Five Steez gets ‘Deadly’ in ‘These Kingston Times’

Independent artist, Five Steez, has released his first single, ‘Deadly’, from his forthcoming digital EP, ‘These Kingston Times’. The track is available for streaming on Soundcloud and as a free download exclusively on Bandcamp until the release of the project.

‘Deadly’, produced by DJ Crooks, features a classic Hip Hop breakbeat mixed with a vintage Reggae sound and a signature Dancehall chant. Equipped with sharp verses as well as a hypnotic hook and bridge, Five Steez makes this one a sure crowd pleaser.

“I had fun with this record because it’s so Hip Hop, and it fuses elements from different Jamaican genres so well,” says Five Steez. “I just went in with the flow and, of course, I had to big up people like Heavy D and Chubb Rock, who were also born in Jamaica.”

“I’m glad that Five rocked it like he did,” says the California-based, Jamaica-born DJ Crooks. “It’s Hip Hop at its purest, really. This is how we can honour the dynamic nature of the Jamaican music culture, paying respect to Reggae and Hip Hop at the same time.”

‘These Kingston Times’ is said to be the modern tale of the Jamaican capital, Kingston. “I wanted to paint my city the way I see it, and in a way I’ve never heard the story told before in music,” says Five Steez. “Since Hip Hop’s genesis with DJ Kool Herc, there has always been a Jamaican influence and involvement in the genre, but you’ve never heard about actual life here in ‘yard’, as we affectionately call it. It’s a new perspective in Hip Hop, but parallel to that of urban environments worldwide.”

‘Deadly’ does not even scratch the surface, however, according to Five Steez. “The project gets dark, deep and grimy at times, but I want to ease people into it without giving away too much of what it’s really about till they hear it.”

‘These Kingston Times’ is set for an October 14 release via Bandcamp, iTunes and other outlets.

Five Steez is an independent rapper from Kingston, Jamaica who began capturing attention in 2010 with his ‘Momentum’ mixtape series alongside Bronx-based DJ Ready Cee, and later his 2012 debut album, ‘War for Peace’, which received great reviews from various outlets, including iTunes. Steez has since gone on to organizing Kingston’s premier Hip Hop event – Pay Attention.