By Howard Campbell—
Observer senior writer—
Honorebel—
It has been five years since Honorebel released a solo album. In early November, he dropped Above The Noise , a 16-song set on his Phantom Music Group label.
The South Florida-based singjay is currently promoting Be Free, a Latin-tinged ballad that features Tarrus Riley. Let Me Love You, another single from the album, is done with GrooveGalore and Tessanne Chin; it was released last year.
According to Honorebel, Above The Noise has a different feel than Honor Roll, its predecessor.
“There’s a lotta difference; musically, there’s more dancehall and reggae. The others [albums] were a mixture of genres — this is directed to the Caribbean market,” he explained.
Honorebel collaborated with other high-profile friends on Above The Noise. Shaggy toasts on Own The Night, while Charly Black appears on Your Love; Honorebel shares the mic with dancehall veteran Wayne Wonder and rapper Rick Ross on All Over.
He said the ‘combination’ with Riley was on the cards for some time.
Born Richard Bailey in St Andrew, Honorebel is a well known figure in South Florida music circles. He has worked with the region’s top producers, including Willie Lindo and Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell of 2 Live Crew fame.
During his stint with Campbell, Honorebel met a budding rapper of Cuban heritage called Pitbull. Now You See It, their 2009 collaboration with Jump Smokers, entered Billboard’s Top 100 Dance Chart and Top 200 House Chart that year.
Above The Noise is Honorebel’s fourth solo album. His first, Fire + Ice, came out in 2000, followed by Club Scene in 2010.
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