‘My Journey is definitely taking me on a journey,’ says I-Octane

Vanessa Bling

Kingston, JAMAICA: - With the release of his sophomore album, My Journey, singjay, I-Octane effectively silenced the naysayers who felt that his repertoire was “too dancehall”. Infusing more reggae beats into this album has paid off handsomely, ensuring that the artiste’s demand has skyrocketed as his global fan base keeps growing.

The versatile I-Octane jokes that his weekends now start on Thursdays and end on Tuesdays, but he’s certainly not complaining. This reggae ambassador says his main aim is to “keep things balanced and never ignore my home fans”.  And perhaps that’s why he is never far away from the local scene. This weekend he will be off to Rochester USA, for a show on Friday, but his itinerary sees him returning to Jamaica on Saturday to do Margaritaville in St Ann and then perform in Kingston at the Bike Fest at the National Stadium on Sunday.

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“My Journey is definitely taking me on a journey,” declared the singer who was the featured act at the Behind The Screens series at Usain Bolt Tracks and Records (UBTR) on Tuesday September 23rd​

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Interestingly, I-Octane aka The Closer had returned to the island from the US that same Tuesday, having performed at a show in Boston on Saturday, followed by a concert in South Carolina on Monday night. But his energy level was so high, that no-one at UBTR could tell that he had stepped off a plane hours before, after a long performance the previous night. Delivering the best of his dancehall and reggae selections, Octane kept the near-capacity audience on their toes and he even had a special treat for them when he called on stage – via his Digicel phone – his special guest, Vanessa Bling.

The “Hot Ras”, as she styled him, was in a mood to be entertained, and after they performed Can’t Do It, their hit collaboration which the fans inside UBTR couldn’t seem to get enough of, he allowed Vanessa Bling to do her thing, which she did very well. Or, it would perhaps be more accurate to say, “which they did very well”, because the chemistry between them, even while she was doing her solo pieces, was palpable.

“It was just the vibes. Some of it was rehearsed, some wasn’t. But it all went over well, and, most importantly, the audience loved it,” said the Study You Friend

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 singer, who had also given talented young act,Bryka, a moment to shine.

In closing, I-Octane stated, “I think that Vanessa Bling is a great artiste and I have maximum respect for her management.  It’s a good look when the female artistes get the props that they so deserve.”