{"id":5914,"date":"2026-02-16T14:48:31","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T14:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/16\/roadblock-radio-ceo-hails-keznamdi-grammy-as-giant-victory-for-reggae\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T14:48:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T14:48:31","slug":"roadblock-radio-ceo-hails-keznamdi-grammy-as-giant-victory-for-reggae","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/16\/roadblock-radio-ceo-hails-keznamdi-grammy-as-giant-victory-for-reggae\/","title":{"rendered":"RoadBlock Radio CEO hails Keznamdi GRAMMY as \u2018Giant Victory for Reggae\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
New York-based RoadBlock Radio CEO Kacy \u201cG City\u201d Rankine says \u00a0Keznamdi\u2019s GRAMMY win is \u201ca giant victory for reggae.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Rankine told Caribbean Life on Tuesday, Feb. 3, that he is elated that Keznamdi took home the GRAMMY Award for Best Reggae Album for his disc \u201cBlxxd & Fyah\u201d at the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.<\/div>\n
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Rankine joined musical stalwart Beenie Man, Chronixx, rising reggae star Lila Ik\u00e9, and Jamaica\u2019s Opposition Leader Mark Golding in applauding the cultural significance of Keznamdi\u2019s achievement.
\n\u201cThis is a giant win for reggae and for Jamaica,\u201d Rankine said. \u201cKeznamdi represents the heart of roots and cultural reggae.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThis win will extend his global reach tenfold,\u201d he added. \u201cJamaica celebrates you, RoadBlock radio respects your contribution to the music, the New York Diaspora stands tall with you, and reggae lovers everywhere feel this victory.<\/div>\n
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\u201cSecuring a victory on the same day as Reggae Month made it even more symbolic,\u201d Rankine continued. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t script a better moment. This is legacy music being recognized on the world\u2019s biggest stage.\u201d
\nRankine also saluted the strength of the Best Reggae Album field, extending respect to fellow nominees Lila Ik\u00e9, Vybz Kartel, Mortimer, and Jesse Royal.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe depth of talent in this category shows just how far reggae has traveled and how many powerful voices are shaping its future,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n
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\"Keznamdi

Keznamdi accepts the Best Reggae Album award for “BLXXD & FYAH” during the premiere ceremony of the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., Feb. 1, 2026.<\/span>REUTERS\/Daniel Cole<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Jamaican-born, New York-based entertainment publicist and RoadBlock radio host Anthony \u201cER Guru\u201d Turner also congratulated Keznamdi.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt was one of the strongest lists of GRAMMY nominees we have had in the reggae category in many years,\u201d he said. \u201cIt also came on the same night that music icons Fela Kuti, Chaka Khan, Cher, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, and Paul Simon were honored with the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award and on the same night that Lauren Hill, Chaka Khan, and others delivered big performances.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Turner also noted that Keznamdi\u2019s GRAMMY triumph came on the same night that hip-hop superstar Kendrick Lamar extended his own legacy, becoming the most awarded rapper in GRAMMY history with five wins on the night and a career total of 27 awards, surpassing Jay-Z.<\/div>\n
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\u201cKeznamdi has earned acclaim for seamlessly merging roots reggae traditions with contemporary R&B, soul, and dancehall textures,\u201d said Turner, stating that Keznamdi hails from the esteemed McDonald musical lineage and is the son of Errol and Kerida McDonald of the legendary reggae group Chakula.<\/div>\n
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\u201cInfluenced by time spent living in Tanzania and Ethiopia, Keznamdi\u2019s global upbringing has helped forge a sound that resonates across cultures,\u201d he added.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New York-based RoadBlock Radio CEO Kacy \u201cG City\u201d Rankine says \u00a0Keznamdi\u2019s GRAMMY win is \u201ca giant victory for reggae.\u201d Rankine told Caribbean Life on Tuesday, Feb. 3, that he is elated that Keznamdi took home the GRAMMY Award for Best Reggae Album for his disc \u201cBlxxd & Fyah\u201d at the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-latest-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5914\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/islandflavaradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}