stirring one‐drop tunes, T.O.K. delivers a variety of sure‐fire radio hits on their highly anticipated opus Our World. The group covers dancehall’s prerequisites with gal tunes like “I Wanna Love You” and bad man talk on “Gangsters Never Die” The first single “Afternoon PornStar” produced by Tony “CD”
Kelly, the genius responsible for some of Reggae’s biggest crossover hits (Tanto Metro and Devonte’s “Everyone Falls In Love” and Sean Paul’s “Like Glue”) will hit the airwaves this summer with its undeniable hook and playful assumption that “every girl wants to be an afternoon porn star, and wake up normal in the morning.”
Another standout track includes the R&B pop tinged 2008 hit “Guardian Angel”, which despite its shelf life recently became the #1 ringtone in Japan at the beginning of this month. The news was featured on the front page of Yahoo Japan which states, “It’s unbelievable!” –proving that T.O.K.’s music has no expiration date.
The group first tasted stateside success via their 2001 debut album My Crew, My Dawgs and more specifically with international smash single “Eagle’s Cry”, a version of Prince’s “When Doves Cry”. Borrowing from various influences ‐ Boyz II Men, Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder ‐ the young quartet started out doing R&B covers.
However, it wasn’t long before they began to blend hardcore dancehall deejaying with their sweet harmonies to perfect their current sound.
In 2005, T.O.K. unleashed their last album Unknown Language which spawned Billboard Top 100 singles “Gal You Lead” and “Footprints”, a tribute dedicated to Alex’s brother who was a victim of a senseless killing. Both of these singles received heavy rotation on crossover radio stations like New York’s Hot 97 and Miami’s Power 96 and on major video outlets like MTV2, MTV’s “Direct Effect” and BET’s 106 & Park. Unknown Language also went Gold in Japan during its first week and quickly went on to sell Platinum.
T.O.K. is no stranger to the spotlight from media powerhouses like MTV and BET. They were included in MTV’s first “Advance Warning”‐ a prestigious nod to up‐and‐comers – and appeared on the very first season of BET’s “106 & Park,” well before any dancehall artist graced that stage. With their international appeal, crossover singles and universal sound, there has never been a more fitting title for their forthcoming release ‐ Our World ! From Jamaica to New York to Japan, Australia.
