Kabaka Pyramid

Keron Salmon, known professionally as Kabaka Pyramid, was born on April 19, 1985. His musical journey began in the late 1990s in Kingston, Jamaica, where he wrote lyrics, rapped, and experimented with beat-making and sampling in his family’s living room. After completing high school in 2002, Salmon moved to Fort Lauderdale, where he focused on developing his hip-hop skills. During this period, he adopted the stage name Kabaka Pyramid, combining the Ugandan royal title “Kabaka” with “Pyramid,” symbolizing his Rastafarian connection to Africa and interest in preserved knowledge. His early mixtapes focused primarily on rap.

Around 2007, Kabaka Pyramid began to integrate reggae influences into his music, notably through his collaboration with the collective Bebble Rock. A significant turning point came in 2011 with the recording of his “Rebel Music” EP at Protoje’s home studio. His partnership with Damian Marley began in 2013, leading to their first collaboration, “Well Done.” This relationship deepened with Marley producing Kabaka Pyramid’s 2018 album “Kontraband,” a joint release with Bebble Rock Music and Ghetto Youths International. Marley further contributed to Kabaka Pyramid’s 2022 album “The Kalling,” which was entirely recorded at Marley’s Miami studio. “The Kalling” notably earned Kabaka Pyramid a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2023.

Throughout his career, Kabaka Pyramid has performed at major international music festivals, including Reggae on the River, Hellshire, Rebel Salute, Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, Rototom Sunsplash, Musa, SummerJam, Reggae Sumfest, Reggae Sundance, Reggae Sun Ska Festival, and BoomTown. He has also undertaken extensive multi-city club tours and supported Damian Marley’s 30-show “Stony Hill” tour in the United States. His discography includes significant releases such as the “Accurate” mixtape with Major Lazer and Walshy Fire, the Billboard top 10 charting “Lead the Way” EP, and numerous singles like “Never Gonna Be A Slave,” “No Capitalist,” “Mi Alright” with Chronixx, and “Well Done.”