Let’s go back a few years to a time when you had a new and very interesting crop of young Roots Reggae artists who were emerging and establishing their names as some of the very best in the game. These were artists like I Wayne, like Warrior King, like Turbulence, Jah Cure (to an extent). [Mr.] Perfect and Fantan Mojah and they were being looked at as the ‘class’ of artists who were going to essentially ‘replace’ the lot of Capleton, Sizzla, Anthony B and Luciano and be the next BIG artists being looked up to and being revered as the top names. Fast forward a few years and, essentially, it’s STILL Capleton, Sizzla, Anthony B and Luciano who’re starring in the show (which isn’t a surprise at all, just ask Beenie Man and Bounty Killer), but definitely the newer artists have made their impact and some of them have become quite popular and stars in their own right. And now, as it does, Reggae-time has continued and now with Tarrus Riley, Etana, Alborosie, Duane Stephenson and Queen Ifrica (and others like I-Octane) are the talk of the town and now they’re expected to take over things at some point. However, when you DIAPHANOUSLY (biggup the thesaurus for that one!) begin to dig through things, you start to notice that there have been quite a few artists who have kind of ‘fallen through the cracks’ and haven’t been looked upon as being the artists they were either though to become, or they actually have become while not too many people were paying attention. Names like Ras Shiloh come to mind and others such as Bascom X and maybe even someone like Trini chanter Khari Kill also, as names that just don’t seem like they have been afforded their proper opportunity to ‘shine’. That being said, while Ras Shiloh can definitely claim to being one of the most interesting and BEST of the bunch and both Bascom X and Khari Kill are WELL talented, probably the closest to the ‘total package’ of these types of artists is ‘the man from the east’ Natty King. The King would at least seem to be one of the more interesting cases here because he has both the marketability and the actual SKILL. Furthermore, if you look at some of the artists that I listed, quite a bit of them (one way or another), ended up doing extensive work with the industry’s leader, VP Records (I Wayne, Warrior King, Turbulence, Jah Cure, Fantan Mojah, and of course Etana, Riley etc.) but Natty King never got that opportunity (even Shiloh has). Why? I HAVE NO IDEA.
Specifically, I always felt that Natty King would have worked so well at VP Records. If you really think about it, if he were ever provided that VAST promotional vehicle, he would develop an audience MUCH in the same fashion as his former idol and VP artist, Luciano (if not the EXACT same audience), which the label has undoubtedly also helped to develop for ‘The Messenjah’. No. After breaking out and scoring with his DOMINANT hit, No Guns To Town and then further substantiating that tune with other tunes such as ‘Mr. Greedy‘, ‘Easy Officer‘, ‘When The Money Done’ and ‘Love Me’ which helped to even further push his name. It did work DEFINITELY to the tune of earning Natty King his debut album, No Guns To Town, which seems like it was released about twenty years ago, when it really released only back in 2005. That album was pushed by Insight Records and distributed via Jet Star and was pure QUALITY. It was one of the better debut albums you’ll hear from the past decade or so and was one of the most anticipated pieces of its time (especially to me, I still love that album0. Since then, however, you don’t really hear very much about Natty King’s music as it simply just isn’t pushed, not only to the levels of someone like a Luciano (which is given at this point), but someone else who has come closer to the ‘pack’ so to speak, like Turbulence, his music will even get a stronger push than Natty King’s and (at least it seems so), he is afforded almost infinitely more recording opportunities and I can list literally DOZENS of strong Roots riddims that Natty King hasn’t voiced. On top of that, WHEN he does get that opportunity, the King’s songs and his vibes are HEAVY! Natty King has sung two of my very favourite tunes of the past year or so, the MASSIVE Slew U In The Open on the iLove riddim and, most recently the equally MASSIVE Fyah Bed from the King’s Highway Riddim (you’ll also LOVE a tune name The Calling on the Gangstalaw Riddim). THANKFULLY, Natty King has also found a home with one Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor, the strongest of the Jamaican Roots producers and quietly has also made such a pretty nice impact with some of the better and most CONSISTENT material of his career (not to say that consistency has been a problem for the King, because it hasn’t and I really mean “consistent” more so in the terms of time, continuously recording). Now, just as thankfully, the two have linked up for Natty King’s sophomore release, the appropriately titled Trodding. This album? I wasn’t quite sure if the planets would EVER realign themselves appropriately in order to make it possible that we would get a new Natty King album, but apparently McGregor, and Tad’s Records (whose Digital Link International releases Trodding) (distributed by the lovely people at Zojak Worldwide) have decided that NOW is the time. The album, of course, showcases quite a bit of the work which Natty King has been doing with McGregor’s No Doubt Records imprint and nicely so as the big, vibrant and colourful pieces which McGregor and company build are generally right up Natty King’s alley (as they are for generally EVERYONE they record) and allow him to be at or quite close his very best each and every time out. What struck me here is my general response to the artist. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve last had this much content from Natty King and although I haven’t exactly been bawling out for it to everyone I meet, Trodding would have more than met my expectations even if I had been.
It’s interesting that I used to almost immediately equate Natty King’s voice and style with Luciano, but, in truth, he sounds almost NOTHING like his former idol. The King’s voice is much more lively and personable than that of the legendary singer from out of Manchester and I’m almost kind of embarrassed that I once thought they sounded virtually indistinguishable. Up first to attempt to set itself out from the pack on Natty King’s new album, Trodding, and being VERY successful at doing so is the album’s MASSIVE title track. ‘Trodding’ was a song so fortunate as to play across one of the first riddims I heard from McGregor and what is, in my opinion, still his finest, the Triumphant, and the tune makes a GREAT case as the riddim’s finest effort (even over more popular pieces such as Gyptian’s tune ‘Mama’) as Natty King absolutely dazzles on the SPECTACULARLY done repatriation anthem and shows off the fantastic range of his awesome vocals as well. Huge opening and the best tune I hear on the album named after it. Up next is the very familiar and uplifting ‘Mi Black Bredda’. This tune is downright SPARKLING and it urges all to let go the violence and generally unnecessary things and replace them VASTLY with love. The tune also features the King adding a bit from the late and great Garnet Silk and spreading it in nicely which is not to be missed. Lastly on the opening bit is the empowering tune ’Fit Yuh Afi Fit’. This tune is BIG. Coming across what sounds like a relick of the Rudeboy Shuffling riddim, the tune doesn’t do much in the way of variation. It won’t catch you off guard at all, but it sounds so nice and really, upon further scrutiny, still remains one of the strongest tunes on Trodding long after the final tune has spun.
Sprinkled in throughout Trodding are tunes and vibes with which I am pretty familiar, but I was pleasantly surprised to see quite a bit of the album to be largely new to me (I’m pretty sure the album is full of tunes which have been voiced over the years). One of the very best tunes here which I hadn’t ever heard prior to the album is the shining ‘Jah Name’. This one is just out together SO WELL and, in doing so, the way it is presented makes up for any deficiencies it may have (it isn’t necessarily the strongest tune lyrically on the album). The tune ultimately is one LARGE tune giving thanks to His Imperial Majesty and when Natty King sounds like this, he’s damn near impossible to ignore. ‘Rasta Man She Like’ is a tune about a well tried and pretty much worn subject at this point and Natty King doesn’t have anything new to add to it, but the tune isn’t one you should necessarily skip over because of that (very impressive chorus on that one). Another new tune which DEFINITELY caught my attentions was the BIG vibed ‘Highli (Haile) High’. This one builds on the vibes started by Jah Name and even improves on it to my opinion. The vibes here are just so strong and, again, I don’t recall hearing it too much of anywhere, so good luck finding it if you aren’t picking this one up. Check ‘I See Dem’ which comes in absolutely KNOCKING! You can very well tell from the initial few bits of the tune that it’s going to be a strong one and it definitely lives up to those early expectations and anticipations as Natty King calls down HEAVY judgment for the murderous, parasitic and just all around FUCKED UP members of society who promote wickedness (check the line, “I know dem. Yes ah di devil a grow dem!”). as the tune develops the King begins to add different (SPECIFIC) examples which highlight it and just add to its brilliance. BIG tune. The curiously titled and old school vibed ‘O Beyond To Dem’ REALLY caught my attentions way before I had even spun the tune. The title becomes even more curious when you actually listen the tune (it actually is a phonetic way of writing the title. What he actually says is ‘Woe Be On To Dem’), but it is LARGE. Besides the riddim, I also like Natty King’s pacing on the tune which is also of that old school way and it also follows well, in terms of subject matter, the very similar I See Dem. Speaking of titles, ‘Rat-ta-tat’ was another one (DUH) that jumps off the paper at you. This one, although a bit more predictable (it is, just as you would imagine, an anti-violence tune), but in terms of how it’s carried out, it isn’t the standard and clichéd “love your bredrin and sistren and put down the guns” type of show, it’s entirely more clever and ‘clever’ is an excellent word for it as it is one of the most such and BEST tunes on Trodding altogether (and the SOUND of the tune is also top notch, wonderful combination of qualities to have). McGregor taps into another CLASSIC vibes to back the King on the excellent tune, ‘Police’. A few years back I recall news of Natty King having a run in with the law (for herb) and apparently this tune is a kind of slap at those who he feels were wasting their time with him (and they were) and he goes further to make the tune a social commentary of sorts as well and I love the vibes on that one, really have to have an ear for the old school to appreciate it. Down the stretch of Trodding a couple of the tunes I was hoping to see here FINALLY show up (although still missing is ‘Dem No Real’ from the Trumpet riddim). The first of the two is ‘No More War’ from the Flute [aka the Road Block] (I THINK) riddim, a few years back. The tune, as you would expect, is another anti-violence piece and I’ve always enjoyed the tune (and that kind of ‘spiraling’ riddim as well). And then there’s the music praising tune, ’Good Vibes’, from the WONDERFUL Key riddim. This one finds Natty King sounding so nice over a riddim which did absolutely nothing but support big vibes and DEFINITELY Good Vibes was one of the biggest. That tune would have been a very nice way to close matters here, but taking clean up honours’ is another classically vibed tune, ‘Marijuana’. This one isn’t necessarily one of my favourites on Trodding and I kind of think it’s out of place here at the end, but it is by no means a BAD song and the herbalist tune remains one which I hope Natty King continues to develop further in his arsenal.
Also do check Weh Dem Love Gone which rides the same riddim as Gyptian’s tune ‘Take My Money’, but is LEAPS AND BOUNDS ahead of that piece and is honestly one of the best pieces on Trodding.
Overall, Trodding is VERY GOOD. I would have loved for McGregor to even further open the vaults and let Natty King go on the 83 and the Rub-A-Dub riddims, respectively, but as I said, I’m pretty sure (and know) the majority of the album was voiced from awhile back, so maybe we can look forward to a next offering from the duo (and hopefully we won’t have to wait another four years to get it). I’m always SO HAPPY to see Natty King’s name pop up almost anywhere because, just in being there, his is one of a very select few that virtually GUARANTEES high quality and top notch vibes. I hope Trodding is just the beginning, of a second, kind to seeing him being more and more active and productive for 2009 and beyond. If it is, what a nice start.
Rated 4.25/5
Digital Link International/Zojak Worldwide
2009
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