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) December 19, 1993 (age 31) Kingston, Jamaica
Genres	Dancehall, reggae
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2009–present
Labels	Autobamb Records

Earlan Bartley (born December 19, 1993), known by his stage name Alkaline, is a popular Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist from Kingston, Jamaica. He became famous for his unique style and how he presented himself to his fans. His stage name, Alkaline, represents a mix of different ideas, showing both positive and negative sides. His music style captures the true sound of dancehall, but he also adds his own special touch.

Early Life

Earlan Bartley was born in Kingston, Jamaica, at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital. 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.

Music Career

Early Days (2011–2014)

Alkaline started recording music when he was just 16 years old. Even while still in school, he made songs like "Proof" and "Mi Love Woman." These songs talked about his teenage experiences. He even filmed music videos around his school and in the streets of Jamaica with his friends.

By 2013, he began releasing many songs. He performed for the first time at the big Reggae Sumfest festival on July 25, 2013. Later that year, he worked with fellow dancehall artist Spice on a song called "Only Ting Mi Want." Alkaline also visited Limón, Costa Rica for a show in December 2013.

In 2014, Alkaline held his own concert called "Live Mi Life." He started working with popular music producers like Notnice Records and Zj Chrome. He became very well-known in Jamaica with songs such as "123," "High Suh," and "Things Mi Love." His song "Move Mountains" was especially popular. These early hits helped him perform in the Caribbean, North America, and Europe.

Big Success with New Level Unlocked (2015–2016)

In 2015, Alkaline started reaching a global audience. He released hit songs like "On Fleek (Love Yuh Everything)." He also worked with Sean Kingston on a remix of "Ride on Me." During this time, he was busy creating his first album, New Level Unlocked.

Two more hit songs, "ATM" and "Champion Boy," came out in late 2015. Both of these songs were included on his album. New Level Unlocked was released on March 25, 2016. It quickly became a huge success, reaching number one on the Billboard Reggae Charts in April. It stayed there for 18 weeks! This made him the first dancehall artist in five years to have a number one album on those charts. Billboard magazine even named New Level Unlocked one of the "10 Best Reggae Albums of 2016."

Alkaline had many other popular songs that year, including "Formula" and "My Side of The Story." His song "Champion Boy" was even used in a TV ad for the Red Stripe Premier League, a football league in Jamaica. He also started a clothing line called Detta Gear for his fans, who he calls "Vendetta."

New Rules Era (2017–2018)

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

Alkaline was seen as one of the most exciting young artists in dancehall. For a while, he spent more time performing internationally and less in Jamaica. Some people in Jamaica thought he had forgotten his home country.

To show his fans he hadn't forgotten them, Alkaline created his own music festival called New Rules Festival. The first one was held in Jamaica on March 25, 2017. It quickly became one of the most anticipated shows of the year. Many other famous artists like Mavado and Shaggy performed there. The festival had a huge crowd, and many people said it was one of the greatest dancehall shows ever.

In July of that year, Alkaline returned to Reggae Sumfest, a major Jamaican music festival, after not performing there since 2014. He was one of the main performers and even featured the legendary musician Dean Fraser.

Alkaline also promoted a Caribbean concert in New York on FOX 5 News in August 2018. He was the main performer at this concert, which took place at Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park. On September 8, 2018, he brought his second New Rules show to Queens, New York.

Recent Years and Top Prize (2019–Present)

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

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. After its first week, Top Prize reached number 2 on Billboard’s Reggae Albums Charts. It also appeared on other Billboard charts, showing his growing popularity.

Alkaline continued his New Rules Festival in 2022. He headlined his third festival in Miami, Florida, on March 27, 2022. Other artists like Mavado and Kranium also performed.

His music was featured in the Givenchy Men’s Spring Summer 2023 fashion show in Paris, France, on June 22, 2022. This was a big moment for his music in the fashion world. Later that year, on July 2, 2022, he brought his New Rules Festival back to Kingston, Jamaica.

Alkaline released his fifth EP (a shorter album) called The Ripple EFFX on December 9, 2022. This EP later won "EP of the Year" at the first Caribbean Music Awards in August 2023.

In 2023, Alkaline became the face of Givenchy's Spring-Summer 2023 men’s global advertising campaign. He wore their latest collection in photos taken by fashion designer Matthew M. Williams. This was a major step for him in the fashion industry. The New Rules Festival also returned to New York on September 3, 2023, with many other artists performing.

Philanthropy

Alkaline has also used his success to help others.

• In May 2014, he donated $200,000 JMD to two young women in Jamaica who were battling cancer. This money helped them with their medical 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 his New Rules Festival in Kingston.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Awards and Nominations

Alkaline has received many awards and nominations for his music.