Flawless Victory, a champion of dancehall
IN a time when the state of dancehall is being questioned and its future constantly debated on, T.O.K’S iconic bass-voiced member Bay-c and dancehall star Xyclone have made a clear statement that the genre is still alive and well.
Flawless Victory, the joint project from both acts, was released on March 1 and debuted at the top of the itunes Reggae charts, as well as landing the #28 spot on the USA top 200 charts.
The six-tracked EP is an organic mash-up of feel-good, motivational, raunchy, and bravado music, all in one body of work. It showcases two generations of dancehall artistry, collaborating in a seamless manner.
Featured on the project are special appearances from Jamaican dancing stars Pata-skeng and Energy Kid, up-and-coming female sensation Shell Chapo, Instagram comedian Bobby Sox 876, and the critically acclaimed Jamaican singer Zagga.
The production was covered by City Lock, Epik Jones, Killa Imij, Deemaster, A’legends, and hit producer Jay Krayzie.
The win for Flawless Victory, though, is in the context of the utter dominance of the charts recently by Bob Marley. The #1 movie Bob Marley: One Love has not only garnered commercial success at the box office, but it has also sky-rocketed the king of reggae’s albums to the top of the reggae charts since the film’s release on February 14. Following the movie’s release, Bob secured all spots on the reggae charts.
Inadvertently, one would assume that an independent release by two dancehall acts would be dismal, and this is the more poignant accomplishment of Flawless Victory. Dancehall as a genre has always experienced sporadic commercial success, triggering discussions on the reason for its inconsistency.
Some have alluded it to an unstructured industry with a limited scope on its subject matter, while others have blamed it on a language barrier as well as external factors such as lobbyists in powerful positions who allegedly ‘hold back the music’. To be fair, none of these have ever been officially substantiated.
Regardless of the reasons, Bay-c and Xyclone have considered Flawless Victory as the defending champion of dancehall at the moment.
A packed promo tour is scheduled for USA, UK, Europe, and Latin America with multiple videos in cue for release.