Kabaka Pyramid | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Keron Salmon |
| Born | { born April 19, 1985} [1] |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Labels | Bebble Rock |
| Website | www |
Keron Salmon (born April 19, 1985), known professionally as Kabaka Pyramid, is a reggae artist from Kingston, Jamaica. His music blends elements of roots reggae, dancehall and rap. He cites influences from both hip-hop artists, such as Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan, and roots reggae performers, including Peter Tosh. [2] [3]
Keron began his musical career in the late 1990s, writing lyrics, rapping, and experimenting with beat-making and sampling tools alongside friends from his high school in the Hope Pastures area. [1] [3] During this period, he used his family's living room as an improvised recording studio. [4] [5]
After completing high school in 2002, Keron moved to Fort Lauderdale, where he further developed his skills with an emphasis on hip-hop. [3] During this time, he adopted the stage name Kabaka Pyramid, combining "Kabaka," a Ugandan royal title, with "Pyramid," referencing the ancient Egyptian structures. The name reflects both his Rastafarian connection to Africa and his interest in Egypt as a symbol of preserved knowledge, which he also associates with lyrical content in music. [2]
Following the release of his earlier mixtapes, which leaned more toward rap, Kabaka began integrating reggae influences more prominently into his music around 2007, particularly through his collaboration with the collective Bebble Rock. [3]
In 2011, he recorded the Rebel Music EP at Protoje’s home studio. Two years later, he met Damian Marley, leading to their first collaboration, Well Done, which featured Marley's On The Corner Riddim and lyrics by Kabaka Pyramid. Their partnership continued, with Marley producing Kabaka Pyramid’s 2018 album Kontraband and contributing to five tracks on the 2022 album The Kalling, which was fully recorded at Marley's studio in Miami. [1]
Kabaka Pyramid has performed at various international music festivals, [6] [7] including multiple appearances at events such as Summerjam or Rototom Sunsplash. [8]
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| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Jamaican Reggae Industry Association | Emerging New Artiste Of The Year | Won | [9] |
| Juno Award | Reggae Recording of the Year | Won | ||
| 2023 | Grammy Award | Best Reggae Album | Won | [10] |