Bump Walshy Fire's freshly released solo album, 'Walshy Fire Presents: ABENG'

With the release of his debut solo album, Walshy Fire Presents: ABENG, Walshy Fire showcases how the musical stylistics of the Caribbean and African regions color his sound. Formerly an integral member of Major Lazer, Walshy Fire puts forth an 11-track exposé of his individual sonic aesthetic on the collaboration heavy album. An array of artists make cameos, ranging from Jamaican reggae and dancehall singer Kranium, to American-Nigerian singer-songwriter WurID. The bevy of featured talent visible on the compilation album’s track list indicates a collaborative richness that highlights, in part, Walshy Fire’s meticulousness in crafting the long-form outing.

“The intention [of ABENG] is to make the Caribbean and Africa have a conversation that is louder, and in the same studio or the same stage, at the same time,” Walshy Fire said before Walshy Fire Presents: ABENG arrived.

Highly regarded for his contributions to the dancehall genre, Walshy Fire is well known for his vivacious dancehall productions and has also worked in and across soca and reggae, all of which derive from Caribbean musical culture. On Walshy Fire Presents: ABENG, Walshy Fire returns to these familiar genres while engaging Afrobeat. The result is a largely mid-tempo collection of culturally inflected cuts that underscore Walshy Fire’s polish as a solo artist.