Trinidad and Tobago has an immense amount of young talent. Several young artists and entertainers are entering the industry and quickly gaining a solid core fanbase. However, few of our young artists experienced growth and popularity like how the late Kwinton ‘K Lion’ Thomas and Kyle ‘Rebel Sixx’ George did. These young men became legends in their own right in just over a year in the business. If they were still here with us today, they would have undoubtedly made this list. Though they are not with us in the flesh, they left work behind for us. Their respective management teams have been putting out posthumous releases for the fans, and all profits will go towards the families and legacies of these artists.
Young Trinbagonian artists are exploring new sounds and music styles, and all artists, no matter their preferred genre, have been considered. The following are our top fifteen artists (in no particular order) to look out for in 2021. Enjoy!
Coutain
Coutain’s album, Product of Big Blood, has had an irrefutably successful 2020 despite the year’s million and one setbacks. With upwards of 15 releases in the past year alone, Coutain has been keeping the vibes flowing since his 2019 breakout hit, ‘African Dancer’, with a consistency almost as smooth as his distinctive vocals and lucid lyrical content. Throughout his eight-track debut and single releases, he collaborated with fellow talents of notable local prominence (ahem, some of which are on this list), encouraging exploration and the ever-evolving definition of the unique genre ‘trinibad’. Riding on the tail of his Christmas gift to the entire Famille Nation in the form of EP Interlude, the young raggamuffin has no plans of an ‘ease up’ anytime soon, already lending his voice to Wacko Dan’s ‘Old School Grind’‘ as his grand entrance to 2021. Characteristic to the steadfast creative who has repeatedly captivated our attention, Coutain continues to keep “At dem and pass dem.” – Aaliyah Clarke
Freetown Collective
Freetown Collective is one of the more established names on the list. We chose to include them because of their shift and success in pursuing the new calypso. The success of ‘Feel the Love’ during the Carnival season and the music video that captured the entire region’s attention for weeks undoubtedly leaves us expectant for what’s to come. They released the EP Yago shortly after Carnival as what lead vocalist Muhammad Muwakil describes as “a musical journey that intends to push the frontiers of Carnival music and seeks to create a space where Carnival can be what it was intended to be”. They also dropped ‘We Bad,’ a road march-rhythm section anthem with a single message. Building on that momentum, they also released ‘No Millionaires’ with Dwala and ‘Shine’ later in the year. They make music that feels good and is steeped in the message of love and rooted in culture, and the music connects with people. We see the collective of vocalists and musicians growing in international appeal in the coming year. – Shauneé Richards
Tafari
With Rebel Sixx and K Lion’s unexpected passing last year, many fans wondered which young trinibad artists would fill their positions as new leaders in the country’s current dancehall movement. Though no one can replace these young men, Tafari is steadily moving his way up the ranks. His top four songs for 2020, ‘Freak’, ‘Murder’, ‘Crisis’, and ‘Buss Meh Gun’, amassed a total of over four million views on YouTube. Within the first week of 2021, Tafari released his debut album, ‘Sovereign’, which explores a different side of Trinidad’s local dancehall. He put the ‘badness’ aside, giving the entire album a soothing and almost peaceful tone. Featured on the album are chill remakes of ‘East Side’ (originally ‘East’ on the ‘Area Code Riddim’ ) and ‘Freak’ which spent several weeks at number one on the Top 100: Trinidad and Tobago chart on Apple Music after its original release. – Dion Carrington
Hey Choppi
Choppi, born Sean Padmore, has a straightforward request for fans in 2021 – support. His single, ‘Gimme Luv,’ serves as early encouragement for loyal and new listeners to address those sentiments. “Captain” Choppi has been undergoing a substantial period of growth and meaningful experimentation that has bolstered the development of both his brand and multiple career avenues on a whole. Through the establishment of his independent label, Alienation Muzik, Padmore has stepped into his own, and at this juncture has amassed a reliable number of fan favorites in varying styles inclusive of ‘Captain’, ‘Awesome’ featuring Raskality, and ‘Drip’ featuring Coutain. Feeding off of this burst of confident energy, Hey Choppi is going to be picking up the pace as he continues to expand his career with every opportunity. As fans, our only advice is to keep an eager eye out for this multi-talented worker’s steadily-growing repertoire and the creative vibe that accompanies many of his endeavors. – Aaliyah Clarke
Braveboy
Hip hop, reggaeton, R&B, afrobeats, EDM, you name it; Braveboy, also known as Mark Hardy, does it all. 2020 has been one of his most successful years despite the pandemic. His versatility that continues to amaze fans, along with his quality musical offerings, earned him a spot on this list. His collaborations also speak to the genre-bending international reach he has gained over the years. These include the afrobeats inspired ‘Idnk’ with Dubai-based KIDY, ‘Amante’ with American DJ duo & producers OtebNSolrac and Californian musician Clayton William, and ‘Belly Dance Gyal’ with Mexican DJ-X. He is featured on Venezuelan singer Patafunk’s reggae-Latin track ‘Marina Mg,’ Joelmy, El Speaker & MIMAA’s track ‘Porque Te Vas’, Italian DJ Sonny Denja’s ‘W.Y.E.F.’ with Stef Kalloo, and Canadian rapper Shad’s ‘Hellephant’. Even with such a diverse catalog, he executes every genre well. Additionally, his song ‘Action Ting’ was featured on a Cleveland Cavaliers promo video. With all this international attention, CARIB VOXX believes that he will reach higher heights this year. – Shauneé Richards
Kalpee
Aside from his undeniable talent, Kalpee’s work ethic and vision put him a step or two above the rest. In 2020, Kalpee released not one but two phenomenal EPs: ‘HOME’ in January and ‘Feel Good Playlist Vol. 1’ in October. Notable tracks and fan favorites on these projects are ‘Wherever You Are’ featuring Jimmy October, ‘Gimme de Ting’ featuring Stefflon Don, ‘Put A Record On’, which pays tribute to Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’ and ‘Runaway’. Kalpee’s music is influenced mainly by reggae, calypso, R&B, and pop. If this was not enough for us to list Kalpee as an artist to watch for 2021, his announcement via IG Story nearing the end of 2020 stating that this year ‘belongs to him,’ Jimmy October and frequent producer for both artists, Tano, helped solidify our choice. – Dion Carrington
College Boy Jesse
Hailing from Cunupia, this young singer and songwriter has been performing since he was only seven years old. Following his resounding success in 2020 in the form of ‘Happy Song’ and a subsequently successful dethroning of Marvin ‘Swappi’ Davis as Groovy Soca Monarch, he teamed up with Badjohn Republic in September to release some more ‘Good Energy’‘ to keep his fans going into 2021. Having zeroed-in on the unique space in the local market that he intends to hold, Jesse is now in the growth process of establishing both his soca and calypso personas. Despite enduring a challenging year, the positive and uplifting message of Jesse’s music promises to keep the good vibes coming as we continue to eagerly follow the International Groovy Soca Monarch’s movements in his self-proclaimed ‘Year of Freedom’. – Aaliyah Clarke
Kaz Fuego
No stranger to CARIB VOXX, Kaz Fuego is positioned to make significant moves in 2021. This London-born musician’s music with a Trinidadian mother and Nigerian father reflects his complex roots – a fusion of R&B, dancehall, rap, and afrobeats influences. In 2020, he released ‘For Months’ and ‘Tonight’, adding to his already successful archive. He has made a name for himself in the local music scene and has worked with many other local artists such as Coutain and Kalpee. He was even mentioned on Complex UK’s 10 Artists to Watch from Trinidad and Tobago in 2019. He has already hit the ground running in 2021, featuring on tdskproduction’s ‘Early Tingz’ along with Rael Luvi & Tevaughalleyne, a rap track with dancehall undertones. This can only foreshadow the big moves we believe he will make for the rest of the year. – Shauneé Richards
Mical Teja
Mical Teja is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with; his humble nature often casts a shadow upon his many accomplishments within the soca industry. He is an artist who makes songs that are more than easy to love and appreciate, but he is also a prolific songwriter and producer. A few of his notable releases for 2020 are ‘Strength of God’, ‘Bumper Murder’ with Kerwin Du Bois, ‘No Police’, and ‘Birthday’. Added to his singles, his production work with System32 also adds the Knock About Riddim and, more recently, the 24 Hour Riddim ‘to his catalog. He has written for Machel Montano, Kes The Band, Destra Garcia, Patrice Roberts, Nailah Blackman, Olatunji, Kerwin Du Bois, and the list goes on. Mical Teja continues to grow as an artist, producer, and songwriter, and we believe that he will continue on this upward trajectory in 2021. – Dion Carrington
Imani Ray
Just in case you needed someone to ‘Let You Know’, Imani Ray is an American-born Trini with big dreams and versatile moves to match. Since discovering her passion for performance on her search for happiness, Ray has released multiple offerings, showcasing an ever-growing range of style and talent drawn from her roots – with ‘Dynamite’ being her latest offering to close 2020 and welcome in 2021. The single, featured on the Hotline Riddim, brings a smooth and sultry take to soca as Ray continues to carve out her unique style in the future in both the local and international industry. – Aaliyah Clarke
Jimmy October
Real name L’shun Emmanuel, Jimmy October is a pioneer in a new sound coming from the Caribbean, which he named “new calypso.” This genre has no boundaries. It may feel like the Caribbean but incorporate a mixture of R&B, hip hop, soca, and calypso. October has been increasing in prominence in the music scene since releasing a collaborative album in 2016 with Jay Nahge and a solo EP in 2017. His 2020 releases prove his ability to move seamlessly between genres with ease. His collaboration ‘Magic’ with Kes The Band was a soca-type tune that celebrated the magical nature of T&T’s culture. It was featured in KTB’s ‘We Home’ live album. His R&B single ‘Too Many Feelings’ was well received by fans who are eager for more. Luckily, he promises not to disappoint as he plans to drop an EP this year. His success can only go up from here. – Shauneé Richards
Annalie Prime
Annalie Prime, a young Trinbagonian woman, makes it her duty to embrace her culture. Her culture then becomes the framework for her music and creative endeavors. Since the age of four, Prime knew that music would be part of her destiny. After several years of releasing singles, growing as an artist, and fine-tuning her craft, she dropped her debut album titled I Think Too Much. The 11-track body of work is tremendously relatable, easily digestible, and brutally honest in ways you might not expect from the average 25-year old.
“Give me a reason to believe in heaven … ‘Cause I done been through hell already” – Annalie Prime,“Hell Already”
In the album, Prime covers themes such as love, heartbreak, ‘the system’, spirituality, and more. An album like this, and more importantly, the artist behind it, can encourage artists within the region to make music with no bounds. – Dion Carrington
Zerimar
A significant favorite amongst badmen and the ladies alike, Zerimar is one of the ‘Evil East’s’ strongest contenders for the long-term perpetuation of ‘trinibad’, gyal tunes, and overall vocabulary hierarchy. Through phraseology, lyrical flow, and collaborations with major local and regional talents such as Vershon and Jahllano, Zerimar continues to deliver a sound that is a concoction of smoothly captivating badness. He is reminiscent of preceding ‘trinibad’ legends crossed with dancehall titans and a unique vibe that is all his own. With the latest singles ‘Evil East’, ‘Limitless’, and ‘Oui’, Zerimar continues to increase his listening audience with flexible style and a vibe that actively engages a much-extended audience compared to that of traditional single-genre artists. All of these factors and more make Zerimar’s spot on this list undeniable. 2021 is expected to be bright, especially with ever-adapting artists such as this Arima luminary leading the way as ‘trinibad’ continues to rise. – Aaliyah Clarke
Preedy
Since his breakthrough in the soca industry, Preedy has not disappointed fans. Every year he produces solid music, and this year was no different. Although dropped in 2019, ‘Yuh Bad (No Stressing)’ was a hit for the 2020 Carnival season with 1.1 million views on YouTube. He also dropped ‘No Standing Up’ with DJ Private Ryan and lent his voice on the massive collaborative track ‘Sun Goes Down’ with Precision Productions, Nadia Batson, Skinny Fabulous, Iwer George, Nailah Blackman, Sekon Sta, and Swappi. The pandemic also didn’t stop him from making more music. He released ‘Follow My Lead’ with Jonny Blaze and Stadic and experimented with R&B style in ‘Mean It’. Bodies of work as a soca artist are not a common practice; however, Preedy has already produced a well-received EP in 2019 called Maloney Story and has a full-length album set to drop this year. This move convinced us that he must be one to look out for in 2021. – Shauneé Richards
Viren Neel
It was a genuine love for music that drove Viren Neel to start recording himself playing the guitar and singing popular songs that he then uploaded to YouTube. Quickly, he gained popularity and began performing on various stages across the country. Soon after, Neel began to write his songs and work alongside his musical counterparts. In the latter part of 2020, Neel released ‘Changes’, the first single off his soon-to-be debuted EP, Sunset Lane. Neel’s inspirations for the track are from Otis Redding, Baby Huey, and contemporary indie rock/pop artists Leon Bridges and John Mayer. ‘Changes’ peaked at number one on the Top 100: Trinidad and Tobago chart on Apple Music on the very same day of its release. ‘Purple Skies’, the second release of Sunset Lane, dropped a month after the first release, and the EP is set to drop in March 2021. – Dion Carrington
