KALI GRN has returned to the scene with a deep introspective ballad that takes fans on an emotional trip.
The latest single by the young reggae favorite is a slow tempo, reflective number that is beautifully adorned with the scintillating background vocals of a popular Jamaican songbird. GRN’s ability to win fans over with his effortless delivery and touching lyrics has somehow gotten better with time as evidenced by this new track titled “Ghetto Boy.” Similarly, so has his brilliant storytelling skills as he details his rise from the ghetto and making it out.
The song features a moving voice note from the singer’s grandmother sending nothing but pure love and support for his musical journey. Her tone is replete with pride as she pours her raw emotion into the recording unaware that she would later become the star of her grandson’s next release. Reflecting on the conditions of his upbringing and his female-led support system in the first verse, KALI GRN begins with the lessons that brought him through his journey to this point today.
“Mama did what she could / Granny made sure that I turned out good / She said son: Manners will take you all around the world / But see I gotta show love to every boy and girl / Because love is really what we need / But be careful of friends because their heart full up of greed / They want to take the fruit and they didn’t plant the seed / So listen to me son take heed / And she say: show me your friends, I’ll tell you who you are / So, you nah go ever see me and no waste man a par / Nah idle pon no corner and chill out a nuh bar / Stay far / Bad energy stay far… far, far, far,” KALI GRN professes in the lyrics.
The crisp vocal performance and warm cadence paired with spontaneous harmonies is a perfect marriage. The real highlight of the track follows when the voice of a proud elder fills the foreground with perfect tear jerking timing: “Hi, my grandson. How are you? I listen to your music. Big up yourself, man – large up yourself! Yeah man, feel proud of you. I just sit down and say mek mi watch one of your video. Keep on do what you have to do mi grandson and keep on hol up yuh head. Oh God mi feel so proud of you, so proud, so proud of you!” she says in part.
Elsewhere on “Ghetto Boy,” KALI GRN reveals that during his hiatus, he became a father, speaking fondly of his wife and child. He later changes up his delivery in an encore-worthy segment of the second verse, surprising fans with a more aggressive four bars that constitute a warning shot before returning to a calmer tone to close out the title.
The new track which was featured on renowned Jamaican entertainment podcast The Fix as a recent ‘Buss Di Yutes’ selection was produced by Sound Nebula. Ever since the release of the single, fans have been clamoring for an official music video. In the meantime, KALI GRN debuted a lyric visualizer that has been garnering the attention of fans, the industry and the media alike.
