Portland’s music community got a jolt of good news when the Recording Academy unveiled its 67ᵗʰ-Grammy nominations: Evolution by The Wailers featuring Mykal Rose is up for Best Reggae Album, with Portland local William Moseley, better known as producer-performer Lucian Knight, listed in the credits. The nod marks yet another appearance for Knight on music’s biggest scorecard, cementing a résumé that already spans several previous nominees and winners.
A Stacked Category
The reggae field this year is a snapshot of the genre’s entire spectrum. Alongside Evolution are Collie Buddz’s roots-bright Take It Easy, Shenseea’s glossy dancehall-pop hybrid Never Gets Late Here, Vybz Kartel’s hard-edged Party With Me, and the eventual winner, Bob Marley: One Love, a deluxe soundtrack that blends newly remastered classics with contemporary remixes. Kartel’s entry is especially noteworthy: recorded largely while the deejay remains incarcerated, the eight-track project clocks in at a lean 21 minutes, powered by riddims that bounce between late-night club swagger and the social commentary that first put him on Jamaica’s musical map.
Inside Evolution
Released on 30 August 2024, the twelve-song, 40-minute LP threads vintage one-drop grooves through sleek, radio-ready production from Grammy mainstay Emilio Estefan Jr. Heavyweight guests pop up throughout, Marcia Griffiths on “Give It Up,” Gramps Morgan on “Holding On,” Emily Estefan on “Love Without Pain,” plus multiple turns from Mykal Rose himself. Critics have praised the balance of dub warmth and modern punch: Rolling Stone Jamaica called it “the rare reggae album that honors the past without sounding like a museum piece,” while ReggaeVibes hailed it as “a masterclass in modern roots, urgent, melodic, and impossible to ignore.”
Fans latched on fast. Playlists filled up, Caribbean radio spun the singles on repeat, and the album’s tight runtime meant no filler; even casual listeners could drop the needle anywhere and find a hook. By the time Grammy ballots went out, Evolution had already convinced both crowd-pleasers and tastemakers that roots can still grow in new directions.
Portland in Stereo
Knight’s latest accolade lands in a city already humming. Jazz trios riff in Alberta-Street lounges, punk outfits shake east-side basements, and singer-songwriters swap sets at Mississippi-Avenue cafés. Big-room stages such as the Crystal Ballroom pair touring headliners with hometown openers, while DIY festivals like PDX Pop Now! keep the scene’s pipeline fresh. In that context, a Grammy nod feels less like an outlier and more like proof that the 503 continues to punch well above its weight.
“A trophy is great, but what really matters is the community that cheered you on long before there was a stage. Everything I do circles back to them.” — William Moseley (a.k.a. Lucian Knight)
