General Grant, ragga and soca king in Trinidad and Tobago, is back on the U.S. musical stage, striking out in a new direction with “Human,” a fusion of R&B, soca, reggae and hip-hop.
The soft beat, R&B melodies and singing style, set to some island instrumentation with a melodic rap section, is a marked difference from his days as dancehall-soca-ragga royalty.
“I wanted to take a different direction,” he said. “I could do music like that, but I wanted that calmness of the mind and that soothing kind of music that you know you can relate to. Anybody can relate to it.”
Yes, I try to do my best
and Jah will do the rest
I'm only human
I'm only human, yeah
The General has been around the world with his music. He began his career with the Caribbean Sound Basin in the mid-’80s as a toaster and DJ in Trinidad and Tobago, later expanding into reggae and hip-hop in the ’90s, including the album Mr. Energizer in 1998.
He has been, he says, in exile for a while, where he felt depressed and abandoned, having lost emotionally, professionally, romantically and materially.
“I end up having to come back to Trinidad, feeling my back against the wall.”
But out of that came “Human.”
“So, I was saying to myself I’m just a human being. I was not more than that, you know? I gotta go through stuff. The song based on really feeling how human is, sometimes feeling humility. I’m just that kind of person.”
Yes, I try to do my best
and Jah will do the rest
I'm only human
I'm only human, yeah
The dancehall is in there, of course:
Champagne – like it
Nightlife say yuh like it
How yuh like it
Tell me how yuh like it
Champagne yuh like it
Nightlife say yuh like it
But he really wanted a fusion of music, lyrics and energy.
“That form of fusion that could really cross over to different walks of life. So that the direction of the song, you know, would be like, friendly. I don’t want to go too deep, or hardcore reggae, or too hardcore dance also, the beat was kind of a fusion. I find that was kind of cool to bring a different kind of music.”
Professional exile was hard, resulting from a lot of musicians who came after him, crowding him out of his place in his music through a rush to success.
“I’ve been doing what I’ve been doing, but sometimes all the pressure behind you and a lot of negativity, you lose focus, but not all of focus you lose — you keep a focus to keep yourself above water, which means you can bounce back any time.”
So, “exile” for him meant a time to back up a bit, “dress back a little,” he said.
“Let me get me. Let me get my focus on. Let me see what’s going on, because this race is really not for those who want to be swift. A lot of people do a lot of quick stuff, but it don’t have no effect on no one. It has no endurance, but it’s all about endurance.”
General Grant was one of the first people making soca and ragga in Trinidad. He wrote and composed soca and dancehall hits like “Shot Call,” “Pure Hate” and “Chunkalunks.” He made the Billboard soca chart and collaborated with Machel Montano, Denise “Saucy Wow” Belfon, Kurt Allen, the chutney music star Sonny Man, and Farmer Nappy.
“But a lot of new cats come out with different songs, and it’s all well, good and but the bottom line, most of them didn’t stand the test of time. So at this age, in 2025, you could still come with a relevant track or song and you could still be touching, and it could still have a buzz.”
“Human” marks that turn for General Grant.
“Yeah,” he said. “This is a new direction. Put a swag in it, a rap, a fusion, a different style of music.”
What he wants to do now is get on the stage again, tour, open for other artists.
“I just want to get back on the forefront and do some music, enjoy myself with the people out there of different walks. Spread the message, you know — love is the answer. Love is the key.”
We are all human, he says. “We all are the same, no matter where we are.”
“This song, I want people to gravitate to it. I want people to love it and take it to the next level, because I think the song has a little substance. It could bring a change. It could bring a smile.”
Connect with your human. Connect to General Grant on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
AL99 (pronounced “Al nine-nine”) is an artist, producer and multi-instrumentalist on a mission to do more than just make music for people to listen to.
In the opening frame of the music video for ML Underwood’s “Still I Rise,” the camera pans across the facade of the historic ruins of City Church in Gary, Indiana. Soon, a pristine white Rolls Royce pulls up in front.
From viral TikToks, to global Top 40 charts, to the lips of the Jamaican Prime Minister in a nationally televised debate, “Dansa” has been everywhere over the past 15 months.
Hill tells us about her Blur and Prodigy-inspired new album, hitting back at Jack Whitehall for "punching down" in calling her 'Wetherspoons Whitney' and feeling inspired by "watching other pop girlies have their authentic moment"
There’s a calm assurance woven into Brian Turner’s latest single, “Come To Pass.”
A multi-instrumentalist, she brings her songs to life through vocals as well as harp, piano, guitar, and more, creating rich, layered compositions that reflect her diverse influences.
Songwriter. Performer. Inheritor of a family tradition. California-based musician Matt Axton is many things.
For about a year, Lettie Law felt she was dying. When she began to make music, her life turned around.
Advertisement
Leave a comment