Tarrus Riley

Second generation reggae star Tarrus Riley was born Omar Riley on April 27, 1979 in Bronk, New York. The son of Jimmy Riley, Tarrus Riley was brought up in Kingston Jamaica where he absorbed the traditional reggae music and became an adherent of Rastafarianism. He began working as a DJ, adopting Tarrus as a stage name at that time, and became proficient enough on keyboards and drums that he began composing his own songs. His debut album, 2004’s Challenges established his ability to stay true to Reggae’s roots while still incorporating modern sounds. His follow-up, 2006’s Parables would give him a huge success with “She’s Royal”, a track that won him the 2008 Reggae Academy Awards for both Best Reggae Song and Most Popular Song. 2009’s Contagious spun off more hits, and in 2010 his single “Protect the People” went to number 1 in Jamaica. He toured Europe consistently, often plying reggae festivals, and issued albums like 2012’s Mecoustic and 2013’s To the Limit. Though he would release numerous successful singles in the years following 2014’s Love Situation, he would not put out another LP until 2020’s Healing which included the single “Lighter”.

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