The multi-talented Jamaican artist Dre Island sets a course to elevate mind, body, and soul with his sophomore album High Times, released June 3 via DubShot Records. Dre Island continues to enhance his high, whether it is through love or cannabis, in this nuanced song collection. "All Night" featuring Carlito, is the first single for the album.
The album's title track featuring dancehall prodigy Skillibeng is a straightforward celebration of simple pleasures—papers and good kush—paired with the sounds of swirling key chords and a thick trap bassline produced by Jafrass.
As the album progresses, Dre Island shifts to the upbeat tempo of contemporary tropical dance music on "High With You," a classic tongue-in-cheek weed anthem alluding that the plant is a close friend. A video for "High With You" will be released with the album. "Take Me High" is a slower, more contemplative ode to ganja that reworks Louis Armstrong's lyrics about "Trees of Green" into a more smokeable type.
Roots reggae legend Richie Spice links up with Dre Island on "High Grade Smoke," produced by Jamie Roberts. "With a vision so clear, meditation pure, so don't partake if you're not really sure," flows Dre Island as he extols the virtues of the herb, capping it off with a warning label for responsible use only.
Speaking on the inspiration behind the album, Dre explains,
"It's about living life to the best of its ability, ya nuh, appreciating nature in its purest form. Where the herbs, marijuana is concerned, that is the first inspiration that led me to the whole thought of the album High Times. Just appreciating yourself as a person, as a human being. Just note to self, motivate yourself and stay in that high moment with that high energy with that high soul...each of the 8 tracks speaks individually to different moments of being high, or getting high, or living high...Every single one of the 8 tracks are about marijuana, nothing else but marijuana."
Other producers on "High Times" include Kushface, Green Lion Crew, Che Big 12, Zimi, TJ Records and Tac Dem.