Alkaline

Earlan Bartley, the Kingston-born dancehall and reggae musician known as Alkaline, has built his public image around a deliberate contradiction. His stage name stands for the opposing principles of his personality, a pairing of positive and negative that shapes how audiences in Jamaica receive him. Musically he stays close to the core of the dancehall sound while bringing a distinctive artistry of his own. His route in began in school: he attended Ardenne High School, studied Media and Communication at the University of the West Indies, and started recording at sixteen.

Alkaline's early singles, including "Move Mountains", made him a fixture in Jamaica, and a 2013 collaboration with Spice, "Only Ting Mi Want", followed. His debut album New Level Unlocked, released on 25 March 2016, topped the Billboard Reggae Albums chart for 18 weeks, making him the first dancehall deejay to hold a number one album in five years. The New Rules Festival in 2017 at Jamaica's national stadium car park drew one of the biggest turnouts of any Jamaican stage show. His second album, Top Prize, arrived in May 2021.