Bling Dawg Shares Tracklist, Release Date For One-Drop Album ‘Elev8’
February 4 is now the new release date for Bling Dawg’s new one-drop album Elev8, which was initially set for release last month.
The album, which Bling has said is in tandem with his new holistic lifestyle, consists of 19 tracks, among them as promised are several collabs such as Prayer We Use featuring Popcaan, Pride with Romain Virgo, Feelings featuring Morgan Heritage, Buss A Road featuring Bounty Killer, Tables Turn with Busy Signal, Seh Dem A Love Yuh with Tanya Stephens, as well as the already-released Yo! featuring Christopher Martin, a track produced by Damian “Junior Gong” Marley.
Yo! made it to number three on the iTunes Top 200 Swedish Charts back in September, weeks after its release.
“It’s a journey with ups and downs The last few years. Never get discouraged are lose focus even when the road was lonely I keep on pushing,” Bling noted on his Instagram page where he disclosed the new date.
Bling had disclosed in 2020 that he hand-picked his collaborators as they were “embedded in that culture of one drop”, which was “more technical”.
He had also disclosed that Damian Junior Gong Marley produced two of the tracks on the album, which was recorded after a three-year hiatus from the Dancehall space, when the Unpredictable artist contended that he was going to reinvent his entire sound, image and music.
The other songs on the album are God Is Amazing, Father God A Guide Me, Step Son, There She Goes, Walk This Way, Married To The Music, Gaze
Facts Of Life, Nah Follow Trend and My Struggles.
Bling released the God is Amazing track in July 2020, a song he said was never recorded on the album because it was already mixed and mastered, prior to the song’s release in June that year.
He had initially announced in September last year, that the album would have been released on December 17, more than a year after he announced that it had been completed, mixed and mastered.
Bling Dawg is known for songs such as Kiss My Baby Good Morning, Get up And Run, Phone Call, which featured Vybz Kartel, Shotta Ting, Floss Like We Do, Tweeta, Kreech and Aji Bounce.
Formerly known as Ricky Rudy, Bling was a part of the Bounty Killer-founded dancehall collective known as The Alliance, which also included artists such as Mavado, Vybz Kartel, Busy Signal, Wayne Marshall and Aidonia.
Bling Dawg, whose given name is Marlon Ricardo Williams, was born in Kingston, but spent his childhood years between Portland and Miami.
The 40-year-old got his musical break in Miami when he met, Dugsy Ranks, who, along with Bounty Killer recruited him to be a part of Shocking Vibes where he worked with and wrote tracks for some of Dancehall’s biggest names, according to his biography on Spotify.
Bling Dawg begun his fitness journey nine years ago after his weight made it increasingly difficult for him to perform on stage without running out of breath.
After being encouraged by acclaimed veteran saxophonist, Dean Frazer, he began to undertake physical activities, and continued until he reached his optimal level of fitness.
Bling had told The Gleaner newspaper several that he had since become a vegan, as it was a critical part of his weight-loss sojourn. He also went on to lose more than 140 of the 350 pounds he once weighed and has maintained his now-muscular frame, over the past four years.
Bling Dawg, who is described by Bounty Killer as one of his Alliance’s “pure four” members alongside himself Busy Signal and Wayne Marshall, will also feature on the Warlord’s upcoming King of Kingston album.