FIVE years ago, dancehall artiste Bling Dawg embarked on a holistic journey aimed at improving his physical, mental, and spiritual health and he is now reaping the fruits of his labour.

Today, the artiste is releasing his much-awaited, 19-track album titled Elev8 which, he explained, showcases an improved artiste who has taken the time and done the work.

“It all started with the exercise. I needed to get the physical right and use that to fuel the reinvention of every area of myself. In working on the best body possible, I was able [to] exercise patience and see growth in every aspect of my life, including my music and, of course, things started to elevate… as anything wah stay a grung nuh grow, we had to get better,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Elev8 includes two tracks produced by Grammy winner Damian “Junior Gong” Marley and a list of collaborations with the likes of Bounty Killer, Tanya Stephens, Morgan Heritage, Popcaan, Christopher Martin, and Romain Virgo.

“People who love the music can expect some good, authentic stuff drawing from the grass roots with some of my twists as well as the dance and rude bwoy stuff. The difference is that everything has to be soothing to the ears. So it can’t be something I have to turn down when my children are listening. We had to change the narrative,” said Bling Dawg, who aslo uses the moniker Ricky Rudie.

Its tracklisting includes God Is Amazing, Father God A Guide Me, Step Son, There She Goes, Walk This Way, Married To The Music, Gaze Facts Of Life, Nah Follow Trend, and My Struggles.

The release of Elev8 is being paired with the release of a documentary tracing Bling Dawg’s journey and the making of the album.

Undaunted by the effects of the current pandemic on the entertainment industry, Bling Dawg rubbished the idea that this is a bad time to release an album.

“Who say the timing is bad? I’m getting mad love for this project from all over the world — from the Philippines to France, and Germany. Plus, people are more locked into streaming and have more time to listen so I believe this will. This is my best work yet,” he added.

Bling Dawg, whose given name is Marlon Williams, spent his formative years between Portland and Miami, Florida. Once part of Bounty Killers’s Alliance, which included Busy Signal, Wayne Marshall and Mavado, he is known for songs including Say My Name, Perfect Lady, Like We Do, and Phone Call featuring Vybz Kartel.