Protoje Scores Second Grammy Nomination

Protoje, one of Jamaica’s key figures in today’s musical landscape, receives his second GRAMMY nomination in the Best Reggae Album category for Third Time’s The Charm, which was released Sept 23, 2022.

protosinProtoje (Photo by Ackime Snow)Third Time’s The Charm concludes his trilogy of albums associated with time. It follows In Search of Lost Time (2020), released in partnership with Protoje’s label In.Digg.Nation Collective, Six Course and RCA Records, and his previous GRAMMY nominated A Matter of Time (2018).

“It means a lot to get the second nomination because it really validates the first one I received for A Matter Of Time. I felt more relief than excitement to be honest because I knew it wasn’t guaranteed,” Protoje says about this prestigious recognition.

“This album [Third Time’s The Charm], like its predecessor [In Search of Lost Time], is an exploration of the new sounds that are possible in modern reggae music. I feel the production and lyrics are quite unique in its presentation and it sets the stage for this decade,” he adds.

Protoje’s journey as a man, a father, and as an entrepreneur in the music industry is crystalized on Third Time’s The Charm. Recorded primarily at Protoje’s studio The Habitat, located in the hills of Kingston, Jamaica, the tight-knit 10-track set features an array of the island’s musical visionaries including featured vocalists like Samory I, Lila Iké and Jesse Royal, and producers like Iotosh,  Ziah .Push and Zion I Kings (which consists of Laurent “Tippy I” Alfred, Romaine “Teflonzincfence” Arnett and David “JAH David” Goldfine). He also enlisted the soulful British singer Jorja Smith on “Ten Cane Row.”

Protoje carries a deep affinity and vast understanding of multiple genres: from ska, to lover’s rock to reggae, he intrinsically channels his native island’s rich musical stylings stretching over a half century. Studying his palette of influences, Protoje flexes songwriting versatility and beat construction. Over the course of Protoje’s six album discography, his penchant for sampling elements from music’s foundational artists, reimagines them for new audiences abound. 1990s era hip-hop drum cadences, brooding trap basslines, and soulful choruses on Third Time’s The Charm spiral into a colorful unconventional style of his own.

Last month, Protoje concluded his headlining Lost In Time Tour with Lila Iké and Jesse Royal spanning the United States and will plan on a homecoming show in Jamaica for 2023 in support of his GRAMMY-nominated album.