Photo Diary: Dancehall Star I-Octane In Gambia

I-Octane, the Jamaican dancehall star behind hits like "Happy Time" and "Lose A Friend," recently embarked on his first trip to Gambia, where he performed a concert at Banjul's National Stadium and collaborated with Gambian rapper T. Smallz on "Fire Dancer," a track which will be the subject of a forthcoming remix EP on KickRaux & Future Dancehall Records.

"This was my first trip to Africa," I-Octane explains in an exclusive with LargeUp. "I was looking forward to experiencing it for myself because I’ve always heard people talk about going back to their roots. My only knowledge of it was what I saw on TV, in books and what I’d hear, but I wanted to have my own experience. It was finally my time."

"It was a blessing to start with Gambia. I found it to be a lot like Jamaica. It was a spiritual elevation that has heightened my sense of purpose. The way I was embraced there, I feel Gambia will always be a part of me. I have to big up T. Smallz and the Katato team— A dem seh, Conquer the Globe! I’m hoping to go to other countries soon, places like Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Kenya. Our team is working towards doing a tour of the full continent in the near future."

Stream I-Octane and T. Smallz' "Fire Dancer," plus our Okayafrica and LargeUp joint premiere of producer Kush Arora's "Fire Dancer" remix, which takes the dancehall-meets-Gambian hip-hop style of original into bhangra reggae territory, below.

Scroll through selections from I-Octane's photo tour diary above and view the complete gallery over at LargeUp.