I have to say that for all the complaining so many people did (myself probably not included unless I was broke at the given time) for so many Reggae artists releasing a ridiculous amount of albums every year, I think I’m starting to miss it. Of course it was hard to keep up on things and, as opposed to pretty much any other genre in music, it rendered the question, “hey have you heard the new ________ album?”, all but useless as “new album” from a particular artist could mean any number of album released within a six month period or so. Also, as I alluded to, it was VERY difficult on the wallet and in the period where things were really surging in that department of over-activity, late 1990’s/early 2000’s, for me personally, I and probably a great deal of the fans of the artists who were doing the work, was a very broke and seldom paid high school/college student living abroad at the time. It was REALLY difficult to keep things in order. But I loved it. Since then, and specifically within the last year or so, we’ve REALLY seen a decline in terms of just how many albums are released, be it a sign of the times as far as the economy and labels going out of business or an even further sign of the economy with just not as much music being made period (although I probably wouldn’t go that far, at least not yet) but there has been a significant DECREASE in how many albums are released to my opinion (unless of course your name is Vaughn Benjamin). For example, the prime ‘culprit’ of releasing a MASSIVE number of in a given year would have been Sizzla Kalonji. By my count, within the last two years Sizzla has released six studio albums (more like four and two halves actually) within the last two years with only one so far in 2009 (the nearly MASSIVE Ghetto Youth-Ology) and if you take out the two ‘throwaways’ (more on that in a minute), its even less. As opposed to years ‘04, ‘05, and ‘06 where (not including the throwaways) not one year saw less than four studio releases from the August Town wizard. Similarly, I had to actually think about it for a second but I don’t recall Turbulence AT ALL having an album from since 2007’s (ROUGH and not in a good way) United album. Jah Mason, another artist with a heavy output, has only had two in the last two and half years (with one MAYBE set to go soon) despite having three back in 2006. Mason’s good friend has similar numbers as do a few others such as Luciano and the two artists in question here. The slowing down of release schedules is certainly a BIG deal in Reggae music but, for selfish reasons, I can’t help but wonder why they had to do it now when I can afford it!
So what happened? Well probably the single biggest factor in this was the ‘merging’ of the two biggest Caribbean music labels in the world, VP Records and Greensleeves who, quite frequently, would put out albums from the same artist within a given year (Sizzla, again being the most frequent name, but also Lutan Fyah, Jah Mason and even Ras Shiloh in recent years). Also, and what is the case here, labels just go out of business seemingly. Jet Star, who I’M SURE was involved in that whole Penitentiary/Charm/Rude Boy Records. . . STUFF, has gone bye-bye apparently and this year we didn’t even see (at least not yet but don’t hold your breath) a round of ‘throwaways’ from them as they have done (ANNOYINGLY AS HELL) for so long with albums all but devoid of new material. And I’m also starting to wonder what’s going on with the once MIGHTY Cousins Records also. However, destined to be all but ignored in the face of VP and Greensleeves merging, Jet Star going under, whatever is going on with Cousins and their seemingly declining output and even other situations, such as RAS Records all but vanishing in terms of modern releases after they were purchased, is the lower level label. Do you remember Artists Only (claim to fame now is that they released [Baby] Cham’s debut album Wow. . . The Story)? Whoddat Reords (they released Sizzla’s downright mythical Blaze Fire Blaze)? What about J&D? If you at all remember the pretty short lived J&D Records then there’s a good chance that you probably are (or at least used to be) quite the fan of Reggae/Dancehall mixtapes as what they’re pretty surely most known for would have been their Platynum Reggae series from Renaissance (incidentally, Artist’s Only also had an unrelated but similar series, Platinum Reggae) but BY FAR J&D’s greatest gift to the world of Reggae music was back in late 1999 when they released this album, One Mission. It’s interesting now, nearing a decade later (has it really been that long) when you take a COMPLETELY detached look at what One Mission actually ended up becoming. Who would have known (definitely not the people at J&D) what would have been coming just six or so months later when the main attraction of One Mission, Capleton, would go on to release his OPUS More Fire form VP? Because that is in fact what happen, the One Mission album now kind of serves as a bit of a ‘test run’ before the More Fire album came and burned each and everyone so fortunate enough to hear it to ash. Of course that wasn’t all that was at work here as also on board, as a bit of a bonus, was Anthony B! Although he only chimes in on four of the album’s thirteen tracks (including a combination and the first of Capleton’s is an intro), Anthony B’s presence on this one, almost completely apart of Capleton’s own (given) appeal, ESPECIALLY back then when he would have laid as much claim to being the ‘strongest’ Reggae artist in the game as anyone, adds another facet to this album. A Capleton & Anthony B combination album? What! Its interesting that both are generally regarded in many of the same ways but both are usually more oft-compared to the other member of that ‘trinity’ of hardcore modern Roots Reggae. And while I wouldn’t at all have minded three Sizzla tracks stuck on to One Mission, Anthony B and Capleton do WONDERFUL in giving a taste of the brilliance which would have been right around the corner, from both, that is.
One Mission is essentially a compilations of popular (some more so than others) singles from both artists around the time and into the turn of the century, headed by Derrick Moo-Young (who I haven’t heard of in quite awhile and googling his name might tell you why I think) and built from quite a few different labels. As I said before, kind of figuratively, One Mission would serve as a precursor to Capleton’s More Fire album and it starts in much the same fashion as that timeless effort as it starts with an intro, this one named I Am, which catches Capleton reasoning of not placing limits on himself as you might see done in societal terms, which is a nice idea and an equally nice start. Of course while I Am serves as a nice intro to the One Mission album in full, DIRECTLY speaking, it simply makes way for an even greater explanation as to who Capleton is, the MASSIVE Who I Am. Good luck finding the tune on any other official album, to my knowledge its just not happening (like another one or two big tunes from this album). The song is right up there in terms of Capleton’s entire catalogue, THAT GOOD! It comes through across the ROLLING Babatunde riddim and although Jah Cure put this thing through its paces with his effort, Spread Jah Love, Capleton absolutely DESTROYS this version with one of his finest pieces and that’s saying a lot! The album’s best tune! Although things were certain to take a step back following Who I Am, they don’t get very far down as the next tune Things Are Happening is BIG in its own on a more straight forward hardcore Dancehall style of vibes for Black Shadow’s Shootout riddim (try finding this tune also). I always thought Things Are Happening was kind of a prime example of how Roots music can blend the lines between itself and Dancehall SO EASILY in the modern era as, lyrically speaking, Roots and consciousness is exactly what it is but the vibes could translate just as easily to the Dancehall. Another fine example of this would be the tune which follows it, the downright ANGRY Ready When Yu Ready, which is probably a BETTER tune than Things Are Happening. Not too shockingly, Ready is also a product of Black Shadow (Get Mad Now riddim) and is just a BLAZING call to arms like only Capleton can do. The tune spares absolutely no one’s feelings, doesn’t try AT ALL to be politically correct and just burns down everything in its path. HUGE tune. And after announcing who he was on the album’s first two tunes, the Fireman now wants to know, Who Dem?, as in the world’s oppressors and does so with a far more laid back type of niceness (niceness still) than in the previous two tunes for a nice change of pacing. The BANGING Henfield produced Nuh Pardon also checks in very highly on Capleton’s second half of tunes as does the downright dazzling Heated Rush for Syl Gordon’s Misery riddim (and I’m fairly sure Lenky built that NICE piece. Capleton reaches his portion of One Mission with another nice slow piece, What They Gonna Do for Manatee Records (who produces a bit of the album) but not before giving us a direct forecast of the More Fire album with the HUGE Good In Her Clothes which, as you should know, also appeared there.
Did you remember I said Anthony B was also here? Despite the fact that the powers that be couldn’t mange to fit in a picture of him on the cover, Anthony B’s efforts here are very strong also (with maybe one exception but maybe not). Of course, due to the compiled nature of One Mission it doesn’t deliver on what really would have set this album over the top, direct combination between Anthony B and Capleton but as I said, Anthony B goes well hard. His first effort Dreader Than Dread is a very nice start as he uses the CLASSIC Satta Massagana riddim (re-licked by Manatee) and it’s a very nice vibes for his start. Not seeking to kind of club you over the head (like Capleton) the tune goes on a very emotional and spiritual level and for years many people have maintained that, that is where Anthony B’s best skill lies (and I may be one of them). The next tune is strong also, although it ‘should’ take a minute or two to grow on you as it kind of is a ‘quiet’ type of tune, Life Nuh Easy. The tune is, at its core, a sufferer’s anthem but as I said you really need to give it a minute (and REALLY focus on the words) to get the full effect and should you do that you’ll see it as a bit tune, definitely. The only arguable point of misstep for Anthony B (and by extension the entire One Mission album) is the next tune up, Zagga Zow which features King David (who I think is still around and is NOT the one from Trinidad). Its not a bad tune actually and after awhile it gets catchy at times BUT, if I recall correctly, its backed by a riddim Manatee plundered from either Nsync or Backstreet Boys at the time which is. . . Yeah. And at times it, expectedly, sounds quite awkward and I’m not able to say that I LIKE it (because I don’t) but its just so damn weird in my opinion. Anthony B ends his set of four on his own and with his finest offering on One Mission altogether, When Mama Forsake You, also for Manatee. This song has quietly been one of my favourite Anthony B tunes since the very first time I heard it (which may have actually been on this album) but, for the most part, its pretty unknown to my experience. I’ve seen him perform it live probably around a dozen times or so and it does also appear on his MAMMOTH double live effort, Live On The Battlefield but its not received the press and popularity of so many of his other hits. The song just has such a SWEET vibes and a nice message that EVEN IF YOUR OWN MAMA puts you out and shuts you out, His Majesty will take you! HUGE! One Mission is book ended wonderfully as its first track (minus the intro) and its last prove to be the two biggest tunes on the album.
Overall, its so interesting that I made a list a little while ago concerning some of the best and hard to find Reggae albums of the modern era and I’m starting to think that maybe I should’ve added One Mission to the bunch. Like all of J&D’s catalogue (to my knowledge) it has never (and probably will never) reach the digital market and there’s even less chance of a reprinting (DUH!) of any kind but whatever you have to do (within reason) to track this one down, definitely do it. If you think about it, Capleton, of course, was well on his way to dropping arguably the most significant Reggae album since the turn of century but also, Anthony B would have been merely a month or two removed from his own big album, the well regarded Seven Seals and not to mention that its ANTHONY B! The man is and has always been solid all around so, as I mentioned, the very fact that he has material on this project makes it even that much more crucial so definitely track it down. Unfortunately we wouldn’t see something like One Mission these days, basically just a decade later, as the market has changed so much. But thinking back to what it was: Simply one of the BETTER and most CONSISTENT albums you’ll find baring Capleton’s name.
Rated 4.5/5 stars
J&D Records
1999
CD + Digital
Good Write
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