Ky-Mani Marley and Colombian Artist Kapla Unite for Reggae-Reggaeton EP

Ky-Mani Marley, Grammy-nominated son of Bob Marley, Beenie Man collaborator BL Tha Hook Slaya, and Colombian reggaeton artist Kapla have announced a joint EP that has been roughly a year in the making and is targeting a September release, with three singles planned between late spring and summer.

The untitled five-track project is produced by American award-winning Billboard-charting producer Bryan "BL Tha Hook Slaya" La Montague, who splits his time between Jamaica and Boston. La Montague has built his catalog alongside some of the biggest names in Jamaican music, including Spice, Sizzla, Capleton, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Morgan Heritage, Julian Marley, Junior Reid, Charly Black, Gyptian, and Jahvillani. Adding Ky-Mani to that list carries particular weight, and La Montague did not downplay it.

"I have to say that Ky-Mani has a voice that is unmatched in my opinion, due to the natural inflections in his voice that can't be taught, coupled with his unique vibrato and overall tone," La Montague said. "But it was an extremely fun project, and the vibe was spectacular throughout the entire process."

The production's ease, he explained, came down to versatility on all sides. "I really felt that because of Ky-Mani's natural ability to be diverse coupled with mine, it really made it a simple process, because Kapla is also extremely diverse musically," La Montague said. On the release timeline: "We haven't nailed down a title as yet, but we will be releasing about three singles between late spring and summer, so we are thinking of a September release for the EP."

For Kapla, a Colombian reggaeton artist who has never previously recorded with a reggae act, the collaboration carries a meaning that goes well beyond a genre experiment. "Collaborating with Ky-Mani Marley isn't just a dream, it's a dream realised," Kapla said. "It's about merging cultures, stepping into something new and creating with the son of a legend like Bob Marley, someone who has inspired not just me, but generations of artistes."

Ky-Mani, the only child of Bob Marley and Jamaican table tennis champion Anita Belnavis, has spent his career moving between reggae and hip-hop since his 1998 debut The Journey, earning a Grammy nomination in 2001 for Many More Roads. That history of genre-fluidity makes this reggaeton pivot feel less like a surprise and more like a logical next step.

With three singles set to roll out across the warmest months of the year before a full September EP, the crossover between Kingston roots and Colombian urban rhythm is going to be soundtracking a lot of playlists before summer ends. The conversation it sparks, about which reggae classics belong over a reggaeton riddim, is already overdue.