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Kenyatta

Photograph of Kenyatta, Reggae Musician

 

Named for Kenya's first Prime Minister, Jomo Kenyatta, and the son of late reggae icon Joseph "Culture" Hill, Kenyatta "Culture" Hill has always been destined for big things. Under his father’s guidance, Kenyatta gained early exposure to the music business, often going out on tour and developing an interest in technical and sound equipment.

His father, Joseph Hill, was the front man of Culture, the legendary vocal trio whose 1997 record "Two Sevens Clash" helped define the roots reggae genre. Over the course of a prolific career spanning more than three decades, Joseph Hill's music broadened the appeal of reggae, boasting particularly large fan bases in Africa and the UK. His skillful songwriting and exuberant performing style earned him an induction into the Reggae Walk of Fame and a Jamaican Independence Award.

In August 2006, while on tour in Berlin, Germany, Joseph Hill suddenly fell ill and passed away. Rather than cancel the tour, Kenyatta, who had served as Culture's touring sound engineer since he was fifteen, made the decision to step in for his father. "It was a challenge, because I never knew I could sing. I was a nervous wreck. There was pressure, because I had a big role to fill."

But Kenyatta seems to have used the pressure to his benefit, earning rave reviews as Culture's new frontman at both the Tru-Juice Rebel Salute and Western Consciousness festivals in Jamaica, and a warm response from the reggae community as a whole, who—along with Kenyatta—were still grieving Joseph's loss

Pass the Torch (Tafari Records), Kenyatta's debut album, was released in December 2007. Featuring new tracks written by Kenyatta, the album also includes never-before-heard tracks by his father, as well as a handful of songs left unfinished by Joseph. "My father still has a message that needs to be sent out. There were a lot of lyrics not finished, so I said, I'll try to finish them."

Recorded in Jamaica, the album was produced by Lynford "Fatta" Marshall, whom Kenyatta calls "one of the best engineers in Jamaica. This is my first album and I wanted someone who was going to push me to the limit. He was definitely that person." The album's first single, "Daddy," is a poignant tribute to Joseph backed by a masterful roster of musicians, including Sly Dunbar, Dean Fraser and Sky Juice.

Since it's release, Pass the Torch has been hailed as "extraordinary" by the Chicago Sun-Times, the poignant lyrics and refined vocals having “moved [them] to tears." "Daddy" has been topping playlists from Nevada to New Jersey.

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