Over the past few years, Iotosh Poyser has made a name for himself as a songwriter for artists like Koffee ('Gifted'), Protoje ('Third Time's The Charm'), Jesse Royal ('Royal'), Kabaka Pyramid, Chronixx, and more. Now, with his 8-track 'For The People' EP, Iotosh steps into the spotlight as a solo artist.
By Jah Rebel
Iotosh is the son of Vivian ‘Ragnam’ Poyser, remembered for his work with the late Fatis Burrell’s Xterminator label, and Canadian TV producer and music journalist Michele Geister. Raised in a musically rich environment, Iotoshs passion for music blossomed at an early age and was given a boost when his mother gifted him a Casio keyboard at the age of nine, sparking his experimentation with sound.
For this project, Iotosh enlisted the expertise of seasoned sound engineers like Fumiaki ‘Superman’ Ogata and Xavier ‘Lek’ Farre. Renowned multi-instrumentalist Okiel McIntyre also contributes trumpet, valve trombone, and guitar. Yet, most impressively, Iotosh played nearly all the instruments on the record himself.
He also invited two vocal collaborators: Protoje, who features on closing track ‘Fill My Cup’, and the up-and-coming Kyraxx, who lends his hip-hop flair to ‘What’s The Pree?’, the latter a partnership stemming from their co-founded Sound Ting label.
Standout tracks include opener and title track ‘The Cure (For The People)’ and ‘Once Upon A Time’, but the entire EP serves as a remarkable and highly enjoyable debut statement from Iotosh.
Founder alongside Jah Shakespear who transitioned to this role in late 2014. Previously worked as critic and reporter, balancing passions for music and Haile Selassie spirituality.
December 31, 2024