And think about some of your favourite labels and your favourite producers in Reggae music. If you think about, specifically, how those labels came to be who they are and came to be what appeals to you. In most cases, you’ll see an interesting trajectory which may start with something like ‘Producer A’ decides to become a producer and in doing so he/she aligns himself with ‘Artist A’. Most labels tend to have ‘favourites’ to put it flatly and in the case of newer labels and producers it’s glaringly clear. I could give you quite a few examples of the likes of Don Corleon, who basically had his early successes tied onto those of the one Vybz Kartel, with SO MANY of the DJ’s early hits being produced by Corleon. And now, when you look how they’ve reached the levels to which they’ve come (and having sensed declined recording with each other quite a bit), I think it’s far more than just a coincidence. Also you can look at Stephen ‘Di Genius’ McGregor. While his own personal fame has fairly outshined any of his artists at this point (unless you’re counting his Father as his artist) (and I’m not), you also see that his brother Chino, at this point, is tied in with the wunderkind and, by extension, ask yourself what might become of him if Stephen just decided to quit the business today and go and do something else. However, what I’d like to speak on here is a rather strange expansion of this concept. To use, again, Corleon as an example: Of course you recall Kartel and Corleone vibing together and making a steady stream of hits, but do you remember Wayne Marshall and Corleon doing the same thing? Are you paying attention (you DEFINITELY need to be) to the WICKED Bramma De Bomba, who also records with McGregor (and is, in my opinion, leaps and bounds ahead of Chino in terms of actual skill and application of skill at this point)? What about the oft-mentioned Kemar ’Flava’ McGregor? Despite the fact that he is well known for voicing some of the biggest names in the Roots Reggae genre (from all over the world), and even albums for them, do you remember that there used to be a BIG artist by the name of Prestige who used to wonderfully work out each and every one of Flava’s riddims which passed through. At the height of his powers, Stephen ‘Lenky’ Marsden routinely gave shots to a young artist (who I honestly didn’t like) named Zumjay. You can also apply this concept with a bit of historical perspective, which would bring you to artists like Prince Malachi, everyone who used to voice for Main Street not named Red Rat and ESPECIALLY Wayne Wonder. These are artists who MAY not have the biggest of names (but then again, they just might), but they kind of ‘tag along’ to certain producers and eventually gain access to their audiences doing just that. Well it’s time to add another name to that group and this one, Lorenzo, is actually WELL TALENTED also.
If you aren’t very familiar with one of my favourite international labels, French based Irie Ites, then the name Lorenzo, in the scope of Reggae music, may not be very recognizable to you either. However, if you do the well solid label and it’s many WONDERFUL productions, then certainly, you’ve ran into the singer more than a few times through the years. Personally, I first saw his name back on the EXCELLENT 2004 release, Pack Up And Leave from Guyanese chanter Ras Mac Bean, where he had a very nice combination, ‘Forgive Dem Jah’ alongside Mac Bean. Since then, Lorenzo has been afforded nearly EVERY (if not each and every single one of them) riddim which Irie Ites has pushed and, apart from Ras Mac Bean, he’s probably been overshadowed by the likes of Luan Fyah, Turbulence and some of the other well known artists who usually voice Irie Ites’ projects. Well, apparently there is something to be said for perseverance as, even though you won’t find an album produced by Irie Ites in the well discussed pasts of Lutan Fyah or Turbulence (or Chezidek Spectacular whom they also voice very consistently), you’ll now find such a project for Lorenzo with Movin’ Ahead. This album was certainly a (very welcome) surprise to me. I didn’t know that Lorenzo’s music was doing much damage at all for Irie Ites and I don’t remember hearing any of his tunes playing in the Caribbean anywhere or any general buzz about the artist. But apparently in Europe he’s quite the big deal and the anticipation for a debut album from Lorenzo has been quite high (and we give thanks for European Reggae heads). I don’t think I would’ve ever said such a thing, but Movin’ Ahead is an album I probably would have NEVER expected to see though, but it DEFINITELY validates its existence and does so almost instantly. What you’ll find throughout the album is, essentially, a very well done and incredibly compelling and interesting introduction to the artist that is Lorenzo. It’s also interesting and worth noting that the singer, more or less, went through his developmental years voicing Irie Ites projects (in fact, that’s the majority of what he’s done altogether over the years), so what you’re basically seeing in the album is Lorenzo at what is probably his ABSOLUTE best. He knows this material like the back of his hand, he’s been honing his craft at it for years and on the very first tune and through the duration of the album, with nearly every stop, he shows it and then some. Lorenzo is basically a singer (although you could call him a chanter, I GUESS) and I’ve described his sound as being somewhere between the genteel Martian-like tones you hear from Chezidek (more on him in a minute) and when Turbulence REALLY fires up the vocals. Lorenzo is somewhere in there in my opinion and what I learned on Movin’ Ahead (as if I didn’t know it already) is that he also fits into that ilk of artist as a WRITER. Some of the vibes on this album are HUGE, from a lyrical standpoint and although there is well room for improvement (there generally is), for someone who was almost never in that great limelight like several of his peers, Lorenzo now pushes himself into primetime with his excellent debut album.
Besides having the backing of Irie Ites, one of the world’s finest (and most consistent) Roots Reggae imprints, having a very nice delivery and very nice musical sense, Lorenzo also has going for him the fact that he was born in the greatest place in the world, ST. ANN’Z! Continuing a very nice line of artists (and writers **wink wink**) from the magical parish, currently joining the likes of Chezidek, Perfect and Ras Myrhdak, amongst others. All magic which resides on Lorenzo’s debut album Movin’ Ahead begins with what is my choice as the album’s finest tune altogether, the downright MOVING ‘Jah Love’. I know what you’re thinking: ‘Achis, the title is lame and stereotypical. What’s so good about this song???’, well I’ll tell you. It’s LOVELY. The tune brings in such an EMOTIONALLY inspirational and uplifting vibes that it almost catches you off guard. The tune is also somewhat texturally different from a lyrical standpoint as Lorenzo, quite literally, goes through the process of seeing His Imperial Majesty as the source of his own inspiration and motivation by saying on the tune’s punch line “Jah Jah love is like a burning fire, that keeps on burning deep down in my soul”. That’s the feeling that comes with this song and continues in that wonderfully direct manner. HUGE VIBE! The next tune up, the title track, in my opinion a very conceptually fitting followup because it basically expands on the vibe of Jah Love. Her, Lorenzo beautifully declares himself prepared and energized for progression to the next station in life (whatever it may be), “through the powers of The Most High”. The tune also happens to be one of the best and most sonically pleasing on the album named after it and, linguistically speaking, perhaps the clear choice for the album’s title. Lastly, on the opening bit, is another STRONG effort as Lorenzo goes Eek-A-Mouse on the people with the bubbling ‘A Wa Do Dem’ which is one reaching at the frienemies of the world and those unfortunate enough to come into contact with such a person, “a wa do dem, a wa do dem? A say dem a mi friend but we know a pretend, dem a pretend”. This one pulls another very nice vibes, just listening to the song and the powerful message pushes near the top of the class on Movin’ Ahead.
As I said, if you’ve been paying attention to Irie Ites’ projects over the past few years, you’ve definitely become well acquainted with Lorenzo (perhaps even without knowing it) and some of the more familiar material on Movin’ Ahead is also some of the best here. Check ‘Only Solution’ from II’s riddim of the same name from last year. Only Solution is EPIC! This tune comes swaying in with a message that The King is the only solution for the wickedness going on in the world and those purveying such negativity are certain to face HIM one day. Mafia Fluxy laid the musicology for II’s Down In Jamaica riddim (as they do quite often for the label) and Lorenzo’s cut of the piece, the lovely ’Show Some Love’ is definitely one of its best (along with Lutan Fyah’s RIDICULOUS ‘Bad Traffic’, you NEED to hear that song). Right after Show Some Love, again, those similar vibes are reinforced through the antiviolence number ‘Gun Play’. This one comes through (Mafia & Fluxy again) Irie Ites’ relick of the classic Rocking Time riddim (a piece thought to be KILLED as Sizzla murdered it TWICE with ‘We Got It Right Here‘ and ‘Show More Love‘). Gun Play is fairly straight forward and standard in terms of message, but Lorenzo works this one for everything it has, pushing a passion for the vibes and the importance of the song which is simply not to be missed in my opinion. The tune here most likely to get most of the attention is the album’s only combination and another previously released tune, the obligatory herbalist tune, the hypnotic ‘Mr. Officer’ alongside Lorenzo neighbour, the aforementioned Chezidek. Besides being a MIGHTY tune, it also is one livicated to the late and great Mikey Dread and as the tune goes along (it’s nearly eight minutes long) it ASCENDS into this DIVINE dubbed out portion, just as The Dread would have intended. TEARS! TEARS on that tune! I also recognized, clear and far, one of the best tunes on Movin’ Ahead, ‘Life To Live [Love To Give]’ as it isn’t a II production, but instead comes so tightly over Jam’Strong’s Stronga riddim and you’ll absolutely love the bouncing nature of this one, combined with the message, almost guaranteed. And lastly familiar to my senses is the somewhat solemnly vibed, but nearly MASSIVE ‘A So Dem Stay’, over Irie Ites’ rebirthed version of the ‘Strange Things’ riddim (most of these riddims that I’ve mentioned also have albums of their own, nicely, including the Stronga). And as Movin’ Ahead winds down, there is a stretch of four tunes here which were completely new to me, two of which I COMPLETELY enjoyed. The first is actually one which I didn’t know if I completely liked at first, but it’s well grown on me, ‘Need My Lady’. On a cursory glance, the song is one which is, again, kind of a fair and standard lovers tune, but I think it’s better than that now. It’s a very well done vibes and each time I listen it I get something more out of it (and my wife LOVES this song). ‘Call Me’, I don’t like much. The tune is kind of a dark and murky sounding Dancehall/Hip-Hop tune of sorts and I don’t necessarily have a problem with such a thing, but this one really just doesn’t go anywhere (what I think would have helped would have been like the addition of a Dancehall artist, so Lorenzo wouldn’t have had to vibe the entire thing by himself). I’m also not completely sold on ‘The Way They’re Living’. This one is a Hip-Hop sounding tune, but lyrically, it’s pretty impressive (it even features one of the lines of the entire album when Lorenzo says, “they see progress and wanna break it up. When The Lion HIM a sleep, don’t wake HIM up!”) and I can well see myself enjoying the tune mightily in a month or so. And finally there’s the Nyah drum infused ‘Bless Me Jah’, which is OUTSTANDING! This is EASILY one of the best tunes on Movin’ Ahead altogether (and should you want to call It THE best, I won’t argue across that). The tune doesn’t shatter new ground or really go in much of a new or ‘revolutionary’ direction, but it just sounds so nice and is, at it’s core, so quietly passionate about the subject at hand (kind of like Lorenzo himself) as the singer calls on for a blessing for the future and with vibes like such, it’s one he’s sure to get.
Overall, yeah, you want this album. Ever since I’ve heard about Movin’ Ahead coming forth, I was very much so looking for to it, because it just seemed like such a wonderful IDEA from the guys at Irie Ites to push at this point. Again, Lorenzo has just kind of been ‘hanging out’ with the label for a long time and he hasn’t been that ‘all star’ performer, but much more like a utility player or a jack of all trades, which is, quite often’ just as important and that resonates THROUGHOUT Movin’ Ahead. Of course, that’s not to say that Lorenzo can’t be that all star (or that he isn’t that already, for that matter), but I still kind of appreciate it even more given the set of circumstances I think. Lorenzo is an artist who has well served his time in the shadows and hopefully Movin’ Ahead is a sign of more future roles for him in the spotlight. If you’re like me and are a heavy fan of modern Roots Reggae, after spinning through this album, you’ll be ready to drag him into that light, even if he doesn’t want to be there. Very well done.
Rated 4.20/5
Irie Ites
2009
{note: review is done on the digital version of the album. Reportedly, the actual disc has 3-4 more tunes, so you may want to see if you can find that. If you do choose that route, don't email Irie Ites asking them how to find it, because you will NEVER get a response! EVER!}
{note 2: thank you}
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