Protoje, the GRAMMY-nominated musician, who is also a record label chief and one of Jamaica’s key figures in today’s musical landscape, will return with Third Time’s The Charm on September 23, 2022 (pre-order today). His U.S. tour entitled Lost In Time, with support from Jesse Royal and Lila Iké, will kick off tomorrow in anticipation of his sixth studio release. Today, he unleashes “Late at Night ” feat. Lila Iké, a layered gem of Protoje’s diverse palette of influences.
Protoje intricately weaves 1970s American soul and 1980s Jamaican lover’s rock into a modern day masterpiece on “Late At Night.” The song’s rhythmic framework samples “Late at Nights” recorded by Jamaica’s iconic songstress Pam Hall and reggae architect Gussie Clark. The updated version with Lila Iké’s warming vocals adds deeper sentiment of social commentary on the original that was sung by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics and Detroit’s R&B vocal trio The Jones Girls. Cadenza, the UK’s heavyweight DJ & beatsmith, co–produced “Late at Night” with Protoje.
Protoje states “I’ve been searching for an instrumental that epitomizes hard core reggae. It feels like how Welcome To Jamrock by Damian Marley felt when I first heard it, and Lila’s voice adds this eerie and haunting element to an already dark and grimy riddim.” “Late At Night” is the fourth single from his eagerly-awaited LP, following “Family” feat. Jesse Royal, “Incient Stepping” and “Hills.”
The concept of time holds a special meaning for Protoje. His latest chapter, Third Time’s The Charm, adds to the trilogy of albums he’s dropped since his GRAMMY nomination for A Matter of Time (2018). Protoje’s journey as a man, a father, and as an entrepreneur in the music industry is crystalized on the artist’s new 10-track opus. Released in partnership with Protoje’s label In.Digg.Nation Collective and RCA Records, the album follows In Search of Lost Time (2020), which planted a new flag for Protoje and his network of homegrown Jamaican talent he’s helped develop over the past two years. Long at last, Third Time’s the Charm is a bookend to an era that began with the 2020 pandemic.
“Third Time’s The Charm concludes this trilogy of albums that directly focus on my study of time and how important it is to make sure what you’re doing is fulfilling you in every way. Sonically it’s a bit more reggae than my last, even though reggae is always the root, I had some fun implementing all the sounds I’ve grown to love,” says the singer.
Recorded primarily at Protoje’s studio The Habitat, located in the hills of Kingston, Jamaica, the tight-knit set features an array of the island’s musical visionaries including featured vocalists like Samory I, Lila Iké and Jesse Royal, and producers like Iotosh, Ziah .Push and Zion I Kings (which consists of Laurent “Tippy I” Alfred, Romaine “Teflonzincfence” Arnett and David “JAH David” Goldfine). He also tapped the soulful British singer Jorja Smith on “Ten Cane Row.” Protoje carries a deep affinity and vast understanding of multiple genres: from ska, to lover’s rock to reggae, he intrinsically channels his native island’s rich musical stylings stretching over a half century, while mixing hip-hop, trap dance and soul into a colorful unconventional style of his own.
