Blvk H3ro On A Mission with début album
GRAMMY-NOMINATED recording artiste Blvk H3ro says his début album On A Mission is a reflection on his journey to success.
“Overcoming where I’m from, from the ghetto and being homeless, for me… it seems like even without knowing I was just always on a mission. It just felt fitting. It just felt like the right title. At first it was, ‘Man On A Mission’, but that felt one-dimensional. I wanted anybody to say that they’re on a mission,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
The 15-track set will be released on today, August 18, on Delicious Vinyl Island, an imprint of the iconic Los Angeles-based, indie label Delicious Vinyl.
“When you try to find an album name, you pick out so many options…just going through the motions. But, really and truly, that just came to me after looking at the journey and what I’ve been through. Not just over the last year either, the last five years,” shared the artiste.
There are multiple collaborations on the project ranging from Skillibeng, Anthony B, Kojo Funds, Dre Island Winky D, Violet Stone, Demarco, Laa Lee, and Soko7.
He said that teaming up with each talent was seamless.
“Some of them were already in mind, like me and Skilli. In our generation you don’t see that kind of musical friendship building. You see these same artistes collaborating like Buju and Wayne Wonder or a Buju and Beres… I wanted Anthony B on it just ’cause from mi born mi a hear Anthony B name. From mi born dem man deh is like a legend to me. For some of the collabs, too, it’s like God just made it happen. The Kojo Funds, I’ve always been a fan of his music, especially over the last two years, and he just DM [direct message] me and that just happened organically. With Demarco and Laa Lee — same thing. They just really loved the energy and they put their craft on it,” the singer, whose real name is Hervin Bailey, said.
Blvk H3ro penned the majority of the lyrics on each track.
He admitted, however, that he wanted Vybz Kartel and Shaggy’s voices to be added to the project. Nonetheless, he’s optimistic about the outcome once it debuts.
“To be honest, I’m so excited now I’m nervous yuh nuh. It’s just a wave of emotions because this thing was just in yuh head, in yuh head. We keep saying it; album, album and now I’m literally just days ahead of it coming out, it just feel surreal, yuh nuh. Even just how it come together, how many different versions of this I’ve had, and it just wasn’t ready yet. Now we get to a point where I was able to collaborate with almost everyone I wanted to. Even right now just seeing everybody react to it and the posting and the sharing of the artwork. I feel like I have the support of the industry and the people and the strength of the collaborators. I feel really good about this project at this time. I want it to move the needle! Me cyaan wait to get everybody reaction Friday, Saturday, Sunday enuh.,” he said.
Blvk H3ro made his recording début in 2012 with the song Live This Life, which was produced by El Capone for MB Productions. He later recorded a remix of Major Lazer’s Get Free, which he named My Story.
His EP, THC: The Herb Connoisseur, was released in 2017 and he toured Europe with the Reggae Soul Band.
He has been in California for months touring and working on this album.
The singer revealed that working with Delicious Vinyl was exactly what he needed to push his career.
“They have an older imprint which is just Delicious Vinyl and they’re a massive hip hop imprint. Now, they have an island imprint. It just feels good working with them. I feel like they were already so in love and working with musicians from the Caribbean, so they already understand that dynamic. And, just them being an original hip hop label, then working with Caribbean youths, it gives a specific type of musician, especially from the Caribbean, a platform which is not just clear-cut reggae and dancehall alone… We can do so much, and I feel like they fully understand me and my peers and where the music is going and can develop an artiste,” he said.