Musician-turned-vocalist Hector Roots Lewis is boldly making the transition from the shadows to the spotlight with the release of his single Ups and Downs which hit the market yesterday.

The track — which is the lead-off single for his yet-to-be titled, soon-to-be released EP — represents what the artiste calls his journey into being a vocalist and the in-studio chemistry with producer JLL, the man responsible for hits from acts including Drake and Chronixx.

“These are just organic songs which have come from my creative process during this pandemic. This single, Ups and Downs, just speaks to the people who have experienced so much during this time. It goes out to those entrepreneurs who started a business just before this thing hit, and to the everyday persons who are going through so much at this time. I just wanted to encourage them to muster through the ups and downs,” Lewis told the Jamaica Observer.

“Working in the studio with JLL, we discovered a vast array of sounds which we really wanted to explore. These give a real insight to my journey as a musician to where I am now,” he continued.

Known for his work as a musician, primarily percussions, Lewis is the son of Jamaican 70s songstress Barbara Jones. He has worked with a range of artistes, including Chronixx, Kabaka Pyramid, and Protoje, and it is this experience which gave him the confidence to step to the microphone as a vocalist.

“I kept on getting encouragement from my fellow artistes, then in 2016 we decided to write and promote our own music, then the Zinc Fence Jam Sessions gave birth to this. Then, there was living up to my own inheritance. I am extremely proud of the work that my mother did, so I feel this is my opportunity to take that legacy even further. The foundation that she set is always the nucleus for everything that I do, that’s why there is a line in Ups and Downs which says: ‘Never diss what mama set’. That was done on purpose as one of the main things in all I do is to continue her legacy,” he shared.

Lewis is unapologetic about his sound which he noted comes out of experimentation. He said that this meant shedding his fears about what is and should be that reggae sound. He said his music is cultural, educational and uplifting. He added that his music is undoubtedly Jamaican pop music that is soulful but, most importantly, rooted in the teachings of Rastafari and Afro-centric culture.

“Reggae is currently at an experimental stage. We are the generation which came after the makers of the music, and we are evolving. We are not our forefathers so we have to create a narrative which will allow us to connect to the mainstream. Yes, we must preserve that indigenous sound, but blend with hip hop, and I fuse all that we are as a people. If we don’t evolve, we will never break down barriers and create something new. The glory days of old will endure, but the truth is these too will be the glory days for some of us,” he said.

Lewis is taking it one step at a time and looking to see what happens following the release of Ups and Downs in order to determine his next move.

“The plan is to drop this single, then read the analytics and see what the data is saying. But the singles are coming and we are focused,” he added.