Kingston, Jamaica — A thunderous bass line, a rally-cry chorus, and a title that nods to boxing royalty—those ingredients have catapulted emerging dancehall voice D Blackz onto the playlists of street dances and taxi radios alike. His new track “Muhammad Ali” is circulating with the momentum of a knockout punch, energizing listeners from McGregor Gully to Maxfield Avenue.
“I wanted something that reminds people they’ve got fight in them, even when life feels like twelve rounds in the ring,”
the deejay, born Oshane Spaulding, told us after a late-night video shoot on Mannings Hill Road.
“Ali never backed down—why should we?”
The freshly wrapped video—shot along the gritty corridors of McGregor Gully (Gullyside)—captures D Blackz shadow-boxing between zinc fences, flanked by neighborhood supporters chanting every lyric. It’s his biggest visual production yet and, judging by the early YouTube comments, a career milestone.
From Street Dancer to Mic Controller
Raised on Maxfield Avenue, Spaulding relocated to London at 13, where he attended Geoffrey Chaucer College and first carved out a reputation—not behind a microphone, but on the pavement. Back then he was “Dancer Blackz,” the kid who attracted a following simply by spinning and gliding through after-school block parties. Studio sessions soon replaced street cyphers, and the moniker morphed into D Blackz, reflecting a shift from choreography to lyricism.
His debut recording, “My Life” (2010), chronicled the pressure of inner-city youth and the relentless work ethic of his single mother, whom he still cites as his chief inspiration. “Mum was strict, but that hustle spirit I got straight from her,” he said.
A Hybrid Sound for the Global Stage
D Blackz’s sonic palette mixes dancehall drum patterns with reggae undertones and the terse edge of UK grime—a blend he says mirrors his split upbringing. Onstage, “D Blackz” is brash and unfiltered; offstage, Oshane stays reserved. “It’s a dual vibe,” he explained. “One side of me is calm, the other is the megaphone for kids who dream big but don’t yet see the map.”
What’s Next
With UK club dates in the works and interest brewing across the Caribbean, the deejay is compiling tracks for an upcoming EP that will “flesh out the whole journey,” from Kingston lanes to London estates. If “Muhammad Ali” is any indication, the project promises raw testimony laced with the defiant optimism of a champion who refuses to stay on the ropes.
For now, the streets keep the record on repeat—each replay a reminder that, sometimes, inspiration arrives in three minutes of bass, snare, and an unwavering belief in self.
