As Reggae music becomes more and more popular on all levels and moves closer to achieving my goal of ruling the entire world by 2030, we’re seeing a bit of a disappearing of the kind of ‘middle class’ of Reggae artist because each and every echelon of artist has seemingly seen an upgrade of sorts. You see it in the general perception of artists, of course, as names like (ESPECIALLY) Tarrus Riley run closer and closer to becoming this rather unusual type of household name where you’ll have someone living in Poland or. . . Nebraska or somewhere like such (biggup Poland and Nebraska), who know the names and know as much to associate the names with ‘Reggae’, but probably don’t know why. And you also see it in the releases (which is why we’re here today). In 2009, even apart from the fact that there was a Sean Paul album, it would be PRETTY difficult for me to make the case that the BIGGEST (in terms of profile) Reggae releases in 2009 (such as those which everyone know so well because I mention them every five minutes, from Buju Banton, Sizzla, Jah Cure, Riley and Queen Ifrica etc.) would, at least in some respect, seemingly have attained more and more attention from international ‘mainstream’ markets and more than that would in nearly every other calendar year in recent memory. So much so is this the fact that in my review of Riley’s 2009 album, Contagious, due to the artist’s ‘newness’ and his range of potential and already MASSIVE public appeal, I went as far as to label that album, from a significance point of view, the MOST IMPORTANT album of the year. Yet, because a great deal of HARDCORE Reggae fans are kind of ‘cliquish’ or ‘removed’, in the sense of wanting what is ‘ours’ to be ours (and if you are such a person, you have to be honest that when your non Reggae loving friends approached you singing some remote ass Jah Cure tune. . . You needed a moment, didn’t you), we’ve had to look elsewhere for our GOOD, but somewhat hidden music. Well, there’s been Lutan Fyah, who is well on his way to becoming a superstar (and by this time next year he may have already joined that previously mentioned group of artists), earlier there was Anthony B to an extent (BIG ALBUM, Rise Up), Lady G, Chezidek and definitely Ras Attitude, who brought forth arguably the best album of that bunch, in I Meditation. These are artists who have had albums in 2009 which you
’re most likely ONLY going to know about if you’re REALLY a fan of Reggae music (and you can probably add Delly Ranx to the list also). They’re also artists who’ve attained quite a bit of fame amongst the heavy heads and the fact that they’re pushing these incredible releases are genuine BIG DEALS for deep Reggae loving fans all over the world. Well, now we have another to add to the list and in a HUGE way.
’re most likely ONLY going to know about if you’re REALLY a fan of Reggae music (and you can probably add Delly Ranx to the list also). They’re also artists who’ve attained quite a bit of fame amongst the heavy heads and the fact that they’re pushing these incredible releases are genuine BIG DEALS for deep Reggae loving fans all over the world. Well, now we have another to add to the list and in a HUGE way. In trying to think of who else could have possibly released an album which would have elicited a similar response, I’m dealing with names like Turbulence, Jah Mason, Fantan Mojah and CHUCK FENDA. When I saw Chuck Fenda had an album coming what must have been around six weeks ago or so, I smiled a smile so wide that my face hurt. Apart from being WELL within that scope of artists who exhibit top flight skill, but are generally not lauded as much as some of his more famous peers, I mean. . . Chuck Fenda is just WICKED! He also had, a couple of years back, what has to be considered one of the most popular ‘underground-overground’ releases with the increasing MASSIVE The Living Fire album from Greensleeves. That album definitely turned (and continues to turn) quite a few heads and never mind the continued rise in stature the artist has enjoyed over the last couple of years (actually you could well go back around five years or so, back to the ‘I Swear’ days). Still, the New York born chanter remains arguably the most popular and definitely one of the most talented of a group of some of the most respected names in the game and, unlike even some of his more well known peers, his CONSISTENCY is always on point, having gotten to the point where virtually the name Chuck Fenda alone can guarantee the quality of a project. Also, Fenda is one of an even more select group of artists whose music definitely has quite a bit of IMPACT. You can trust that there won’t be much (if any at all) in the way of just ’fillers’ in his music because, even he seems as if (WONDERFULLY) he only makes a tune when he has something to say. Now, if all of that weren’t enough to grab my attention (and it certainly was), then the fact that Chuck Fenda’s new album, his third studio release to date, Fulfillment, was produced by the BEST ROOTS REGGAE PRODUCER IN THE WORLD, Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor, certainly would have been the deciding factour for me. Fulfillment, in my opinion, comes in the absolute perfect time for the artist and does arrive via industry leader, VP Records, and becomes Fenda’s debut on the biggest level in Reggae (although Greensleeves wasn’t far from it) and, although, as I said, for the most part it is heavy Reggae fans who will ultimately support it, Fulfillment almost instantly becomes the highest profile release of Fenda’s career and when you REALLY start to dig into it, you see that he pulled out his ‘A Game’ for the occasion. McGregor’s style of production (if you aren’t familiar), is to make these VERY sprawling and beautifully vibed and crafted riddims and while you might not normally associate such a thing with Chuck Fenda, who would, at least ostensibly, given his style, benefit on a larger scale from having more of a discernible EDGE to his music, but that isn’t the case here. Fulfillment, by it’s end, ‘fulfills’ the talk I’ve given it and not only becomes an absolute must for Reggae fans in 2009, but proves to be one the deepest and downright BEST albums of the year.
ars (actually you could well go back around five years or so, back to the ‘I Swear’ days). Still, the New York born chanter remains arguably the most popular and definitely one of the most talented of a group of some of the most respected names in the game and, unlike even some of his more well known peers, his CONSISTENCY is always on point, having gotten to the point where virtually the name Chuck Fenda alone can guarantee the quality of a project. Also, Fenda is one of an even more select group of artists whose music definitely has quite a bit of IMPACT. You can trust that there won’t be much (if any at all) in the way of just ’fillers’ in his music because, even he seems as if (WONDERFULLY) he only makes a tune when he has something to say. Now, if all of that weren’t enough to grab my attention (and it certainly was), then the fact that Chuck Fenda’s new album, his third studio release to date, Fulfillment, was produced by the BEST ROOTS REGGAE PRODUCER IN THE WORLD, Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor, certainly would have been the deciding factour for me. Fulfillment, in my opinion, comes in the absolute perfect time for the artist and does arrive via industry leader, VP Records, and becomes Fenda’s debut on the biggest level in Reggae (although Greensleeves wasn’t far from it) and, although, as I said, for the most part it is heavy Reggae fans who will ultimately support it, Fulfillment almost instantly becomes the highest profile release of Fenda’s career and when you REALLY start to dig into it, you see that he pulled out his ‘A Game’ for the occasion. McGregor’s style of production (if you aren’t familiar), is to make these VERY sprawling and beautifully vibed and crafted riddims and while you might not normally associate such a thing with Chuck Fenda, who would, at least ostensibly, given his style, benefit on a larger scale from having more of a discernible EDGE to his music, but that isn’t the case here. Fulfillment, by it’s end, ‘fulfills’ the talk I’ve given it and not only becomes an absolute must for Reggae fans in 2009, but proves to be one the deepest and downright BEST albums of the year. The real sticking point, I found, on the album is generally what you will find with Chuck Fenda’s material: The IMPACT. The ‘Poor People’s Defenda’, as I said, seems to only make music when he has a point to make and on Fulfillment things are well in that fashion and for what he has to say, he is afforded some of the best riddims in the business within Kemar McGregor’s No Doubt Records’ catalogue. Such as on the opener for Chuck Fenda‘s new album Fulfillment, where Fenda takes No Doubt’s own brand new piece, The Ghetto Riddim, for a spin. Seemingly to make his allegiances CRYSTAL CLEAR (as if he needed to) (and he didn’t) Chuck Fenda declares ‘I Am For The Poor’ to get things going and does so in wondrous fashion. This tune has been growing on me (and quite a few others) steadily over the past few weeks, with my ears now been wide open to the message. It’s not the kind of clichéd and stereotypically vibed tune as you might expect (nothing over that riddim was if I recall correctly), but it’s a very poignantly written and simply NICE vibes to get things going. Fenda then reaches for the mighty 83 Riddim to back the next tune in, ‘Heights’. If I’m correct, the 83 marked the onset of the working relationship between McGregor and Fenda and it’s still sounding so nice as when it first reached. You’ll almost certainly have to spin this one several times before you get it’s genuine strength (it’s simultaneously over and under stated in its duration), but when you do, I’m sure you, like me, will recognize the BIG social commentary as one of Fulfillments best tunes altogether. Then is ‘Getting Serious’ from Simone Fletcher’s Nylon Riddim for Shane Brown’s Jukeboxx Productions. I’ve gone through it with this song! Originally I didn’t like it very much and, even now, I still wouldn’t necessarily say that I ‘LOVE’ it. However, this time in a year or so and I might as it has well grown considerably on my tastes throughout the nearly year since I first heard the tune (and it also features one of THE lines of the album, “Come face the judgment. Nowhere fi hide, run to di rock, di rock waan look somewhere fi hide!”).
Going down the tracklist for Fulfillment and DEFINITELY three tunes stick out on paper, the three combinations, all of which were pleasant surprises. The first being of which is both the biggest surprise and the most pleasant as Chuck Fenda takes on Sammy Dread’s seminal ’M-16’ and remakes it (Dread in tow) as ‘Bad Boy‘. By the slimmest of margins, the slow growingly MASSIVE Bad Boy is the greatest thing I hear on Fulfillment altogether and I was so pleased to see this combination in particular as I’ve always maintained that Fenda, in terms of approach, is an artist who would have fit well into any era and on Bad Boy he proves me near prophetic. HUGE tune. As much of a surprise as Bad Boy certainly was, ‘Thin Line’ is arguably just as much, as it features Chuck Fenda alongside (now) label mate I Wayne. The rather ‘elusive’ singer from out of Portmore would seemingly be on the verge of an album release of his own in 2010 and he’s been in fine form lately with the LOVELY Thin Line being a recent highlight and I’m well thinking about reconsidering my choice of Bad Boy as the album’s finest moment. The final combination on the album, ‘Tough Time’ features Bushman (!) alongside Fenda and is another well done moment. I’m always to happy to see Bushman on a project, pretty much ANYWHERE, but he doesn’t typically (for some reason) make for good combination tunes (unless your name is I-Lue, of course), but Tough Time is ANOTHER big tune here as the two make the vibes very nice together speaking of how the masses are to hang tough when things aren’t exactly going well. Although, being quite the fan of McGregor’s, I’m very familiar with a few tunes (including the aforementioned opening lot), but besides the combinations on Fulfillment, there were a few very nice surprises. The very VAST tune ‘The Devil Is A Liar’ is probably the biggest of that bunch. You can take this tune in so many ways, both the abstract and the tangible, but the way I ended up resolving it is to simply take away the NEGATIVE (‘Devil’) and lean towards the positive, whatever that may mean to you personally, it’s still a very lovely vibes. The tune ‘Cold For The Money’ is one which definitely had me kind of vexed when I first heard it (and when you first hear it, you’ll know why), but Fenda wastes no time in delivering one of the most powerful messages on Fulfillment altogether. The tune speaks about generally eschewing the more material and vain aspects of life (like money) when you have far more important things to focus on. Again, the tune for me, is very vast and I could dive in on that one and work almost endlessly, so I well love the ideology behind it on that level as well. The final stretch of tunes on Fulfillment (actually from #10 all the way through to the end) feature predominately new tunes (at least to me) and of pretty much very nice quality. The acoustic number ‘I Want To Be Free’ somewhat caught me off guard as, simply based on the title, I wasn’t expecting very much at all. I’m still not completely ‘sold’ on the tune still, however, it’s definitely something not to be missed and I would imagine that after a few more spins I may just hold it in even higher esteem. ‘Why Should I’ was another welcome surprise (even though this one sounds VERY familiar), as it seems to play to another of Chuck Fenda’s less talked about talents, the straight forward chanting style. You’ll hear him called a variety of things (including “chanter”), in terms of his style, but I think he has a perceptible dimension of a PURE chanter (think of a Fantan Mojah type of vibes) and on Why Should I, Fenda absolutely FLIES on the downright sparkling tunes for His Majesty. In terms of giving thanks (and just generally speaking as well), Why Should I is topped on the Nyah drum backed closer ‘Our Father’ (and when that acoustic piece came through earlier, I Want To Be Free, you knew the ending would be a Nyah tune). Our Father is SPECTACULAR (literally) and gives any tune on Fulfillment a run as the finest on the album (and you could definitely make that case). Regardless of its standing here, however, the tune, another chanting vibes, is one MIGHTY Rastafari affirmation and you’d have quite the task in choosing a more appropriate closer for the album in my opinion. Fenda wraps the tune from a lyrical degree, in my opinion, early on when he unforgettably says on the very first verse, “My people be strong. Don’t do wrong. The journey is long. RASTAFARI HAVE THIS BATTLE WON!” Indeed He does and He also engineers the completion of this wonderful album.
I probably should also mention tunes like ‘Survivor’ (one of the album’s best), from the Rocksteady Riddim, ‘Herbalist Farmer’ from the Drop It (which actually appeared on his live album earlier this year also) and the LOVELY ‘Oh Lord Forgive Them’ from the Sweet Riddim. All of these tunes are very well done and heavy Reggae heads will recognize them almost immediately as singles and from No Doubt’s riddim albums.
Overall, I DEFINITELY still stand by what was essentially the foundation of this review: That a very strong case is to be made for the thought that Chuck Fenda’s Fulfillment album is one of the most important releases of the year, especially for hardcore Reggae fans. I can’t imagine that there will be some great surge or even a mock surge toward mainstream (probably EVER) with the album or with Fenda’s music in general. This one is almost SPECIFICALLY for Reggae fan and for us, it has to be considered one of the best of its kind. The one even remotely solid critique here, that there are too many familiar tunes on the album, is eliminated in my opinion, particularly on the album’s second half. I’m not proclaiming Fulfillment the best album of 2009, because it just isn’t, but what it is, is everything we hoped it would be. Fulfillment is TOP NOTCH modern Roots Reggae from one its greatest current champions and one who, in all honesty (and humility) makes the music for those of us with the ‘ability’ to love it. And if you’re a bit more established fan of the music and especially Chuck Fenda’s music, then you’ll do just that with Fulfillment: Just like I did.
Rated 4.50/5
VP Records
2009
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