Sheldon Shepherd sets September 18 for debut album Give Thanks

Jamaican actor, poet and cultural practitioner Sheldon Shepherd is set to release his debut album, Give Thanks, on September 18, bringing together dub poetry, reggae, dancehall and elements of Jamaica’s wider musical tradition.

The release date carries personal significance for Shepherd: September 18 is also his birthday.

Shepherd says the album continues a practice he began years ago of using his birthday as an opportunity to give something back in gratitude for the support he has received throughout his life.

“I started a thing years ago where I ‘give’ on my birthday as a way to show how grateful I have been for the support I have received in this life,” Shepherd said.

The 11-track project is produced by NoMaddic Movement and distributed by Tuff Gong International. Ten of the tracks are described as dub-poetry works, while the final track features an excerpt from an hour-long reasoning Shepherd recorded with Jamaican graphic artist Neville Garrick while preparing to portray Garrick in the Bob Marley biopic Bob Marley: One Love.

Rather than treating the album simply as a collection of songs, Shepherd approaches Give Thanks through memory, history and cultural inheritance. The material moves between dub, roots reggae and dancehall while using poetry and storytelling to examine Jamaican identity and the influences that shaped him.

The album follows the release of Shepherd’s single “Bad Boy Ratty”, which arrived on August 6. The song draws on the figure of Rhyging, the outlaw character associated with Jimmy Cliff’s performance in The Harder They Come, while using the character to question ideas surrounding crime, policing and social power.

For Shepherd, the album also represents a continuation of an artistic path that has crossed music, theatre, film and television. He is a founding member of The NoMaddz and has continued to work across Jamaica’s cultural landscape, most recently appearing in the Sky UK thriller series Possession.

But Give Thanks places his musical and poetic voice at the centre of the project.

“I don’t take the credit for this album,” Shepherd said. “It came to and through me, as opposed to from me like a conduit or vessel.”

Give Thanks is scheduled for worldwide digital and vinyl release on September 18.