Maxi Priest

Born in London in 1961 to a family of Jamaican origin, Maxi Priest made his mark in the early 1980s on the English sound system scene, notably around Saxon Studio International, and established himself as one of the defining voices of lovers rock and soul‑tinged reggae. His work blends reggae, R&B and pop, characterized by prominent melodic singing and arrangements suited both to ballads and to more danceable tempos. After notable beginnings on the London scene, he recorded You’re Safe (1985) and Intentions (1986), then a self‑titled album in 1988 that expanded his reach beyond the UK. The 1990s shaped his discography with Bonafide (1990) and Fe Real (1992), followed by Man with the Fun (1996), where his reggae takes on stronger contemporary R&B influences. Regularly active in the studio, Maxi Priest went on to record numerous collaborations and duets while continuing his solo projects, from CombiNation (1999) to 2 the Max (2005) and Refused (2012). Firmly positioned between romantic reggae and urban pop, he returned to the forefront with Easy to Love (2014), rooted in a more classic aesthetic, before releasing It All Comes Back to Love in 2019, which continues the path of an artist torn between Jamaican heritage and British culture.