Patoranking drops African Soldier ft. Buju Banton ahead of new album

The roots reggae-influenced track sees Patoranking returning to the musical influences that shaped his early career, combining reggae and dancehall elements with Afrobeats. The song focuses on themes of African pride, unity and the global rise of Black culture.

Produced by Jamaican producer Jazzwad, who has previously worked with artists such as Bounty Killer, Popcaan and Damian Marley, the track features live instrumentation recorded by session musicians from Jamaica. The production includes drums, bass, keys, guitar and a horn section. The final mix was handled by Grammy-winning audio engineer Bonzai, known for work with Mariah Carey, Nas and Chronixx.

An accompanying music video directed by Nigerian filmmaker UAX, who has worked with Tyla, Rema and Tems, was filmed in New York City.

“While working on my album, the goal for me was to go back to the music that inspired me,” Patoranking said. “The sounds I grew up on, and reggae has been that core for me. My breakthrough single ‘Alubarika’ was a good reference to this fact, so was my last release ‘No Jonze’.”

He added: “Throughout my journey as an artist, reggae and dancehall blended with Afrobeats has been my primary sound. So ‘African Soldier’ is just that intentionally curated root reggae song that serves as a reminder of who we are, the power we possess as Africans and black people all across the globe. And having the legendary Buju Banton… to be a part of this record just complements the entire message this song seeks to convey.”

Patoranking, who was born and raised in Lagos, gained international recognition with songs such as Alubarika, My Woman My Everything and Babylon. His catalogue has accumulated more than two billion global streams, with projects including God Over Everything (2016) and World Best (2023) achieving chart success.

Beyond music, Patoranking runs the Patoranking Foundation, which provides scholarships and youth development programmes, and serves as a Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa for the United Nations Development Programme.

‘African Soldier’ is now available on major streaming platforms.