King Cruff On Signing To UMC & Tuff Gong, His New Single “Samurai Chop” & More

Today, Universal Music Canada — Canada’s leading music company — and Tuff Gong Collective officially announced the signing of Canadian-Jamaican MC and lyricist King Cruff. A captivating performer and introspective songwriter who writes with intention, King Cruff was born with talent in his blood. Reared on undisputed legends like reggae singer Beres Hammond, the Kingston, Jamaica-raised Solomon Marley-Spence (King Cruff) has reggae in his DNA, but the list of his contemporary favorite artists includes Kendrick Lamar, Chronixx, André 3000 and the recently-departed MF Doom.

As his name suggests, King Cruff is drawn to the theme of duality. Cruff plays with these layers in his music, juxtaposing vibrant rhythms and tempos with lyrics that have narrative depth woven within his intricate bars and smooth cadence. The 25-year-old Toronto-based artist has launched his UMC/Tuff Gong Collective recording career with the release of the vibrant, infectious single “Samurai Chop.”

Following his stellar performance at School Night to a full capacity crowd last month, King Cruff — who took home the Forest City London Music Award for Best Hip Hop Artist this year — will be taking his dynamic live show to select stages this year. Meanwhile, Cruff is currently recording his debut project with Universal Music Canada/Tuff Gong Collective, as currently set to be released in 2023.

On October 28, 2022, I had the pleasure of speaking with King Cruff via Zoom, which YOU CAN WATCH HERE. Besides “Samurai Chop,” we talked about his signing to UMC/Tuff Gong Collective, his move to Canada as a teen, career goals and musical influences. More on Cruff can be found here and here.

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Tags: Bob Marley, Canada, King Cruff, London, Ontario, reggae, Solomon Marley-Spence, TUFF GONG, universal music

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."