Nyle Banks pleased with new EP

Reggae artiste Nyle Banks is currently promoting his ‘Born for Greatness’ EP.

Released on August 21, the entertainer said the five-track project is gaining traction from music lovers and credits the message and soulfulness of each song for its growing success.

“I have a special love for each of the tracks, and the fans are loving it. Progress and Greatness is one of my favourites because it is uplifting. We are going a different way from where the new-age youth are going because everyone a ‘bang the line’. So I am telling them that we are going the opposite way,” he said.

“We could have done it, but we do stuff like farming and still gain money from it same way, suh yuh nuh have to chop the line or do anything illegal. That is what the song is about, yuh know. It nuh make sense a do dem type a things deh and then yuh have to be looking over your shoulder because the cops dem a look for yuh,” he said.

This year, Nyle Banks has also released two albums. He said that the inspiration for the EP is drawn from just daily life.

“We have our own experience, as well as see people go through stuff. I am always recording, and Gussie Music came on board and said we should do a project; and we went in the studios and do our thing, and we are loving the result,” he said.

Another song from the EP, When Again, is a lovers’ rock song that he wrote for Jah Cure but decided to sing himself.

“The project is well put together, man, and I am using proper sentences and so on. This EP will have its listeners from one place to the next, and it just keeps getting nicer. There is one [track] named Wiser on it which gives off a Bob Andy type of vibe,” he added.

Nyle Banks, whose given name is Nicholas Levy, spent his earlier years in Cassia Park, St Andrew. Growing up, he found musical inspiration from artistes such as Burning Spear, Damian Marley and Richie Spice, but it was his brother, singer/songwriter Neu Mowatt, who became his biggest influence. At age 12, Nyle Banks began his journey to becoming a recording artiste and initially used the moniker Fyakin. By age 16, he became a member of Fifth Element Records, where he connected with Anthony Cruz, Richie Spice and Etana. He got steady rotation from songs such as Dem Nuh Real, My Lady and Journey.

After more than a decade in the business, he launched his Nyle Banks Music Group, where he did production work for entertainers such as Pressure Buss Pipe, Sizzla, Kabaka Pyramid and Lutan Fyah.