Dancehall artiste Bayka hopes his debut mixtape, Mob Ties, will give fans a sense of who he is as an artiste and a person. "Mi ah try show dem who Bayka and Ronaldo Billings is in a sense, you know? I'm trying to show them that I'm a superhero, but I'm a human superhero," the 1Uptown deejay said. Inclement weather last Thursday night would not stop fast-climbing star from going forward with the launch and listening party held at The Balcony nightclub in New Kingston.
The 12-song project, the first full body of work from the Mob Style deejay since he entered the Jamaican music space in 2021, was heard first by the exclusive gathering of friends, family and music industry peers before a special performance of a selection of tracks including songs from the mixtape and the artiste's greatest hits. Mob Ties , though a dancehall project, transcends the genre by dipping into music alternative to Jamaica with pop, trap, R&B and latin influences heard throughout. In many tracks, the deejay even abandoned the quintessential dancehall toastings to show off his vocal prowess on moody and passionate ballads.
Despite his experimentation, Bayka asserted that remaining true to the genre of his island is especially paramount to his artistry. "Dancehall will never die. It will always have a special place in my heart and I treat it like a treasure .
.. I am Bayka and I do dancehall music," he said.
"Whole heap a work guh inna dis EP ya, mi life go inna dis EP ya", he told patrons. An intense ren.