Chonixx’s EP, The Dread and Terrible, has spent 42 weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart. The EP, which was released in 2014 without the backing of a major label, peaked at number one last year, a position currently held by Protoje’s recently released effort, Ancient Future.
IN a recent interview with the leader of Chronixx’s Zinc Fence band, Elijah Ellis, and he said, “The reason why it’s so successful is because of the quality and content. It is well mastered and the lyrics are easy to catch, clean and learnable. When we go on tour, we perform all songs on the EP and we try to perform all songs as close as possible to the original. So when somebody comes to our show, it reflects what they will get on the CD. People just love Chronixx because he is a good youth,” he added.
Ellis says while staying in the top 10 for 42 weeks is a big accomplishment for Chronixx and the Zinc Fence band, credit should also be given to the other acts who have contributed to the ongoing reggae revival.
“Protoje, Chronixx, Jesse Royal, everybody …. It’s a new movement, and people are recognising positive and good music now. So we will be on the charts for even more than 42 weeks,” he said.
Some critics have outlined that the absence of major record labels from the Jamaican music industry, might have also contributed to the decline in album sales. However, Ellis believes reggae music can still sell good numbers independently, provided that the right groundwork is executed.