Ikahba is the latest artist to emanate from the roots caldron currently bubbling on the island of St. Croix. His debut album â¬ÜTroddin To Zion' was released in January of 2004 on the Afrikan Roots Lab label. Like all ARL releases, "Troddin" features the preeminent roots band Midnite laying down some wicked bass lines and rhythms. Add a heavy dose of conscious lyrics along with Ron Benjaminâ¬"s unique engineering skills and youâ¬"ve got the recipe for a real cruzial album.
What distinguishes Ikahba is his ability to intersperse his cool soothing vocals (that many people find similar to Tenor Saw) with some chanting in which Ikahba throws down lyrics fierce and hard. Fellow Afrikan Roots Lab recording artist Mash joins Ikahba on the selection "Dem Skylarkin", with Dezarie sharing vocals on the title track. The outstanding harmonies and subtle background vocals give the entire album an â¬Üeasy-listeningâ¬" roots feel to it, yet the lyrics are piercing and spellbinding.
