Ian Sweetness and Gary Sutherland Release 'I’m Blessed' on 'Africa Rise Riddim' Album

Singer Ian Sweetness is one of six artists producer Gary Sutherland called on for his Africa Rise Riddim album, released in August by Jumpout Productions. He contributes I’m Blessed to the project which is being considered for the 2026 Best Reggae Album category for the Grammy Awards.

Ian SweetnessThe prolific vocalist, who is based in the United States, enjoys a long professional relationship with Sutherland, older brother of singer Nadine Sutherland.

“Gary called me with that track like he always does. Listening to the track, it’s like I’m hearing that I’m blessed in my head, so I wrote it and then I went in my studio and started to lay it down, and that’s what came out of it,” Ian Sweetness recalled.

The Africa Rise Riddim was released in August. Other artists and songs on it are Jevhauri (Feeling Irie), Mikey Melody (My Eyes on You), Chyna Nicole Free Society (Who Jah Bless No Man Curse), Franko Brian (Joy) and Don Mafia (Your Love).

On October 3, the Recording Academy, organizers of the Grammy Awards, released its provisional lists for the 2026 ceremony, which will be held on February 1 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Approximately 73 albums are up for consideration for Best Reggae Album, including by Vybz Kartel, Elephant Man, Glen Washington, The Meditations, Mr. Vegas, Cham and Duane Stephenson.

From Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, Ian Sweetness has been recording music since the late 1980s. In recent years, most of his songs have been produced by Wildfire Records out of Philadelphia.