With a new single and the Bantu Knot Tour on the way, King Cruff is proving that reggae’s evolution starts with authenticity.
Fresh off a Juno nomination and gearing up for his first headlining tour, King Cruff is in motion—both musically and spiritually. The Kingston-born, London, Ontario–raised artist has spent the past few years carving out his own lane, blending reggae, hip-hop, and alt-inspired sounds into something that feels both rooted and revolutionary. Now, as he prepares to hit the road for the Bantu Knot Tour this November, Cruff is doubling down on authenticity, humor, and heart.
His latest single, “Bunch,” is a perfect example. “The inspiration came from moving away from Jamaica and realizing that Jamaican men have this reputation of being… let’s say, promiscuous,” he laughs. “I wanted to take a satirical look at that. The main point of the song is about being loyal to your girl—standing firm in your relationship. But it’s wrapped up in this humorous take on how people see Jamaican men.”
“Jamaican music used to have a sense of humor. You don’t see that too much anymore. I wanted to bring that back.” -King Cruff
COVER STORY | NOVEMBER
Cruff sees humor as not just part of his personality, but as an essential ingredient missing in today’s reggae. “Jamaican music used to have a sense of humor,” he says. “You don’t see that too much anymore. I wanted to bring that back.”
While “Bunch” sets the tone, Cruff’s not slowing down. He teases his next single, “6 MILLY,” dropping on November 7, just before the tour kicks off. “We’re just heating up the streets before we take the road,” he grins. After that, as the winter months settle in, he plans to shift gears toward new material: “Once December hits and it gets cold, that’s when we lock in and start working on the next project.”
“Before I go into a project, I think about the overall message and story I want to tell. Each song fits into that concept.”
Building His Sound
Ask King Cruff how he decides on a musical direction, and he’ll tell you it starts with a story. “Before I go into a project, I think about the overall message and story I want to tell,” he explains. “Each song fits into that concept. My music will always have nods to reggae and dancehall because that’s what I grew up on—but I’m always asking myself, ‘How can I flip this? How can I make it something people haven’t heard before?’”
That balance between tradition and innovation has earned him recognition. Earlier this year, Cruff received a Juno nomination for Reggae Recording of the Year—a milestone that he describes as both humbling and motivating. “It felt really good,” he says. “It’s like the industry saying, ‘You’ve put in the work, now you’re part of this special circle.’ It feels amazing to represent reggae music in Canada. The community might be small, but I’ve made it my mission to bring modern, contemporary reggae to the forefront.”
“I’ve been in Canada for 11 years now, and it’s such a melting pot. I’ve been exposed to so many different types of music through friends from all kinds of backgrounds. That makes me experiment more, and when I release something, it always lands somewhere—someone feels represented.”
The Bantu Knot Tour
That mission continues this fall as Cruff embarks on the Bantu Knot Tour, his first as a headliner. “I’m really excited for the Toronto show,” he says with a knowing smile. “That’s the big one, and I’ve got something special planned for it. I can’t spoil the surprise, but people are gonna walk away saying, ‘Yo, I didn’t know it was gonna look like this.’”
The tour will hit multiple Canadian cities, including Montreal—close enough, he jokes, for Ottawa fans to make the trip.
Performing on stage is nothing new to Cruff. Last year, he toured alongside his uncles Stephen and Damian Marley as part of the Traffic Jam Tour, an experience he describes as surreal. “They remember seeing me as a kid running around backstage—and now I’m on stage with them,” he recalls. “For them to invite me on tour felt like the official stamp of approval. They’re my heroes, and I just want to live up to that legacy.”
“If you go through my discography, you’ll hear all these different pockets of Canadian subculture. But when you listen to the lyrics, you know it’s coming from a Jamaican household. That balance is what makes it special.”
Bridging Jamaica and Canada
Born in Jamaica and raised in Canada, King Cruff’s identity straddles two worlds. “I’ve been in Canada for 11 years now, and it’s such a melting pot,” he reflects. “I’ve been exposed to so many different types of music through friends from all kinds of backgrounds. That makes me experiment more, and when I release something, it always lands somewhere—someone feels represented.”
That cross-cultural mix is evident in his sound. “If you go through my discography, you’ll hear all these different pockets of Canadian subculture,” he says. “But when you listen to the lyrics, you know it’s coming from a Jamaican household. That balance is what makes it special.”
Looking Ahead
When asked where he sees himself in five years, Cruff doesn’t hesitate: “I see myself elevating not just me, but the new class of artists around me—Justice The Artist, Robin Isles, Jaguligan, Solo It, and Blvk H3ro. We all come from the Caribbean, and it’s always been about community. There’s never been a movement in the Caribbean that’s just one person—it’s always a collective effort.”
And if he could collaborate with anyone? “Andre 3000,” he says instantly. “He’s one of the guys I studied when it came to storytelling and twisting words in completely different ways. I gotta put that into the universe.”
With “Bunch” and “6 MILLY” setting the tone and the Bantu Knot Tour on the horizon, King Cruff is ready to take reggae’s next chapter worldwide—one beat, one story, and one loyal love song at a time.
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