AFTER 20 years…
After two decades, music producer Glenroy Donaldson is back with the Mankind rhythm.
The project, which was co-produced by his son Savoy, was released on June 16 on the Donroy Muziq label.
“The inspiration behind the rhythm is about mankind…the things that mankind do,” Donaldson told the Jamaica Observer.
“I was out of the industry for like 20 years, and I’m back. So, the difference between this and the other rhythms is more maturity. There’s also a psychology that comes with it and more humility. Also, listening to your artiste, because it’s a team effort and teamwork makes the dream work,” he added.
The project features Beautiful Day by Inner Voice and Capleton, God Blessings (Nana EQ), Don’t Put Your Trust In Mankind (Abulani), Mankind Mean (Jah Thunder), Life Should Be Better (Sully Sulfa), Change Me (Genna 1), Poverty Spell Break (T Butler, Axxcess, and Little D).
The veteran producer also said that he relishes practising music production and is glad to be back — this time, with his son by his side.
“Twenty-something years ago, when my son was about four, I used to pick him up after school and would have him with me while I would be doing the footwork for my projects. He would meet all the artistes and even join us in the studio for the recording session. If I didn’t take a break and kept going at that time he would have always been by my side. Now that I’m back and ready to do more work in the industry, I’d like to give him back that opportunity and steer him in the right direction. It’s a great feeling to be working with my son like I did back in the day,” Donaldson added
In the early 2000s the artiste was known for his rhythm-driven releases like Heavyweight and Wealthy Rich rhythms — the compilations featuring the hottest artistes from that time.
Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica, Donaldson had the opportunity to work with artistes like Bounty Killer, Sizzla, Capleton, Elephant Man, Mr Vegas, and Twins of Twins.
He is also among the first to voice Queen of Dancehall Spice.
“I’ve grown a lot personally over the last 20 years, and this new endeavour is all about maturity and setting up generational success for my family. I’ve had the opportunity to understand life and grow to be more humble,” he said as he reflected on where he is now compared to when he first started producing music.
“My focus now is to also reach out to a more mature audience. My focus is in creating relatable music with substance. I understand that good music can’t be rushed, and I can’t wait for the world to hear our music,” the producer continued.