An album many of you have been waiting for, Lila Iké steps into a new chapter with the release of her first full-length album, Treasure Self Love. Out via Wurl Iké Records & In.Digg.Nation Collective, under exclusive license to Ineffable Records, the 11-track project sees Lila exploring love in its many forms, romantic, spiritual, and self, while keeping her feet planted in reggae’s foundation.
The album was executive-produced by Lila alongside Protoje. Sessions took place both at Protoje’s Habitat Studio and at Kingston’s legendary Tuff Gong Studios. The result is a project that merges live Jamaican instrumentation, drums, bass, horns, and guitar, with programmed elements and international production touches and a handful of samples, giving the record a fresh, modern feel.
Treasure Self Love brings together an impressive list of collaborators. Global names, including Grammy-winner H.E.R., Brooklyn rapper/actor Joey Bada$$, and UK soul singer Maverick Sabre, appear alongside Jamaican voices Protoje and Masicka. Her sound moves between reggae, soulful R&B, and dancehall, reflecting Lila’s own broad influences while never losing its roots.
Some of the tracks pay direct homage to reggae and dancehall classics. “All Over The World” ft. Protoje comes with a video shot across six countries and nods to Rascalz’s Barrington Levy-assisted ’90s hit “Top of the World.” The dancehall-infused “Romantic” ft. Masicka is a new take on Patra’s 1994 anthem “Romantic Call.” On “Scatter,” Lila channels Peter Tosh’s “Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)” and Garnett Silk’s “Complain,” weaving their spiritual energy into her own vision.
Lila Iké frames the album with a sense of faith and resilience, citing Psalm 68:1 as a source of strength against negativity. In doing so, she not only honors the legacy of those who came before her but also strives to push the sound of Jamaican music into new spaces.
While it carries strong reggae foundations, Treasure Self Love stretches beyond the genre. It’s less a straight reggae album than a carefully crafted, soulful, hip-hop infused debut project that shows Lila’s range as an artist and her ability to shape her own sound that feels both rooted and contemporary.
