The Ten Most Overrated Reggae & Dancehall Albums of The Past Decade

Given the nature of our music, where so much significant music doesn't receive it's rightful credit and it is rare even that the music is so rarely TRUELY given the respect it deserves in terms of sales and the likes, Reggae music isn't the first which one may think of when picturing 'overrated' albums. However, we have definitely had more than our fair share and for a variety of reasons. Thus, I submit for your approval, the most overrated Reggae and Dancehall albums of the last ten years. [note: No compilations, so you won't see almost every edition of Reggae Gold and I tried to keep it amongst albums that the hardcore Reggae heads paid substantial interest in, therefore you won't see Elephant Man's last album]

#10. So Many Things by Ziggi

In retrospect, So Many Things was an album which brought Ziggi so much attention but it was little more than a misguided table-setter for what was to come. His next album, the WICKED In Transit, was the one which should have done what So Many Things ended up doing in terms of getting his name out there. So Many Things was a rough around the edges Dancehall ‘experiment’ which, quality wise, didn’t live up to the hype surrounding it. Thankfully, since it’s release, Ziggi has more than righted the ship with In Transit and is on one of the best streaks in Reggae music these days, period.

#9. Yes We Can by Cocoa Tea

Call this one strictly a matter of circumstances: Yes We Can is an album which has received SO MUCH publicity due to the strength of a couple of (overrated) songs. Yes We Can took the anticipation of a HIGHLY significant historical event and threw it into an album. Unfortunately, the album was not only not the veteran’s best material, it didn’t even live up to standards set by his two previous releases (Save Us Oh Jah & Tek Weh Yuh Gal), but again, you won’t find much discussion on that around this album, given the circumstances.

#8. Loaded by Busy Signal

This is one which was, more or less, a ‘victim’ of the questionable direction which it took. Loaded is an album which is slightly ahead of its time and not in a good way: Had you brought this one even as the next album after Busy had even further solidified his name with the most casual of Dancehall heads, Loaded would have been ENTIRELY more forgivable. As it stands, however, for the HARDCORE heads as well as casual fans who knew his name Loaded was a definitive step down from his debut album, Step Out and really outside of showing them his face, didn’t even REALLY give the international audiences a TRUE taste of one of the most skillful Dancehall artists in the game.

#7. I Can Feel Your Pain by Gyptian

Like Loaded, I Can Feel Your Pain from young superstar Gyptian is yet another piece which was ahead of it’s time in a not so good way. In terms of this album, while it didn’t necessarily set itself up as an attempt at trying to cross over Gyptian, what it did was to take an unfortunate musical direction and tried to set up the singer as the new generation’s Beres Hammond, Reggae’s new ladies’ man. However, it wasn’t/isn’t a role which he is capable of taking just yet. This is a choice which is so difficult to make, but I would think that from the uneven nature of his debut, My Name Is Gyptian, the people at his record label, VP Records, would have gotten the point that his strongest suit and the appeal of Gyptian was FINDING his real direction, not doing what I Can Feel Your Pain did: Give his direction to him.

#6. Friends For Life by Buju Banton

As much as I hate to put Buju on this list, I have to. Initially, I was one who opened up the waves of love and honouring the quality of Friends For Life, but it really didn’t live up to his standards. It was certainly not that it was a particularly BAD album, but it was sparkled up as the return of the great Buju and that actually didn’t occur until a few years later with the surprising Too Bad album (and is supposedly about to happen again next week with Rasta Got Soul). Friends For Life definitely gave a few nice bits (the nicest of which remains the MASSIVE Up Ye Mighty Race), but in the end, Buju Banton is an artist for whom so much more should be and is expected.

#5. Born Dead With Life by Perfect

The internet sensation. Perfect’s famed ‘concept album’ really didn’t live up to the near hysteria created in its coming arrival and, although initially I left it as a very nice album, it hasn’t withstood the (rather short) test of time since it released. Also, when compared to Perfect’s far less ballyhooed debut album, Giddimani (which was nearly SPECTACULAR), Born Dead With Life needed all the help it could have gotten. What it did get was a somewhat ‘loosely mechanical’ type of vibes which didn’t go to show off the rather brilliantly TOXIC (and I mean that in a good way) and loud voiced ST. ANN’S chanter at his fiery best.

#4. Notorious: The Album by Turbulence

This was just wrong! In retrospect, Notorious is the only album you’ll see on this list which I would actually call BAD. Having finally catapulted himself into the Reggae limelight amongst hardcore Reggae fans by garnering the HIT which was much needed, the title track, VP and Turbulence decided to ‘capitalize’ on the success of Notorious the song which was HUGE, with Notorious the album, which was NOT. They re-recorded the title track with resulted in a tune which I would call, at best, UNCOMFORTABLE. And with only ten other tunes on the album (most notably his other hit, Want A Natty alongside ex-girlfriend Sasha), Notorious: The Album had all the FEEL and makings of an incredibly rushed and hurried project seeking only to build on the success of the song. Mission unaccomplished.

#3. The Overstanding by Sizzla

If you were going to pick one single artist in Reggae who would be THE MOST difficult to crossover into the international mainstream you probably couldn’t pick a more likely candidate than Sizzla Kalonji. Although The Overstanding made a pretty good attempt at it but ultimately, as expected, it came up short. Between generally AVERAGE tunes and re-recording HITS like Black Woman & Child, Solid As A Rock and Thank U Mamma, it never became one to stay with you (although it did kind of give us Take Myself Away) and apparently it didn’t catch on internationally either.

#2. Gideon Boot by Richie Spice

What happened to Richie Spice? Following another album which could have DEFINITELY been on this list (even in the place of this one), In The Streets To Africa, Gideon Boot was definitely not the answer which Richie Spice’s fans were seeking. Richie Spice, in spite of making very good music all the while, hasn’t delivered a certifiably GOOD album since the MONSTER that was Spice In Your Life. What was odd with this one was the fact that it came just one year after In The Streets, again seeking to build on popularity, but it REALLY didn’t offer much in the way of anything NEW in terms of vibes. Stand it next to its predecessor to any casual fan and I’d dare to believe that they could tell any substantial difference between the two. Two years in a row, entirely TOO average.

#1. Radio by Ky-Mani Marley

It’s easy to get overly critical when it comes to the Marleys, but you’ll notice how, besides this one, no other albums from the Marley clan appears on this list (and I DEFINITELY could have plucked Time & Place from Julian with its ODD vibes and its even ODDER following) but Radio is a special situation. Following a full blown explosion to the general public with appearances in very popular films One Love & Shottas which definitely showed off his acting chops, Ky-Mani Marley returned to the studio to produce Radio, his first album in seven years, following the Grammy nominated and downright BRILLIANT Many More Roads. My ears hear ONE substantial tune on the album in its entirety, surrounded by admittedly not so bad, but definitely nothing special. That song, Royal Vibes, is ABSOLUTELY DIVINE. Radio, as a whole, however, is simply the definition of ABSOLUTELY OVERRATED.