German artiste General Schoppe makes the biggest move of his career in January with the release of Unity, his first album, which he describes as “a full Jamaican production.”

From the city of Frankfurt, he told the Jamaica Observer that the 10 songs on Unity were recorded in Kingston. Two of them feature singjay G-Mac, a protégé of Sizzla Kalonji.

“The last steps we are working on is the cover design and some publishing work to get everything aligned and ready for the German market. It will consist of various styles of Jamaican music, ranging from reggae, roots and dancehall, (as well as) hip hop and trap,” General Schoppe disclosed. “But the most important thing is its unifying message, which all songs will transport — whether they are in Jamaican English or the German language.”

Champion, done with G-Mac, is the lead single from Unity which will be released by his KingFFM label.

“G-Mac and I met when he was touring Europe. And since we have a few mutual friends in the reggae and sound system scene, this link grew strong very naturally,” said General Schoppe.

Originally drawn to hip hop, General Schoppe began his recording career in 1999. A few years later, he changed direction to reggae and dancehall, after getting into sound system culture and the music of Sizzla Kalonji and Vybz Kartel.

As can be heard on Unity, he still flirts with hip hop and Trap, a trendy sound that has caught on in Europe and North America. But it is Jamaican music that drives most of his productions.

“I still listen to a lot of current trap and rap productions, but have been invested in reggae and dancehall culture for more than 20 years now. Whether it’s big artistes as Sizzla Kalonji or Vybz Kartel or lesser known singjays, Jamaican music in general is a big influence in terms of vibe and feel,” said General Schoppe.

— Howard Campbell