Mic Inity – 4.0

Pure dancehall niceness is delivered by Mic Inity, a Zimbabwean reggae and dancehall artist based in Derby UK since 2015. At the beginning of the year 2023, he has released a new collection of tunes on his fourth studio album, aptly titled 4.0.

Although he’s not very well known among reggae and dancehall fans worldwide, true Rastafarian Mic Inity (born Mike Madamombe) is certainly no newcomer as he has twenty years of experience in music. He emerged in 2003 in Harare, Zimbabwe, when he started to perform with various groups before settling down to a 3-year stint as lead vocalist and front man of reggae outfit Transit Crew. In August 2008, he parted ways with the Transit Crew and formed the group Mic-Inity, playing what is best described as ‘cultural, lovers rock, conscious, dancehall reggae’. Three years later, in 2011, he released his first solo album called Freedom. Two years later he put out his second album Just Reggae, My Journey, which featured tunes he had recorded in Jamaica with acclaimed producer Caveman Manning, known from his work with Sizzla Kalonji. This was then followed by the 2015 album Survivor, which failed to be a very successful release. About seven years later Mic Inity is back on track with an 8-track set, which is produced by Zambian Shinko Beats.

“Truly captivating” is an appropriate way to describe the opener Step Pon It. The latter is a red hot dancehall banger from the husky-voiced artist whose vocal style utilised here is very close to top Jamaican artists like Assassin aka Agent Sasco and Buju Banton. What he basically does here is to set the stage for what you can expect to come from the rest of the tracks that follow. The riddim that underpins Dreams, is less hardcore than the riddim from the previous track. Nevertheless it worth hearing not least because Mic Inity seemingly effortless finds his flow and delivers motivational lyrical content. Next comes a strong social message Ah No Mi Dat in which the artist addresses the need to exercise resilience in an ever unpredictable world. The extremely infectious dancefloor filler Bruk Out is followed by the solid collab song with Zambian reggae and dancehall singer Millz called Go Getter. Riddimwise it brings to mind Dave Kelly’s 1997 Showtime riddim. The playful, romantic song Cele and more or less also Yuh Ah Di Boss have a different vibe and make for a nice change here. With the last track, the hard hitter Lion Roar, Mic Inity returns to the class of the opener. Wheel and come again!