You’ll have to forgive me for literally falling over the youth artists who come up and show themselves to be TRULY talented because for me personally, musically speaking, there is no greater aspect of Reggae music. With the same old, same old artists, of course, the genre wouldn’t survive now would it break out any as those artists who are already around and have been for quite sometime, while they aren’t COMPLETELY shut out, the majority of them have achieved what they are going to achieve, at least from a popularity standpoint (they all, of course, are still ‘threats’ to release big tunes at the drop of a hat). Not only that, but its also very interesting to look back on an artist’s career to see just how they have arrived to the point where they currently exist. My best example currently is DEFINITELY Assassin. Watching the STILL youthful (just turned 26) Papine native develop throughout his years in the game has been an UTTER JOY. Previously overshadowed by more popular ‘classmate’ Vybz Kartel, Assassin, although he has steered clear (for the most part) the levels of infamy of Kartel now is EASILY one of the most, if not THE most, consistent top notch artist in all of the Dancehall. From his now much improved and streamlined performances and a REFINED bag of lyrics (I can’t tell you how many times I heard his talent referred to as RAW when he was coming up, that’s not the case anymore AT ALL) Assassin, within a couple of years’ time or so may prove to be THE next King of The Dancehall when Beenie Man abdicates the throne. Similarly, on the roots side, of course, the artist with which I have been most impressed has been Lutan Fyah. Once thought of as being just a LOVELY song writer, although struggling with his somewhat mechanical delivery; Lutan Fyah has become an artist who still has a GLARING strength in terms of his lyrics where he is virtually unrivaled in my opinion outside of Sizzla Kalonji AND he has significantly developed a rather mellow but serviceable singing voice which adds a much needed avenue of MELODY to his vibes. There are also other relative newbies like Queen Ifrica who was honestly WELL average and unimpressive the very first time I heard her but shows no sign of those things today as EVERY tune she voices becomes a potential hit; Bugle, who I’m very interested in watching develop as currently he is making the Dancehall into his own personal psychiatric treatment session. Someday, sooner than later, THESE will be the dominant names in the game and if you haven’t already, its time you got used to it.
However, before you get TOO comfortably I have yet another name or two you might want to look at it first. Check I-Octane who belongs in the same category as Munga Honourable (although farther on the roots side than Munga, clearly) who is going about energizing a genre with a VERY fresh take on the roots scene and he came up making his ‘case’ alongside the artist in question here, St. Mary native, Teflon. Between I-Octane and Teflon there is probably enough SKILL to do major damage in any arena of Reggae music as both show promise in either the roots and Dancehall arenas. The two grew in the game together and released the HUGE local hit, Gun Rise a from a couple of years back and while I think, ultimately I-Octane may prove to be the more popular artist between the two, Teflon’s SKILL is something which will keep him relevant if all else fails (and it won’t) as he is every bit as talented as any young Dancehall or Roots Reggae ‘prospect’ on the scene today. At his core, however, Teflon is a roots artist with most of his music (especially these days) staying well within those boundaries but he makes his vibes with SUCH an edge that its clear that he has a developed ear for the Dancehall and its also clear that the youth (and when I say youth, I mean YOUTH. I’ve met Teflon face to face before and seriously if he didn’t open his mouth, he could pass for a fifteen or sixteen year old youth easily) is one of the very first artists of substance to arrive on the scene having grown up listening to the likes of Sizzla and Capleton (as opposed to someone like Lutan Fyah, who may actually be even older than Kalonji but DEVELOPED while Teflon would have been growing). Like the two big time artists, young Teflon is a fire breathing Bobo full of lyrics upon lyrics and even closer to Sizzla: He may not be the most personable artist you’ll find, but his focus seems to be FIRMLY set on the music and he definitely is showing the fruits of his hard work, now currently one of the most voiced talents in Jamaica for some of the roots scene and the Dancehall’s most well known producers. That being said, it does seem a little early for someone to run out an album bearing the name, Teflon (because honestly I didn’t think such a thing would be a seller) but that is exactly what Tad’s Records has done in early 2009 with Motherless Child, the debut album from Teflon. The well respected US based Tad’s is a label who is obviously back on point following a couple of years seemingly absent from the game having released Motherless Child after doing Cocoa Tea’s Yes We Can album, with singer Terry Linen’s third album loaded and ready to come next as well as being OFFICIALLY in charge of quite a few new tunes internationally, including Vybz Kartel and Spice‘s hit tune, Ramping Shop (AND they also handle distribution for Danger Zone, which directly makes them responsible for albums from Ce’cile and Jah Cure). Between Teflon and I-Octane I would have never guessed that Teflon would release his project first (even though I think I recall him taking about it sometime earlier last year in an interview), however, I do feel that I-Octane is probably headed for a VP Records type of deal. Whatever the case, Teflon makes his point first on the WELL packed Motherless Child, an album which proves him able to carry vibes on his own throughout and simultaneously one of the strongest young voices in Reggae music today.
Motherless Child is built on several previous singles, most of which I haven’t heard before and is just outstanding throughout. First to stand out is what is by my count the album’s only official combination, the WICKED A Day Like This alongside ST. ANN’S(!) singer Chezidek. When dealing with combinations from Chezidek (and the rest of his music as well for that matter) you’re really playing hit or miss because of his voice. Luckily that Martian style of voicing blends very nice alongside Teflon’s pulsing type of flow. The tune has a very inspirational vibes at times showing that there is HOPE in dark times and the opener here gives a lot to start things off. One of the album’s finest. Teflon goes in for his first solo voyage next with the very well done When Will The People. This tune comes in EASY and, if you’re really paying attention, it becomes a bit of a changeup and a very welcome one. Not the typical fire-breathing Teflon, but one still well in control giving a top notch message across top notch lyrics throughout the tune. Next up is a tune which was honestly a bit of a let down, the title track, which is kind of an odd and bluesy sounding type of vibes which, at least to my ears, never really gets off the ground. The tune is an ode (of course) to Teflon’s now deceased mother and extended family who cared for him as a youth and it’s not BAD actually, but, thankfully, he makes an even stronger attempt later on in the album. Altogether a very strong and ultimately appropriate beginning for Motherless Child.
Tad’s is a label which, primarily, deals with the more MATURE side of the vibes so, naturally, Motherless Child would follow the more rootical and PERSONAL sides of Teflon’s vibes. To my ears, it is when he gets PERSONAL on Motherless Child when he reaches his best. Such a tune is the downright STRANGE tune Momma which is an upgrade to the title track. Momma (aka Soldier), the previous single on Purple Skunk’s old school Dancehall piece, the Shampoo Riddim, is STELLAR and I’m sure his Mother is well proud! Momma is only topped, to my opinion by two tunes in the middle of the album, which speak to Teflon’s VERY controversial legal troubles. Free Up is first and is just nice in general and is a message to the youths who find themselves unfortunately locked up to keep their heads up because their freedom soon come. Then is the album’s BIGGEST shot Jailhouse Rock which speaks to Teflon’s own legal matters. He was arrested last year and soon after released Jailhouse Rock, apparently written in jail, which proved to be one of his biggest local hits to date. Teflon (deservedly so to my opinion) received so much criticism for his gun charge I believe it was and the literal response was Jailhouse Rock which SERIOUSLY make you think and puts you into such a situation even if you (like me) have no personal experience to draw on personally. MASSIVE TUNE. Again, as expectedly, Motherless Child is devoid of tunes like Gun Rise which was a far more hardcore track and one of his signature tunes to date, however, a couple of his others are present and do shine quite bright, Jah Jah Love. Probably the oldest tune on the album altogether Jah Jah Love was one of the first tunes to buss Teflon and to be honest I didn’t like it originally, but it has well grown on me since then. It has a very nice chanting vibes to it and I love the laid back praise of His Majesty while still keeping relatively close to Teflon’s current HIGH lyrical level. In a similar boat is the closer, Yard A Love which has since become the name of Teflon’s own label. This one comes across the PIPING HOT and addictive old school Dancehall piece the Zee Drop riddim (RULED by Queen Ifrica’s equally scorching Dance Floor). It is a tune like this on which you can REALLY tune into the artist lyrically. Speaking of lyrically, there’s an earlier tune name Be Observant on which Teflon literally shows off with the amazing mental images he induces on the tune which encourages all to just take our time, speak less and pay attention more. Speaking of Encouraging (the transitions in this review are amazing aren’t they???), following Be Observant is one of the heavier vibes on the album as Teflon delivers the rather understated Encourage You to Discourage You across Jam 2’s KNOCKING Concrete riddim. I can’t too much recall another tune on the riddim (I know there were some, I just can’t remember them) but I’m sure this was the class on that one and it its slowly growing on me and rising amongst the class of Motherless Child to my ears as well. No Lies has a very nice old school vibes to it for what is basically a lover’s tune. This is definitely an element to Teflon’s game which he should work developing but it’s still quite nice actually (he REALLY sounds a lot like Sizzla on this tune). Teflon goes I-Wayne-ish on the tune Life Ain’t That Rough which outlines, for the most part, a rather rough sounding life description, but he later cleans up the edges. This tune has a very nice R&B type of quality to the vibes, which is yet another style which Teflon comfortably adapts himself to, constructing his flow in more of a rappers cadence, rather than a Dancehall DJ’s. BIG creativity there. Slave Master is a tune which has been getting a bit of attention since the album’s release and as soon as it drops in you can see EXACTLY why. This one is another HEAVY piece, constructed over a highly COMPLEX riddim (love the nyah drum hidden in the back there) and the vibes here build to a crescendo on the tune which finds the more fiery brand of Teflon at times, riding the tune brilliantly throughout (even sounding like Buju at times). The tune Come Mek Wi Go Bun Dem Down is one of the showstoppers on Motherless Child altogether. Check that CLASSIC old school dubbish type of riddim which Teflon employs to back his equally nice sufferer’s anthem, definitely not one to be missed and turn the speakers WAY up because when the riddim starts sparking all over the place, you can really lose sound of the vocals which are essential here. Teflon makes up for any so-so type of lover’s tune with the LARGE Someone In Your Life, a big tune for the ladies and one for the couples as well (I’m spinning it now, my wife loves the tune). As the album winds down (FINALLY) a couple of surprises remain down the stretch. Probably the biggest of those is the EPIC Blow It Up, another jail type of story from Teflon which really kind of sneaks up on you! I LOVE this song. When it reaches the middle portion you really get that colourful side of Teflon I was just WISHING Tad’s would unleash somewhere before the end of the album. MASSIVE tune, one of the best showings on the album. The other very welcome addition at the end is One Thing which rides superstar roots producer Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor’s Rock Steady riddim (making Teflon the first artist to use the riddim on an album to my knowledge). One Thing was amongst the better tunes on the riddim and, again, it proves likewise to be one of the finer tunes on this well stuffed album, before the aforementioned Yard A Love sends things on their way.
Overall, were you to picture an artist who has become a favourite for the best young roots producer in the game (Kemar McGregor) and simultaneously the best young Dancehall producer in the game (Stephen McGregor) (no relation) I think you would probably picture someone like Sizzla, Anthony B or maybe even Beenie Man, but not, its Teflon. Currently riding on the aforementioned Rock Steady riddim AND Big Ship’s Advocate riddim simultaneously, Teflon’s versatility is something SERIOUS. Now, that being said, it leads me to the largest critique of Motherless Child: Although it was to be expected, Tad’s doesn’t REALLY unleash the beast (large up Khiomal Nurse) that is Teflon on the album fully. The results of that work on several levels: the first being that Motherless Child is OUTSTANDING work, so it says quite a bit about the artist who doesn’t give you his full hundred and still rinses so nicely; however, you also have to wonder what could have been had he been able to do just that and then you IMMEDIATELY have to look forward to the next release. It’s also worth mentioning that, again as expected, Motherless Child is edited a bit with the tune Blow It Up suffering the most harm from the editor’s axe (where literally spans of words at a time are just not there). All that being said, rating Teflon’s debut Motherless Child as just that, a DEBUT and you simply cannot go wrong. This is slightly above ground level of development from an artist who is ALREADY one of the most talented and skillful writers that we have in all of Reggae music. It is recommended for all fans of modern Reggae and maybe even slightly the old school heads as well. Get on board of the Teflon bandwagon right now, before there simply is no more room left.
Rated 4.5/5stars
Tad's Records
2009
http://www.myspace.com/teflonyardalove
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