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Review

Album Review: Rygin King - Recovery

06/14/2024

by Steve Topple

After a shooting paralysed him in 2020, it’s been a long road through recovery for Rygin King. Now, his latest album reflects this journey as well as the modern state of dancehall. Recovery, released via Rygin Trap Records, sees King switch genres and styles up, down, and back again across 14 tracks all efficiently produced by the likes of Damian Marley, Crawba, Savage World Music, and more. But the project is also a retrospective on some of the events that have marred King’s life in recent years along with the necessary bruk out and gyal tracks, of course.

The album opens with Firm as King sets the tone for the album: “A couple of years now mi no walk… so much to say mi need to write a book”: heavy on the self-reflection across modern dancehall-influenced vibes but nothing too abrasive. Here, it’s smooth Afro-RnB with King verbalising across singjay-meets straight vocal.

Things Done Change featuring Damian Marley opens with an imposing cello line, leading into heavily-orchestrated trap dancehall – all very Jr Gong – as King laments a regressive system vs progressive personal growth. Then, The Intro is hard trap dancehall but laced with a funky guitar line as King hails the need for self-affirmation and positivity in the face of adversity.

Deep Water is smooth Afro-RnB, as King discusses having “gone through the darkest times” but all the while God is still there. Recovery featuring a potent Chronic Law is brooding trap dancehall but with a less abrasive sound than normal – as vicious drums juxtapose against lilting keys, while King discusses the emotional impact of his shooting and its aftermath.

Whya Whya brings the Afro-RnB vibes once more, with smooth production complete with delicate piano but stuttering drums, and a sincere performance from King questioning life. Hurting is classy Afro-RnB again, where trap drums dominate against a backdrop of lilting guitars and a slick, precise vocal. It's All Love delves further into this sound with some blissed-out arrangements over the top of a skilled vocal from King – showing pleasing expressive peaking and troughing along with good use of range and runs.

Moments featuring Serani sees Afro-dancehall beats crossed with some nice EDM strings and efficient vocals from both artists who play off well against each other. Then, Drop The Top goes full-on trap dancehall: trap beats meet dancehall instrumentation and classic singjay from King. Tan Tan is stripped-back EDM-led dancehall: light-touch on the instrumental arrangement, but full on with King’s complex vocal. Scared To Lose You focuses on an Afro-dancehall sound, while Bruk Out moves Recovery into Afrobeats with its stuttering drum arrangement. The album closes with Need Your Love (cleverly sampling Drake’s Marvin’s Room), which is catchy and EDM-led dancehall.

Recovery is a clever and inspired album from King: reflecting on four years of personal trauma while also doing the same but for dancehall culture. It’s slick, engaging, and a compelling listen.

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