Dexta Daps ADD

Dexta Daps - Trilogy Album Release Party in London, UK 2024

02/20/2024 by Steve Topple

Dexta Daps Trilogy Album Release Party in London - February 13, 2024

Dexta Daps is somewhat of an enigma in Jamaican music: a career that was catapulted because of his sexually-explicit content; a man of only one full album (plus two EPs) in his entire 12-year presence on the music scene, and an image that has been cultivated around what the world thinks he is – maybe not what he actually is.

However, all that has changed with his second album, Trilogy.

Despite barely a murmur in the media about it, and with what reviews there have been obviously not understanding the project – the album is actually an expertly crafted and executed three-act powerhouse. It contains a smorgasbord of sounds coupled with a narrative flow that travels the length and breadth of love, life, society, and the system.

What legendary RnB artists like Joe and Ginuwine did so well in the late 90s/early 00s – mixing smooth, sexual vibes that were still respectful to women, while also delving into social issues – Daps has now picked up and run with. It’s fair to say the album feels like a modern-day equivalent of Joe’s best-selling Better Days – where sex, love, life, and the system collide to produce something mesmerising.

So, it seems the world may have finally met the real Louis Grandison Jr.

Of course, anyone paying attention would have had an inkling of who Daps really was, anyway – given his penchant for quietly but forcefully dealing with the conscious: tracks like 2012’s debut Save Me Jah or 2023’s Pain with Mavado and Jay-A (across Sponge Music’s Forgiven Riddim) being pertinent examples.

With this in mind, Reggaeville went along to Daps’ Trilogy album launch party in London to see just what this accomplished yet controversial 38-year-old would present to the public this time. Naturally, Daps didn’t disappoint.

There was something of the Usher/Michael Jackson in terms of the build up to his entrance.

Fans had a three-hour wait for his appearance; the DJs built anticipation; Daps began to sing off stage, and finally appeared via a slow walk out in sunglasses with his hood up, before the fans got a chance to finally go wild.

However, any bravado quickly dispersed as Daps gave the first song, Breaking News, away to up-and-coming UK artist Lewis Fitzgerald – who he pulled out of the crowd to perform.

Throughout the rest of the show, Daps treated the audience to a selection of the old and new.

Of the old, Call Me If instantly sent the crowd crazy – and could have easily led into its Trilogy equivalent I Will with the similar narrative about self-obsessed men not paying enough attention to their women. Mi C Mi Bed N Miss U smoothed things out somewhat before merging into the erotic WiFi – seeing Daps bumping and grinding like his life depended on it, as did his renditions of Twinkle followed by No Underwear.

By the time he reached his breakthrough hit Shabba Madda Pot, Daps had lost the dinner-jacket hybrid and fully engaged the crowd in joining in with him.

Off Trilogy, the album’s lead single Forever showed Daps at his crowd-pleasing best – delivering the vulnerable lyrics about forgiving someone for their misdemeanours when you probably shouldn’t. Purge featuring a Jada Kingdom at the peak of her controlled and spellbinding powers is a slick, brooding yet unfussy RnB cut that shows Daps weighing heavily on love, loss, and loneliness; perhaps one of the strongest tracks on Trilogy. Then, Vanta Black saw Daps’ energy levels nearly explode.

However, it must be said that the things missing from the show were some of Trilogy’s strongest tracks.

Showers of Blessings with its AfroDancehall vibe reminds us to give thanks while continuing to fight for ourselves and each other. The late-90s RnB-inspired Regret is an ode to falling in love with the wrong person, while the Alt-RnB cut Unfair Truth directly deals with systemic misogyny.

OK featuring Masicka and In You both merge Hip Hop beats with more traditional African musical arrangements – and Butterfly even sees Daps pull off 80s Funky Soul. It was a shame not to see some of these included, especially the latter - because surely everyone knows the Electric Slide, right?

Many of these tracks – plus Forever and particularly Purge – show Daps at his most vulnerable and/or thoughtful and serve to shatter the media/management-driven image of him being some kind of sex-obsessed gyalis. However, the launch event was clearly aimed at the fans, not the media or the industry, and to that end Daps pitched it perfectly.

Throughout, Daps was consistently strong with his vocals. No autotune in sight, he was hitting every note perfectly, with a lot of improvisation and riffing throughout – carrying it all off with aplomb like a seasoned RnB singer. His controlled voice effortlessly went through a whole range of dynamics – from sensual whisper to roaring growl. Daps easily switched between his rich yet rugged upper baritone, sheer and crystalline tenor, and delicate, sensitive falsetto without dropping a beat, showing his skill as a vocalist.

However, what Daps did so well was to mix this highly-skilled and technically brilliant vocal display with the performance technique of a seasoned Dancehall artist – dropping pull ups a plenty, whipping the crowd into a frenzy, and barely stopping for breath between leaps, grinds, and slides.

Props should also go to London Mars (aka London The Plug) and her team for the event management. Pulling off a small-scale concert in a venue essentially designed as a food hall is no mean feat. However, it worked. The sound quality was on point, being as good at the front as it was at the back; the pick of warm up acts, including a storming set from London DJ royalty Izzy Bossy, made sure the crowd was entertained, and the lighting and pyros were pitch-perfect for the size of the space.

Overall, this was Daps show though. It and the album show that after 12 years, we are perhaps finally seeing the best of this highly skilled artist. Trilogy is a superb album – and Daps’ performance in London was equally fantastic and inspired.