Kabaka Pyramid

Keron Salmon (born April 19, 1985), professionally known as Kabaka Pyramid, is a Jamaican reggae artist from Kingston whose music blends roots reggae, dancehall, and hip-hop. Influenced by lyric-driven rappers like Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan as well as roots reggae icons such as Peter Tosh, Kabaka Pyramid is known for conscious, message-driven music that bridges traditional reggae and modern rap aesthetics. He began his musical journey in the late 1990s while attending high school in the Hope Pastures area of Kingston, writing lyrics, rapping, and experimenting with beat-making alongside friends. Using his family’s living room as a makeshift studio, he honed his craft before relocating to Fort Lauderdale in 2002, where he focused more heavily on hip-hop. It was during this period that he adopted the name Kabaka Pyramid, symbolizing African royalty, ancient knowledge, and Rastafarian philosophy. By the mid-2000s, Kabaka Pyramid started leaning more deliberately into reggae, especially through collaborations with the Bebble Rock collective. A major breakthrough came in 2011 with the Rebel Music EP, recorded at Protoje’s home studio. His career expanded significantly after forming a close creative partnership with Damian Marley, who produced Kabaka’s Kontraband album in 2018 and played a key role in his 2022 album The Kalling. Kabaka Pyramid has since become a prominent international performer, appearing at major reggae festivals such as Summerjam and Rototom Sunsplash.