If you saw legendary crooner Freddie McGregor perform at the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival in Sunrise last year, you know his music will always be timeless. Another fascinating thing to note about Di Captain is that his legacy includes a younger generation of musicians who not only love to make music, but they’re incredibly prolific with their craft.
Grammy-winning artist Daniel “Chino” McGregor is one of those prodigies whose blend of thoughtful lyrical fluidity and grace are unmistakable. As soon as you start to savor his latest work, he’s back with another project.
McGregor’s first album, Unstoppable, was released in 2007 and since then he and his brother, producer Stephen “Di Genius,” have left their own mark in the music industry independent of their famous father’s legacy. Most recently, they won the 2017 Grammy award for Best Reggae album as a result of their work on Damian Marley’s “Stony Hill.”
Chino has released a string of singles over the past few months including “Gyal Factory,” “Eternal,” “‘Nuff Style,” and “Action.” He’s also currently featured as a guest artist on Sizzla Kalonji’s “Every Nation,” along with Tarrus Riley and Dre Island.
Great Minds Think Alike
Chino spent the earlier years of his career experimenting with different sounds right in South Florida as a member of the Slip ‘n Slide Records team. It’s during that time that he picked up the nickname and it’s stuck ever since.
In 2018, he joined his father on the jerk festival stage following their tour. In fact, he spends a great deal of time back and forth between New York, South Florida and Jamaica. For 2019, in addition to tour dates, there are multiple projects on the way.
As his skills have evolved, one thing that’s constant is a focus on positivity and good vibes.
That’s a result of our musical upbringing. What we grow up seeing, what we grow up learning,” he said. “That’s why the Great Minds Think Alike album will be very important because it embodies that. I pay a lot of homage to the music that we grew up on and all the great bands that came before us.”
The GMTA, or “Great Minds Think Alike” project will be a collaborative album between the brothers that showcases just how versatile their talent truly is.
“I’m a big fan of lyricism, I like to challenge myself lyrically in creating. But I also like melodies and singing as well. I’m not very talkative naturally so I express what’s in my head and heart through my music. I’m simply sharing my thoughts, knowledge and experiences that I gained on my own or from elders, and hoping it will inspire the listeners and provoke thought. Some people can do one, some people can do the other. It’s great when you can do both.”
Great Minds Think Alike comes out mid-summer 2019. Follow @chinomcgregor on Instagram for future updates.
