A dancehall reggae artist known for his aggressive, hip-hop-influenced music and bold visual style, Alkaline bridges reggae styles with forward-thinking production. He went from a series of Jamaican hits early on in his career to the release of notable full-length projects like his 2021 album Top Prize.

Alkaline was born Earlan Bartley in Kingston on December 19, 1993. He began writing rhymes when he was 14 years old, and he was 16 and still attending high school when he released his first single as Alkaline. In 2013, Alkaline began scoring Jamaican hits with numbers like "Church Folks," "More Than a Friend," "Ready," and "Obeah," and he attracted attention for his bleached skin, blonde dreadlocks, and what he claimed were eyeball tattoos. (It was later revealed he used contact lenses to give his eyes their unusual look.) While Alkaline's lyrics were often controversial for their bold sexual content, he was also popular and prolific. He released over 55 tracks between 2013 and 2017, often collecting songs in the form of mixtapes. In March 2016, Alkaline released his first full-length album, New Level Unlocked, and it became the first dancehall album to reach the top of the American reggae charts in five years. The album also proved to be a chart success in the U.K., despite the fact that several dates on Alkaline's 2016 British tour were canceled due to security issues. Over the next few years Alkaline collaborated with several big-name artists, featuring on songs by A Boogie wit da Hoodie and Keith Sweat as well as appearing on remixes alongside Stefflon Don and Akon. His second album, Top Prize, was released in May of 2021 and quickly climbed the Billboard Reggae Heatseekers chart. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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