Mr G (Chad Simpson) released the I Shall Be Released riddim juggling on 18 September 2026 through his Young Blood Records label. The nine-track digital set places veterans and younger voices on one refreshed foundation — a line-up the producer told The Gleaner (15 October) spans “three generations.” Press Play all above for the official YouTube uploads in the I Shall Be Released Riddim album page, or scroll to the in-article player below.

The musical thread runs deep. Bob Dylan wrote “I Shall Be Released” in 1967; the Heptones cut their rocksteady-reggae version for Clement “Coxsone” Dodd at Studio One in 1969 — one of the island’s enduring Dylan covers. Mr G told The Gleaner it was “always one of my favourite songs.” Artiste Buccaneer had suggested remaking the riddim after their Helicopter juggling the previous year; they eventually voiced a different collab, but Simpson kept the project alive. “Everything in me was telling me that the I Shall Be Released juggling would have made an impact,” he said, “and it is out and definitely making an impact.”

What is on the riddim

Apple Music, Regime Radio (18 September) and Reggae Vibes (4 October) agree on a nine-song sequence. Romain Virgo opens with “No Substitute” — the lead single Mr G said studio feedback flagged as a potential hit; Virgo shot the official video and the producer told The Gleaner it has been “receiving a lot of rotation worldwide.” Richie Spice joins the label boss on “Free Up Di Youths Dem,” a conscious combination Mr G described as a critique of a system that “have di youths dem in captivity,” with writing help from Pinchers. Christopher Martin and Jesse Royal share “If You Were Mine” — Royal found the chorus hook and proposed the pairing; Martin was in the studio within minutes, per Simpson’s account to The Gleaner.

Pinchers voices “You Don’t Deserve”; Renigad, Phalcon, Little John, Eminoxx and Spanner Banner close the set with “Baby Mother,” “Broken Promises,” “If You Love Me,” “Wey Me Woulda Do” and “Mind over Matter.” Reggae Vibes notes the riddim’s earlier dancehall-era revival as In The Streetz’ Bondage riddim in 2002; their October review frames Young Blood’s 2026 production as faithful to the original spirit while sounding contemporary.

The Gleaner also reports that Tarrus Riley voiced the beat about two weeks after the 18 September launch and that his cut has “surged” — it is not on the nine-track Apple Music album or the Regime Radio / Reggae Vibes tracklists at publication. Simpson told the paper that two music videos are out (including Virgo’s for “No Substitute”) and two more are on the way; JamaicansMusic could not confirm the second released visual from official artist or label channels at import time.

Tracklist

Sequence from Apple Music (18 September 2026). Each row with an official YouTube upload links to its Listen page.

  1. No Substitute — Romain Virgo
  2. Free Up Di Youths Dem — Richie Spice & Mr G
  3. If You Were Mine — Christopher Martin & Jesse Royal
  4. You Don’t Deserve — Pinchers
  5. Baby Mother — Renigad
  6. Broken Promises — Phalcon
  7. If You Love Me — Little John
  8. Wey Me Woulda Do — Eminoxx
  9. Mind over Matter — Spanner Banner

Stream

I Shall Be Released Riddim is on major digital platforms, including Apple Music.

Listen and dig deeper

Sources: The Gleaner — “Mr G bridges generations with ‘I Shall Be Released’ project” (15 Oct 2026; September release, Young Blood label, Heptones/Studio One/Dylan lineage, Buccaneer/Helicopter backstory, artist roll-call including Tarrus Riley post-release, lead single and videos, quoted remarks from Chad Simpson); Regime Radio — I Shall Be Released Riddim (18 Sep 2026; nine-track list); Reggae Vibes — riddim review (4 Oct 2026; tracklist, Bondage riddim 2002 context, production notes); Apple Music — I Shall Be Released Riddim (release date 18 Sep 2026, nine songs, Young Blood Records). Editor’s note: Reggaeville’s release page was behind bot protection at publication; Renigad, Phalcon and Eminoxx have no JamaicansMusic artist profiles yet.