We lost reggae, dancehall and toasting pioneer U-Roy earlier this year, but he had a new album, Solid Gold U-Roy, waiting in the wings that will now be posthumously released July 16 via Trojan Jamaica/BMG. The album, which was originally due out last year but got pushed due to the pandemic, features U-Roy taking on songs he’d recorded over the years with a host of collaborators, including Big Youth & Mick Jones (The Clash), Sly & Robbie‘s Robbie Shakespeare, Shaggy, Ziggy Marley, Steel Pulse‘s David Hinds, Scientist, Jesse Royal, and more.

The first single is a cover of The Paragons’ 1968 single “The Man Next Next Door” featuring Santigold. “It was such an honor to get to work on this project with U-Roy, a true creator,” says Santigold. “He was a major pioneer in a genre that influenced me so deeply. And it just so happened that the song I was asked to sing, ‘Man Next Door,’ has been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. It felt so special to get to sing that song in particular – I knew the harmonies in my body without having to think for a second – and to hear his voice cutting through, driving the rhythm, drawing us all into his world. What a gift that I got a chance to sing on this track with him. He was one of the greats.” Their version has those classic reggae production vibes, but they also make it their own.

You can watch the video for “The Man Next Door,” and listen to “Wake the Town,” below.

Tracklist:
Trenchtown Rock feat. Ziggy Marley
Man Next Door feat. Santigold
Rule the Nation feat. Shaggy
Tom Drunk feat. Tarrus Riley
Wake the Town
Stop That Train feat. Rygin King
Natty Rebel (Natty Rebel) feat. David Hinds
Queen Majesty (Chalice in the Palace) feat. Robbie Shakespeare
Small Axe feat. Jesse Royal
Wear You to the Ball feat. Richie Spice
Every Knee Shall Bow (Miseducation) feat. Big Youth and Mick Jones
Miseducation Every Knee Shall Bow (Scientist Dub)