Portals is the 10th album Vaughn Benjamin has recorded with I Grade Records since 2001, following up on 2014's Beauty for Ashes and Ride Tru. Akae Beka is the new recording and live project by Vaughn Benjamin, lead singer of Midnite for over 25 years.

Portals was produced collaboratively between Zion I Kings and Vaughn Benjamin, who co-produced & arranged 5 of the 13 songs himself, alongside the ZIK players in St. Croix's Aqua Sounds Studio.

The album's sound continues a trajectory of textural, guitar-driven roots reggae that Zion I Kings and Padraic Coursey first explored on the track "Weather the Storm" on 2014's Beauty for Ashes. This sound was further developed in 2014's Ride Tru album.

The Zion I Kings production team and band is the 3-way collaboration between Zion High Productions, I Grade Records & Lustre Kings.