Uplift returns to reggae roots with Love Potion Riddim release

Uplift released Love Potion Riddim on July 1, 2026, and the project lands like a clear reset back toward the reggae sound that first shaped him. The Jamaican-Canadian recording artiste and producer built the multi-artiste set around reggae singer Hezron and Nigerian reggae-pop artiste Pupa Tee, giving the release a Jamaica-Nigeria reach without losing its roots foundation.

Uplift said it had been some time since he last worked on a reggae project, and that gap is what makes Love Potion Riddim feel more like a direction than a one-off drop. He said touring in Nigeria reminded him how strongly the genre still travels across borders, and pushed him toward making something listeners could connect to in a more direct, heartfelt way. The riddim took months to develop, then came together in a single day once the pieces were in place, a pace that fits a project built on instinct as much as planning.

The title itself carries the message. Uplift linked Love Potion to the magnetic pull of love and the positive energy he wanted the release to carry. He also placed the record in a contemporary roots-reggae lane by pointing to influences such as Arif Cooper, Jah Cure and Romain Virgo. Cooper, who died on March 5, 2023, founded Fresh Ear Productions and AMC Music Ltd., and his name still carries weight in Jamaican production circles.

The featured voices deepen that sense of rootedness. Hezron has long been part of the reggae conversation, with performances at Reggae Sumfest in 2009 and 2010 and a breakout run built on the number-one song “So In Love” on Richie B’s chart, a single that also spent 25 weeks on the South Florida and New York charts. Pupa Tee, also known as Adelaja David, is from Ogun State, Nigeria, and has been described as an Afropop and reggae artist, which makes his presence on the riddim a natural fit for the cross-border shape Uplift was chasing.

Uplift added another personal layer through his own song on the project. He said it was written more than 25 years ago for a former girlfriend and sat unreleased until now, turning Love Potion Riddim into something older, more intimate and more revealing than a standard compilation. Based in Canada, Uplift said the mix of cultures around him has broadened his perspective, but has also made him more determined to stay true to his Jamaican foundation. With more reggae, dancehall and Afro-inspired music already in view, Love Potion Riddim reads as the first clear marker of that next run.