Today, fast-rising visionary artist King Cruff drops the hip-hop and reggae-infused banger “BUNCH” via Tuff Gong Collective.
Produced by 2X GRAMMY winner and 12X GRAMMY nominee !llmind and Don Mills (J. Cole, Giveon, Juice WRLD), “BUNCH” is an immediate earworm, punching through the speakers with heavy vibrating bass, infectious rhythmic drums, and King Cruff’s signature rapid bars.
When writing the lyrics for “BUNCH”, King Cruff was inspired by the wit often found in dancehall music. “I’m very much in my hip-hop bag on ‘BUNCH’ but I also wanted to bring a sarcastic sense of humour to the lyrics like earlier dancehall songs I remember listening to,” says King Cruff. “But as funny as the song is, it’s actually talking about being faithful to your partner. ‘Stand at attention when I stand up for my queen’ is talking about being there and being present for your partner and ‘Don’t you know Jamaican men do not cheat’ serves as a reminder that Jamaican men are the original ‘lover mans.’”
“BUNCH” follows the release of King Cruff’s debut EP WHAT HAVE I ‘DON, a collection of genre-blending innovative soundscapes and poetic lyricism. Released in November of 2024, the project features collaborations with Skip Marley, Stonebwoy, Jag.Huligin, and Solo YT, and production by Banx & Ranx, Tessellated, !llmind, Don Mills, Circa Eleven, Natural High Music, A.J. Mills, Pops, Lowner and OLivR.
2025 is shaping up to be a momentous year for King Cruff. This past March, after playing multiple shows at SXSW, King Cruff’s artistry was recognized by the Canadian music industry when his single “FALLBACK” featuring Runkus earned him his first JUNO Award nomination for Reggae Recording of the Year. Following recent performances at Departure Festival and Cali Vibes Festival in California, King Cruff returned to the venue that hosted his first ever headlining show, the Drake Underground, for an energetic NXNE set this week. Up next, King Cruff is slated to perform at additional festivals in the US and Canada this summer including Festival d’été de Québec, Breaking Sound in Brooklyn, Sommo Festival in Prince Edward Island, and opening for the legendary GRAMMY-winning band The Roots at Backyard Music Festival in Victoria, BC.
Canadian-Jamaican artist King Cruff (Solomon Marley-Spence) was born with the talents of songwriting and performance in his blood. An introspective storyteller, he sees his songs as think pieces that embody the poetic lyricism, vibrant rhythms, and innovative soundscapes that define his artistry. Drawing on his audio engineering background, the versatile King Cruff fuses genres across the diaspora including hip-hop, Afrobeats, dancehall, and reggae.
While reggae royalty is in his blood, King Cruff’s rapid flow and patois-laced lyrical style reveals the influence hip-hop lyricists such as André 3000 and Kendrick Lamar have had on him choosing to carve his own path and building his own legacy.
Following two consecutive Top 40 radio hits in Canada, “Soufflé” and “PROPPA GHANDA”, King Cruff released his debut EP WHAT HAVE I ‘DON to critical acclaim, landing multiple ‘Best Of’ lists and receiving the 2025 JUNO Award Nomination for Reggae Recording of the Year.
Canadian-Jamaican artist King Cruff (Solomon Marley-Spence) was born with the talents of songwriting and performance in his blood. An introspective storyteller, he sees his songs as think pieces that embody the poetic lyricism, vibrant rhythms, and innovative soundscapes that define his artistry. Drawing on his audio engineering background, the versatile King Cruff fuses genres across the diaspora including hip-hop, Afrobeats, dancehall, and reggae.
While reggae royalty is in his blood, King Cruff’s rapid flow and patois-laced lyrical style reveals the influence hip-hop lyricists such as André 3000 and Kendrick Lamar have had on him choosing to carve his own path and building his own legacy.
Following two consecutive Top 40 radio hits in Canada, “Soufflé” and “PROPPA GHANDA”, King Cruff released his debut EP WHAT HAVE I ‘DON to critical acclaim, landing multiple ‘Best Of’ lists and receiving the 2025 JUNO Award Nomination for Reggae Recording of the Year.
A natural-born performer, 27-year-old King Cruff has spent the past two years on stages in Jamaica, the US, and Canada opening for Stonebwoy, DillonPonders, and Damien and Stephen Marley, performing alongside Skip Marley at the Tuff Gong Takeover in New York, playing multiple festivals including SXSW, NXNE, and Cali Vibes Festival, and for cultural events such as Toronto’s Caribana, School Night, Skratch Bastid’s BBQ in both Toronto and Jamaica, Afro Carib Fest, and at the LA and Toronto opening nights of the Bob Marley One Love Experience. Uniting his love for hip-hop, reggae, dancehall, and funk, King Cruff’s captivating performances and innovative sound has solidified him as a visionary artist to watch.