Juakali

In 2005, when the now ubiquitous sounds of underground electronic bass music were yet to be discovered by the mainstream, Juakali’s signature soulful dreadbass style caught the ears of early pioneers. He was soon holding down the mic as resident emcee for the legendary Dub War NYC, North America’s first and premier dubstep event. Juakali brought an “elemental voice” [Mary Anne Hobbs] to the forefront of a worldwide community of artists and fans creating culture, ritual and value around the music now known as dubstep. Heralded early on by zealous media outlets and veterans of the scene as “the voice of North American dubstep”, and hailed for his rugged, mesmerizing vocals on Pinch’s iconic album Underwater Dancehall, Juakali exhibited the force necessary to help push the musical movement forward. To longtime fans and collaborators, Juakali’s voice is the raw glue bonding the dancer and dj, the cosmic poetry guiding listeners beyond boxes of genre and style into the depths and breadths of sound. Few vocalists or lyricists have been able to deliver the sheer strength and soul required to ride a deep and dark riddim like Juakali. Even fewer have been able to parlay that energy into a successful solo career, recording chart-topping songs and co-headlining gigs around the world with some of the industry’s most prolific producers. [written by Andria Benet]