Xyclone Reintroduces Himself With New Album I Am Xyclone

Dancehall artist Xyclone is opening a new chapter with the release of his latest album, I Am Xyclone, a project built around honesty, transparency and giving listeners a deeper look at the man behind the music.

Rather than simply delivering another collection of Dancehall records, I Am Xyclone stretches across reggae, Dancehall and wider international influences, while maintaining the lyrical identity that has long been central to Xyclone’s artistry. The album carries elements and experiences drawn from Baltimore, Chile and Jamaica, reflecting both his journey and the different environments that have helped shape his sound.

Across the project, Xyclone tackles a broad range of subjects, from herb culture, relationships and women to poverty, social commentary and everyday realities. At the centre of it all, however, remains his penmanship.

One of the clearest demonstrations comes on “Letter P,” where Xyclone constructs multiple bars around words beginning with the Letter P. It is the kind of lyrical exercise that could easily become a gimmick, but instead serves as a reminder of his ability to combine technical wordplay with wit and entertainment.

For an artist already familiar with Billboard chart success and iTunes recognition, the campaign surrounding I Am Xyclone has also taken a slightly different direction.

Ahead of upcoming European appearances, including Bomboclaat Festival in Belgium, Xyclone turned his attention to the UK, hosting an intimate advance listening session in London on August 19, just days before the album’s Friday release.

The evening offered more than the standard play-the-album-and-go-home industry listening event.

16-year-old Epik Daiquan set the tone for the launch with a live DJ set while simultaneously bringing the experience to a wider audience through a TikTok livestream. Xyclone then sat down with Epik Jones for an in-depth conversation exploring his journey, the thinking behind I Am Xyclone, individual songs and the collaborations featured across the project.

The discussion was complemented by live performances of selected tracks, allowing those in attendance to experience parts of the album directly from Xyclone rather than simply hearing the finished recordings.

A Collaborative Project

I Am Xyclone also brings together an impressive selection of Caribbean talent, with collaborations featuring I-Octane, iWaata, Spragga Benz, Tifa, Jah Flexx of T.O.K. and more. Yet the guest appearances do not overwhelm the central purpose of the record.

This is deliberately Xyclone’s story.

As Xyclone explained during the London conversation, the album represents an opportunity to reintroduce himself, stripping away some of the barriers that naturally develop between an artist and an audience over the course of a career.

He wants listeners to understand not only Xyclone the recording artist, but the person behind that identity: the father, the man and the human being. That distinction gives I Am Xyclone much of its character.

There are moments for the ladies, moments of humour and lyrical showmanship, but also records rooted in poverty, relationships and social realities. Reggae is given considerably more room alongside his Dancehall foundations, creating a project that feels interested in documenting where Xyclone has been as much as demonstrating what he can do next.

For an established artist, “reintroducing yourself” can be a difficult proposition. The audience already has an idea of who they believe you are.

I Am Xyclone challenges that familiarity.

Instead of building another barrier through image and industry polish, Xyclone is attempting to remove one. He is inviting his audience closer and allowing the music, stories and experiences to fill in parts of his identity that previous releases may not have revealed.

And on that objective, I Am Xyclone feels like a strong effort: personal without abandoning entertainment, reflective without losing its Dancehall edge, and lyrical enough to remind listeners exactly why Xyclone’s pen has remained such an important part of his identity.

This isn’t simply Xyclone asking listeners to hear another album. It is Xyclone asking them to meet him again.