She clearly took her time with it, but five years after the warmly received debut EP 'The ExPerience', Lila Iké finally delivers her much-anticipated full-length debut, 'Treasure Self Love'.
By Jah Rebel
For the album, Lila took to Tuff Gong Studios and Habitat Studio, teaming up with producers like D.K. The Punisher, Dunw3ll, Juls, Phillip ‘Winta’ James, and of course Protoje (though Iké herself firmly kept the reins in hand).
Lila knows her classics, and that’s apparent right from opener ‘Scatter’, which begins with a sample from Peter Tosh’s ‘Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)’ and closes with a nod to Garnet Silk’s ‘Complain’. Inspired by Psalm 61:1, its message is crystal clear:
May all my enemies scatter before me
Many try, but fail if they come in my way
Behold, I’m blessed, Jah-Jah cover me surely
Is a must the works haffi live out these days
May all my enemies scatter before me
Jah make me see all my enemies scatter
…
The dancehall-flavoured ‘Romantic’, a duet with Masicka, leans into nostalgia, with an intro featuring none other than ninenties dancehall queen Patra. Fittingly so, since the track itself is a reimagining of her ‘Romantic Call’. As Lila explains: “(It) is my way of paying homage to dancehall and of course the queens who made space for us, women like Patra, who taught us how to be bold, sensual, and unapologetic. I wanted to tap into that energy, which is very me anyways.”
The guestlist for ‘Treasure Self Love’ mirrors Lila’s eclectic musical palette. There’s hip-hop on ‘Fry Plantain’ with American rapper Joey Bada$$, a track that wouldn’t feel out of place in Lauryn Hill’s sonic universe. Soul comes through on ‘All That And More’, a duet with British artist Maverick Sabre. And with U.S. R&B singer Gabriela Wilson, better known as H.E.R., Iké dives into lovers rock in ‘He Loves Us Both’.
The album’s undisputed party starter is ‘All Over The World’, a duet with Protoje. After her set at Reggae Geel, Lila Iké even shot a quick promo clip for the track on Antwerp’s Grote Markt. Seasoned listeners will instantly recognize the chorus as a lift from ‘Top Of The World’ by Canadian rap crew Rascalz with k-os and Barrington Levy, a hook that also resurfaced years later in Selah Sue’s hit ‘Raggamuffin’.
Love, in its many shades, runs as a thread throughout ‘Treasure Self Love’, whether in ‘Romantic’, ‘He Loves Us Both’ or the intimate closing track ‘Love In A Lovely Way’ (once again sampling Garnet Silk, this time from ‘Place In Your Heart’). Yet the true centrepiece is ‘Serious’, ending with a spoken-word passage that neatly sums up the entire record: “My whole life I’ve searched for a feeling, one that mirrors my soul, something I could count on to heal my pain and make me whole. Today I found that treasure within myself, and it warms my heart. The purest love I know is through my own work of art. Treasure self love!”
Excellent full-length debut that firmly proves Iké is far more than a one-hit wonder!
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.
September 2, 2025