Ras Kimono is back home, after a four-year sojourn in the US. And, it doesn‘t look like he‘s pleased with all the ‘hip hop’ music dominating the scene. The nineties star told e-Punch during the week he‘s determined to bring reggae back.

Kimono returned home last month, armed with his new album, and a determination to find favour with Nigerian music fans again. The reggae star, who ruled the scene in the late eighties and nineties with hits like Rumba style, Natty get jail, What a gwan and Under pressure, has had his star dim in recent years, since he moved over to the United States with his wife, Cybil.

“Music business was nose-diving; the economic situation was bad and it was affecting music. We were not finding it easy, so I went away to redefine myself and develop my music‘‘, Kimono says of the circumstances that necessitated his departure; adding that ‘‘he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.”

“I was on a long sabbatical, so to speak. And now, I‘m ready and back. When you listen to my new album, you’ll know whether I‘m a flash in the pan, or I‘m here to stay.”

Indeed, other runaway musicians had made attempts to come back and reconnect with fans. But out of the many that have embarked on homecoming projects, only rapper, Weird MC has been lucky to pick up her career where she hung it. Orlando Julius, Jide Chord, Victor Essiet, Majek Fashek and several others have all found it hard to grab fans attention again, even though there‘s evidence they’ve still got incredible talent.

So it‘s not surprising that Kimono is keeping his fingers crossed, hoping fans will like his new materials. Most of the songs that‘ll make the new album were produced by Kimono and his colleague, Alex Zitto at Zitto’s Studios in Minnesota. And, from a quick listen, what‘s coming from Ras Kimono is pure reggae music – spiced up by a couple of sections that were absent in his past albums.