ALKALINE INTERVIEW: Welcome, Vendetta fans and Dancehall enthusiasts! VIPER recently had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with one of the most enigmatic and impactful figures in contemporary Jamaican music: Alkaline.
From his controversial debut to his consistent reign at the top, the “Young Lawd,” hailing from Kingston, Jamaica, has not only crafted a string of undeniable hits but has also cultivated a unique persona that has profoundly shaped the sound and image of modern Dancehall. Following his major show at London’s OVO Arena Wembley, he prepares for his highly anticipated 2025 “New Rules” concert in Jamaica this weekend.
Beyond the artistry behind the phenomenon, we spoke to Alkaline to explore his journey, the evolution of his distinctive sound, and the enduring legacy he is undeniably building within the vibrant landscape of Dancehall music. Join us as we go beyond the hype and get an unfiltered perspective from the artist himself.
You returned to London last month with the new rules tour, what inspired you to do the tour?
I just felt it was the right time, being that for over eight years I didn’t get to perform for the fans due to reasons out of my control. The team decided that now is a good opportunity and a good time to reconnect with the fans since it’s been a minute. I always wanted to give London fans that performance and it didn’t happen so it was long awaited even for me.
What’s it like stepping on a stage that big outside of your home country?
It felt real, it’s a great feeling seeing that energy and the reaction from the crowd and just knowing that so many people came to support; it was a rewarding feeling. I enjoy performing, it’s almost like therapy. It’s something I really enjoy doing.
You’ve released music consistently for years, but haven’t dropped a project in four years. Any plans to release one?
Yes in the near future, I can’t pinpoint an exact date as yet but I’m looking forward to dropping an album anytime now, any moment. We have the songs, it’s just when the time is right.
If you dropped an album right now, what would it sound like?
The album would still sound Alka, but with new styles and witty lyrics and fresh melodies, as I always try to do each time I put pen to paper. All I can say is, if I dropped an album right now, it would mash up the whole place. Because the space I’m at creatively and musically is a good space.
Your last project was your ‘Top Prize’ album, which became a key release in Dancehall. What was your mind state in that time frame?
Before releasing that album I tried to give the fans some different styles and sides to Alka. But for the album, I wanted to go back to my core sound that the fans were used to when I first came out. I made a conscious effort to recreate my core sound and fuse it with where I was at the time. That was the mindset going into that project.
The album is a hard act to follow, does it intimidate you at all thinking of the follow up project?
Not really intimidated, but I always try to challenge myself to see how much higher I can take it and how much harder I can go. I wouldn’t say intimidated but it’s fun, it’s something I do for a vibe so it’s not something I feel too intimidated by.
Your sound is constantly evolving. How do you approach experimentation and staying ahead of the curve in Dancehall?
One step at a time and it’s just like that, how it comes to me. I take it in my stride, one step at a time, pace myself and flow with the flow, go with the music.
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
I could try but I don’t think it would do much for you. You have to be there and see what it’s like because I could try and explain but it wouldn’t be nothing like what it really is, it’s something to see.
Do you take different approaches with different songs?
Yeah, it’s different, it varies; the process is never the same.
Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics and melodies?
I guess in my thoughts and everyday life, stuff like that.
Does your location change the inspiration for you?
At times it would, because in different locations you see different things, meet different people and certain stuff you probably don’t see on a regular basis. When you change your location, everywhere’s different and unique in some way. So a lot of times that plays a part but it’s also exciting because you never know what you’re going to come in contact with and see.
When you collaborate with non-Jamaican artists, does that inspire you to create different sounds?
Yeah man, it’s an inspiration and also a joy because the artists do music differently. I’d say everybody has their own flare so it’s inspiring when both creatives come together on one track. You forward from one side of the world and I forward from this side. We make music to bring us together and it also brings people from around the world together. You understand what the order of the day is, which is music, you know?
With such a long career, how do you stay passionate when it comes to creating music?
I’m not sure but I still have the passion. It’s rooted in the love for the music and that eagerness to try better oneself and to up the level that was previously there. So I guess I have an eagerness to try to keep going, I don’t know where exactly that came from, maybe it’s how I was wired, maybe that’s an innate thing.
You’re lyrically gifted, when did you first realise your writing style was different to other artists?
A long time ago, from when I went to school and was writing, I realised I can actually do this, it was fun doing it. So that’s why even from high school I used to write music and record it and upload it on the Internet. Since going to school and writing stories and poems and lyrics, we didn’t even know that we were gonna venture in a field like that, we were just doing it for fun.
When did your family and teachers realise you were going to make music?
When I started uploading videos on YouTube, I started to see myself as an artist and DJing and stuff in school. Friends would gather and listen, people from high school knew me as Alkaline from then. I was always Alkaline, I didn’t become Alkaline a couple of years before [releasing music].
Where did the name Alkaline come from?
It was a thing we worked up between me and my sister. I used to have different names. It was from my original name Earlan, I was Early B at one time but I wanted something else, so I came up with that and she liked it. We worked with it from there and I was Alkaline from then.
Earlan was my real name but in the musical space, there were similarities to that name – if not the same – in Reggae and Dancehall so we said no, I need something different.
What’s one misconception people might have about you?
There’s more than one but I forget, I don’t really focus on that. There’s a lot but I can’t meds it.
From your generation of artists, you’ve had the most significant impact on the new generation of Dancehall musicians. How do you reflect on this?
It’s a humbling experience to know that you can spend time putting out something that’s dear to you and other people find it dope and see where it’s necessary. It’s like a model there that people say, “I want to do something similar to this.” It’s kinda dope, it gives you the idea that you’re doing something right.
It’s hard to build a legacy in Dancehall when a lot of artists come and go. How did you make sure you always stay relevant?
I guess I didn’t really follow the script, I just did my style and what I know, the rest of it was down to if people really accept it. I wouldn’t say I’m lucky, it was more that it just went in my favour that people actually like it.
I just do my thing and keep it true to myself and my style and what I would want to hear because we’ve been loving the music from a young age so we had an idea of what we want to hear. I just kept it real to the music, if you love it, you’re gonna do what it takes to make sure the thing works; if it’s that important to you.
Globally, what you’ve done as an independent artist is unheard of. What’s your advice to those keen to have a similar career?
I don’t really have advice for anybody because what works for one man might not work for the other.
Looking back at your discography, are there any particular songs or projects that hold special significance for you?
All of them in their time especially and all of them hold a special place in my chest in a different way. That’s why the release of them is so timely. We spend time and scan through and make sure what I put in the project is what I really want and I’m not just putting something out there.
How do you put together a setlist for a show when so many songs and moments stand out?
It’s just me and my DJ, we always try and keep it different each time because we have some songs that I’ve never performed yet and we have some that I’ve performed once or twice. But we always try to set it in a way, depending on the location. Some areas gravitate to some songs more than others, so that plays a part in the song selection.
What are you most proud of doing in your career?
Just being me and doing what I love, that kind of vibe.
What’s left to achieve?
There’s a lot of things I want to do, some I won’t say yet, I’d rather just do it. Then I can come and tell you that I wanted to do this for a long time. But there’s a number of things, I did a lot of things on the list already, nuff things. But even though nuff things I did already, there’s still a lot. Watch the works, watch the rise.
Photos by Gold Au
Words by Lily Mercer
Styling by Kiera Liberati
