C A N N O P Y
Art is True North
King Cruff’s Mixology of Reggae and Punk Aesthetics
King Cruff - Photo by Neil Watson
On his latest EP WHAT HAVE I ‘DON, Bob Marley’s grandson lays the foundation for his own reggae sound
Words by Brya Sheridan | Photography by Neil Watson
ISSUE 14 | LONDON | HOMEGROWN
If you’ve ever seen a peacock show off its iridescent plume, then you have a basic idea of what it’s like to watch King Cruff perform. King Cruff—the stage moniker of Solomon Marley-Spence—has been leveraging a unique mixture of music: reggae punk. Despite being the grandson of the legendary Bob Marley, he’s hell bent on striking his own path forward and leaving his mark behind. Originally from London, Ontario, Cruff’s music relies on the proposition that reggae is not a static form, that it is on a trajectory of evolution and experimentation like any other genre. After moving to Jamaica as a child, Cruff came back at the age of 17 to re-establish his roots in London where he studied at Fanshawe College. Although he never got the chance to meet his iconic grandfather, Cruff believes that Marley the elder would want him to be as different and outlandish as possible─because that’s what Bob Marley was for his generation’s crop of musicians.
Reggae concerts are often a blend of good energy, artistic flair, and the occasional soul vaulting off a speaker. Classic reggae has a slow tempo that typically embraces the steady synergy of drums, electric bass, and the electric guitar; it’s the traditional “steppers” beat. This is the starting point that Cruff’s sound riffs off of. In a collaboration with fellow reggae musician Runkus, Cruff released the dancehall track, “FALLBACK”, which was named one of Billboard’s Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks of the Month. And climbing the Top 40 Radio Chart is “PROPPA GHANDA”, one of Cruff’s biggest hits featuring multi-platinum producer and songwriter duo Banx & Ranx. With over 4.3 million global shares and a reputation of radio-ready songs, listeners are resonating with Cruff’s steady beats and tap-along lyrics.
Now based in Toronto, Cruff’s artistry relishes influences from Canadian, American, and Jamaican identities. His international profile is being honed with appearances in cultural events such as Toronto’s Caribana, Afro Carib Fest, the Tuff Gong Takeover in New York, and the LA and Toronto opening nights of the Bob Marley One Love Experience. Earlier in 2024, he made his debut at HISTORY in front of a sold-out crowd opening for Damian Marley and Stephen Marley on their Traffic Jam Tour, shared Jamaican stages with Buju Banton, Julian Marley, YG Marley and Lauryn Hill, and was named the Afro Beats Artiste of the Year at the 2023/24 Essence and Culture Awards.
In October, Cruff released his third single, “EASY!”─another collaboration with Banx & Ranx, this avant-garde single strays away from the typical heavier baseline and off-beats found in reggae. Its fast, poppish tempo incorporates elements of electronic dance music─a cocktail of high-energy rhythms, pulsating beats, and synthetic sounds. The music video, videographed through a fisheye lens, features Cruff sporting some snazzy oval eyeglasses and boogying over the mixing console. Cruff’s debut EP, WHAT HAVE I ‘DON was released back in November; in conversation with Cannopy, Cruff pauses to reflect on what he’s trying to do with his own sound.
CANNOPY x King Cruff
Punk King
CAN | Your music style blends elements of hip-hop, dancehall, reggae and funk. What does this fusion offer that one genre alone can’t?
KC ─ If there's anything that this fusion offers, it's a different take on all these different genres. Hip-hop was very much influenced by reggae and dub music, so it's kind of like bringing it back to those roots. But also I always feel like the reggae sound needs a bit of a change. We need to prove to people that it's not just the same sound that it's been for the past 20 years. And I feel like with the type of music that I make, this is me pushing the sound forward.
CAN | What does the word “punk” mean to you?
KC — I think punk, when it comes to music, is always just about going against the norm. The same is true for the type of music that I make. It can be very punkish, but it also can be aggressive and braggadocious. It can also be a bit introspective, reggae certainly has elements of that, but it doesn’t always dive deep. And I want to try and dive as deep as possible when it comes to this music, while also being clever, having that sense of humor, and being relatable as well.
CAN | You embody a blend of Canadian, American and Jamaican identities. Do you feel more aligned with one of these backgrounds?
KC — No, I don't feel more Canadian or more Jamaican. I think I've just grown up in so many different places. I used to live in the Bahamas at one point. One of the great things about this career is that I've been able to travel to different places and meet so many new people. So at this point in time, while I stand so strongly for my Jamaican roots, and I've had to learn so much Canadian culture since moving up here and embracing that side of me, I'm enjoying being in this place of taking influence from literally all different parts of the world. I have so many different friends from different cultures. And the more I learn, the more I feel like I'm growing as a human being and ultimately a creative.
CAN | You recently made your debut at HISTORY in Toronto, in front of a sold-out crowd opening for Damian Marley and Stephen Marley on their Traffic Jam Tour. Why don’t you use “Marley” in your stage name?
KC — The impact that name has had on my career is that I feel like it’s given me a bit more of a visualized path of how I want to be. When you come into this world and you’re told that your grandfather is literally a superhero, and you see all the performance clips and you hear all the interviews and people are telling you how great he was. You’re like, damn, I wish I met him. You know, because I wish I would have gotten those lessons in person. But the lessons have been so imparted on the generation that came after him. And then the generation that came after them, my generation, that I almost feel like its impact is just ingrained in me. I don’t feel the need to be like him. I almost feel like Bob would want me to be blazing this path that I'm blazing. Also, my grandma Rita, she loves The Cruff. She’s very supportive. Not using the name is not really a conscious decision or anything like that. As awesome as Solomon Marley would sound, it felt a little too on the nose. I wanted something a little bit more different. I wanted to offer a character. And that’s when I came up with the King Cruff character instead.
Canada
CAN | In the past year, you’ve been on stages in Canada, the US, and Jamaica. What kind of people typically attend your concerts?
KC — I feel like in my earlier years, when I was doing more shows by myself, it was the younger crowds who really enjoyed hip-hop because I was operating out of London, Ontario and the hip-hop scene here. But lately I feel like it's been a mix. I think it's always been young people who are very interested. They feel like their generation is being represented. And I feel like older people come through, this older lady came up and she was like, “when I was younger, I met Bob with my husband and he gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.” And now I get to meet you and I get to give you a hug. I feel like that was a crazy moment, man. Like, I'm probably going to tell that story forever because I think that was the first time I was really impacted with like, oh, this is what my presence means to the people who had experienced Bob.
CAN | Your music has garnered over 4.3M combined global streams, what does this number mean to you? Do you think this accurately represents how much people care about your music?
KC — I feel like in music, you're always playing the numbers game, right? So you have to pay attention to these things. I try my hardest not to, because I feel like sometimes that drowns out the creative process. Because it's kind of like, are you creating because you want to create? Are you creating because you want to see how many people are listening to you? So it's a blessing. I'm grateful for it. To be honest with you, I don't think I've really taken in that that's the number. It's crazy to hear it every single time. But I don't think numbers are the most important thing to me. As cliche as that sounds. You're just doing it for yourself and, you know, I guess people enjoy it too—which is always great.
CAN | Is it easier to appeal to a reggae-oriented audience in Canada rather than America?
KC — That's an interesting question. You know what, I'll be honest because I'm self-aware enough to know that I don't think I've been in front of enough American crowds to be able to give you an answer. I think there's a market for it up here in Canada. I just feel like that market isn't tapped into enough. I don't think enough resources are really put into it. I don't think reggae artists in Canada are really put on a super big pedestal. However, when Stephen and Damian Marley come up here, that show is selling out. It's very clear that people love reggae music up here. I think there just needs to be ... I don't know whether it's easier access or more resources put into the genre, but something because the people in Canada want to hear reggae music.
Legacy
CAN | What message do you hope to convey to young Canadian-Jamaican artists looking to break into the music industry?
KC — I think my advice would be to push the sound. I generally think Canadian-Jamaicans are in one of the best positions to do that because there's so many different influences from so many different places because it's such a multicultural country. And I feel like once again, that's what reggae music needs. It needs people who are going to challenge what has been put in front of us while also respecting where we come from.
