Achis Favourites 10-1

#10. TIWONY

Why? Because you have to give credit where it’s due. To put it as simply as possible: Be it the rapid fire styled Dancehall DJ craziness or riding a complete and nicely laid back one-drop, Tiwony is one of the most talented Reggae artists in the WORLD right now The man can virtually do it all and although I haven’t heard him just flat out start singing (at least I don’t think I have), I wouldn’t at all be surprised if he could do that also. To my ears, he has also stood as THE most consistent of the French artists, which is saying quite a bit considering the talent level they’ve shown and not only that, but at his best, he’s also their best. Representing Afrika and Gwada to the fullest.

The Future? More like the present. Tiwony paved and then sugarcoated his way into the top half of this list largely on the strength of his most recent release, Viv La Vi (review coming very soon) and that was following his WICKED 2007 release, Fly. If in two more years or so he releases another almost overly qualified piece (and spends the time in between dropping crazy singles, as he did here) then the Gwada’s finest will meet Achis’ finest even more closely.

#9. LLOYD BROWN

Why? Because I can’t stay young forever can I? Perhaps the most glaring bit of ’evidence’ to me that slowly but surely my musical tastes are becoming more and more mature as I get older is the SPARKLING UK singer Lloyd Brown’s downright mandatory inclusion on this list. Just as it is mandatory it is quite surprising also as, even despite a rather so-so outing last year in the form of the Brownie Points album, I still had no doubt that the only pure singer on the top half of this list would be included due to the fact that his music is just so BEAUTIFUL otherwise. My wife’s liking of it doesn’t hurt either, right now Mr. Brown can do no wrong with me.

The Future? Album, For Your Consideration, and a box set are on the way this year but he didn’t need it (or anything this really) to make it to this high on this list. Anything thrown in would only help, not hurt, his standing, because I’ll still be listening either way.

#8. BATCH

Why? Because the man is a genius. Easily one of the most consistent artists on this list, Batch has thrown himself into the mix with a style which is SO uplifting and just generally so NICE that you have to give some consideration to his name if you really love Reggae music. Shockingly the only VI artist on this list, Batch rises to the top by virtue of his aforementioned consistency and also due to the fact that he is VERY underrated. Although many of his more famous neighbours definitely come with more appealing styles and flashier lyrics, he has remained the one whose course has shown no deviation and has been top notch since the very first tune i heard from him (sung, produced, engineered, written, arranged. . . He does it all).

The Future? Batch is one of the few people on the list who really doesn’t have to do anything spectacular to go higher on this list (hell he didn’t do anything spectacular to get here) but his place is one of the most solid via the fact that he may be the only GUARANTEED artist on this list who will basically never make a bad record (of course the next entrant here might have something to say about that and so might #4).

#7. QUEEN IFRICA

Why? Did I mention that I’m not deaf? RIGHT NOW, at this very moment Queen Ifrica might be making the best Roots Reggae music on earth. She has successfully ‘chased’ her sophomore album, the outstanding Montego Bay, with quite a few STRONG singles, most recently (and controversially) No Bwoy. In front of that was the aforementioned album and years on top of years (the last few in particular) which she spent making BIG tunes and tunes that even reached the public in a way that has shown her to be one of the very few PROVEN hitmakers in Roots Reggae music.

The Future? HUGE upside despite being at a relatively advanced stage of her career. Queen Ifrica’s place in my top five isn’t a matter of ’if’ but WHEN. She is absolutely amazing.

#6. ASSASSIN

Why? “VERSATILE!” Wasn’t it so strange that with the emergence of people like Busy Signal and Aidonia and Mavado, people started to forget about Assassin a couple of years back as one of the most impressive young artists, seemingly assumed that he was, instead, further along in age as his ‘classmate’ Vybz Kartel (who is several years older than ‘Sassin) but he’s not and its showing now that his skills have gotten (SEEMINGLY) near their peak. As the years have gone by, Assassin has been the artist to mature and show that in his music to more of a tangible degree, even more so than his once vaunted ‘classmate’. The BEST damn Dancehall artist to come along in a loooooooooooong ass time.

The Future? The stars and the planets are aligning perfectly. The next album VP Records drop in Assassin’s catalogue is poised to be one of the greatest Dancehall pieces of all time from an artist who ALREADY got SERIOUS top 4 consideration here.

#5. BEENIE MAN

Why? Because true talent can never dead. Were this a matter of all-time, Beenie Man would PROBABLY rank no lower than third. As I spoke of in regards to Assassin being the most talented to come around in a very long time, that ceiling (if I didn’t feel like analyzing it too much) would exist to Beenie Man who is, in my opinion the single most talented Dancehall artist regardless of time. Period. The deejay has been making hits for so long in the music that he has begun to exist outside of the tired ass time constraints of “taking things to the next level”, he, in fact, has become the next level.

The Future? Doesn’t particularly matter in this case. Beenie’s standing on this list will only grow. He will probably NEVER drop lower than #5 to my opinion and all the way up to number 2 is within his reach.

#4. QUEEN OMEGA

Why? Yet another matter of skills. Look at it like this: Save for a few bits here and there (most recently the SCATHING tune, Local) I haven’t heard too much from Queen Omega in 2009 that has overly impressed me, its been pretty much business as usual from here and with seemingly no album in site at this point (and that means expect something next year), she doesn’t figure to have anything under her sleeves in terms of closing the year on an extremely high note. But she still ranks so high on this list. Why? Save for very few artists (including whoever it is that I ranked at number one. Don’t cheat!) Queen Omega’s talent is downright peerless. She can do absolutely ANYTHING on the mic and not only ’so’ it but succeed at it as well, whatever it is. She also is backed by a voice which, when stretched to its capacity, is definitely one of the most impressive in the current landscape of Roots Reggae music and all of her qualities have been that way her entire career. You figure it out.

The Future? Top five, for better or for worse and she hasn’t exactly shown ’worse’ her entire career. Its also worth mentioning that the sub-30 year old makes a bran of music which could conceivably continue to improve and do so throughout her 40’s! Can you imagine!

#3. LUTAN FYAH

Why? Insane Skill + Good Streak = 3. Jumping off the success of his recent release, the increasingly WICKED Justice I was careful that I didn’t kind of overrate Lutan Fyah’s standing here. Then you take into account that the said ‘recent success’ isn’t actually very recent at all but is merely the latest of several years of incredibly high level performances which go to his credit. The man may just be the best current lyricist in all of Reggae. Pushing words with such meaning and CONVICTION and, to me, riding across the same framework which allowed my #1 to become my #1.

The Future? Were I 18 instead of. . . whatever age I am, Lutan Fyah would probably be my favourite artist, period, right now. However, as it exists now, I wouldn't be too surprised to see him someday as #3 on this list and on my all-time list. Period.

#2. DESTRA

Why? Because I name Bacchanal. True story: I used to (SHAMELESSLY) be a male groupie for Destra! How many times did I go to every show she did in Toronto and then later (when I actually got my own money), Trinidad. Wouldn’t bother stopping in on any of the other shows (and undoubtedly missed many a fine bills because of it) but if it said ‘DESTRA’, I was there! Why? Destra introduce/gave me one of the craziest vibes I have ever heard in my life and literally made me remind myself that I was, in fact, half a Trini (biggup my Father). Destra gave me Soca! Every other Soca artist on this list, thus, ‘owes’ their standing to their credit because if not for Destra to Tremble It and then Max It Up, I wouldn’t even know their fucking names!

The Future? Number 2 she is, number 2 she will always be.

#1. SIZZLA KALONJI

Why? The man’s music changed my entire life. Not to get too personal but, hell its my blog, I can do whatever I want. The well discussed (and I guess I’ll do it here instead of writing a big ass article, which is what I was planning on doing at some point) that I have to Sizzla’s music is that it pointed me in a direction and a way of life which has DRASTICALLY improved my life and how does music do such a thing? I grew up, for the most part, in the country where I was literally surrounded in Rastafari people and culture. Had family members who walked that way of life but, me being a student at heart I always had a next question, which was, ‘Why’? These things don’t make a sense, Why??? Sizzla’s music answered that question. I didn’t come up in the time of Marcus Garvey and Bob Marley died about three months before I was born (almost exactly to the day). But this music here gave me something far more substantial and tangible direction to walk the path that I currently walk. He is number one and will always be because Sizzla’s music introduced me to the greatest intangible piece of my life.