Alkaline (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alkaline
Alkaline in 2022
Background information
Birth name	Earlan Bartley
Also known as	Young Lawd Vendetta Boss ManHimselff
Born	(1993-12-19) 19 December 1993 (age 31) Kingston, Jamaica
Genres	Dancehall, reggae
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2009–present
Labels	Autobamb Records

Earlan Bartley (born on December 19, 1993), known as Alkaline, is a Jamaican dancehall and reggae musician. He comes from Kingston, Jamaica. Alkaline became known for his unique style and how he presented himself to his fans. His stage name, Alkaline, shows how he likes to mix different ideas, like positive and negative. His music captures the true sound of dancehall while adding his own special touch.

Early Life and Music Dreams

Earlan Bartley was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He went to Ardenne High School and later studied Media and Communication at the University of the West Indies. While he was in high school, he started to really love music. With help from his friends, he would visit local recording studios after school whenever he could.

Alkaline's Music Journey

Starting Out (2011–2014)

Alkaline began recording songs when he was 16 years old. He used the stage name Alkaline. Even while still in school, he made songs like "Proof" and "Mi Love Woman." He also created music videos with his friends around his school and in the streets of Jamaica. These early songs talked about his experiences as a teenager.

By 2013, he started releasing many songs with Cahban Rekords. He performed for the first time at Reggae Sumfest on July 25, 2013. In September that year, he worked with dancehall artist Spice on a song called "Only Ting Mi Want." Alkaline finished 2013 with a show in Limón, Costa Rica.

In 2014, Alkaline started the year with his "Live Mi Life" concert in Constant Spring, Jamaica. He then worked with popular music producers like Notnice Records and UIM Records. He became very popular in Jamaica with songs like "123" and "Things Mi Love." His song "Move Mountains" was especially well-known. These early songs helped him perform in many places, including the Caribbean, North America, and Europe.

Big Success with New Level Unlocked (2015–2016)

In 2015, Alkaline started reaching a global audience with his hit songs "On Fleek (Love Yuh Everything)" and "Ride on Me (Remix)," which featured Sean Kingston. He was also busy working on his first album, New Level Unlocked.

He released two more popular songs that year: "ATM" and "Champion Boy." Both of these songs were on his New Level Unlocked album. The album came out on March 25, 2016. It quickly reached the top of the Billboard Reggae Charts in April and stayed there for 18 weeks. This made him the first dancehall artist in five years to have a number one album on those charts. New Level Unlocked was also named one of the "10 Best Reggae Albums of 2016" by Billboard.

Alkaline had many other hit songs in 2016, including "Formula" and "My Side of The Story." In September 2016, he was nominated for a MOBO Award for Best Reggae Act. His song "Champion Boy" was even used in an advertisement for the Red Stripe Premier League. Alkaline also launched a clothing line called Detta Gear for his fans, who he calls "Vendetta." He was also featured on a remix of Shaggy's song "That Love."

New Rules Events (2017–2018)

Alkaline performing at Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay, Jamaica in 2017

Alkaline was seen as one of the most exciting new artists in dancehall. For a while, he spent more time performing internationally and less in Jamaica. Some people thought he was forgetting his home country because he hadn't performed there in a long time.

To show his dedication to Jamaica, Alkaline created his own show called New Rules Festival. The first one was held on March 25, 2017, in Kingston. It quickly became one of the most anticipated shows of the year. Many artists like Mavado and Shaggy performed. The show had a huge turnout, and many people said it was one of the greatest dancehall shows ever.

In July of that year, Alkaline returned to Reggae Sumfest, a big annual show in Jamaica. He hadn't performed there since 2014, so his return was a big deal. He was one of the main performers and even featured the famous musician Dean Fraser.

On August 10, 2018, Alkaline appeared on FOX 5 News in New York. He was promoting a Caribbean concert where he was the main performer. The concert took place on August 12, 2018, at Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park in Jackson, New Jersey. On September 8, 2018, Alkaline brought his second New Rules show to Queens, New York.

New Albums and Festivals (2019–2022)

In December 2019, Alkaline's song "With the Thing" was featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto V on the "iFruit Radio" soundtrack. He also performed at the Afro Nation festival in Accra, Ghana.

On February 12, 2021, Alkaline announced his second album, Top Prize. He was the first Jamaican dancehall artist to be featured on Audiomack's Fine Tuned series. The album was released on May 14, 2021, with the song "Ocean Wave" as the first single. In its first week, the album reached No. 2 on the Billboard Reggae Albums Charts. It also appeared on other Billboard charts, helping him get a spot on Billboard's Emerging Artists list.

On March 27, 2022, Alkaline held his third New Rules Festival in Miami, Florida. Artists like Mavado and Kranium performed there.

On June 22, 2022, Alkaline's music was featured in Givenchy's Men's Spring Summer 2023 fashion show in Paris, France. Later that year, on July 2, 2022, Alkaline brought his New Rules Festival back to Kingston, Jamaica. Many artists, including Macka Diamond and Skeng, performed.

His fifth EP, The Ripple EFFX, was released on December 9, 2022. It won EP of the Year at the first Caribbean Music Awards on August 31, 2023.

Recent Activities (2023–Present)

Alkaline performing in 2025 at Wembley Arena in the United Kingdom, London

On January 9, 2023, Alkaline became part of Givenchy's global advertising campaign for their men's spring-summer 2023 collection. He was the face of the campaign, wearing their latest designs.

The fifth New Rules Festival took place in Mount Vernon, New York, on September 3, 2023. It featured performances by Mavado and Charly Black.

Alkaline performed in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 30, 2025. There, he received an award from Liz Miranda, a representative of the State Senate. The award honored his contributions to Jamaican music and his global influence in the Dancehall genre.

After an eight-year break, Alkaline held the sixth New Rules Festival in London, United Kingdom, on April 17, 2025. This was the first time the festival was held in the UK, at Wembley Arena. Young dancehall artists like Rajahwild and Armanii performed, along with a surprise appearance by the group WSTRN.

The seventh New Rules Festival made its debut in Toronto, Canada, on June 21, 2025, at the Rebel Entertainment complex. The eighth New Rules Festival returned to Jamaica for the third time on July 5, 2025, at the Trelawny Multi-purpose stadium in Trelawny Parish.

Giving Back to the Community

Alkaline has also been involved in helping his community.

• In May 2014, he donated 200,000 JMD to two young women in Jamaica who were battling cancer. This money helped them with their treatments.
• In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Alkaline and his New Era Productions team donated cleaning supplies and disinfectants to the Maxfield Park Children's Home in Kingston, Jamaica.
• On June 23, 2022, Alkaline and New Era Productions donated 1 million JMD to the Jamaica Society for the Blind. This donation was made at the launch event for the second New Rules Festival in Kingston, Jamaica.
• On June 24, 2025, Alkaline and his New Era Production team worked with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. They created a workshop with the Jamaica 4-H Clubs in Trelawny Parish. The goal was to encourage more young people to get involved in agriculture.

Music Releases

Albums

Mixtapes

EPs

Songs Featuring Alkaline

Songs by Alkaline as Lead Artist

Awards and Nominations

Alkaline has received several awards and nominations for his music.