I find out more and more everyday that the casual and 'mainstream' fan's perception of Reggae and Dancehall music is sometimes of the 'cookie-cutter' variety. Meaning that many people feel that there is a base style and that there're a helluva lot of artists who take slight variations on that style, but there are a TON of artists who sound nearly identical. Well you know what? They're kind of right. Distinguishing one's self in Reggae can definitely be a difficult thing and doing so POSITIVELY can be downright impossible for some. Thankfully, there're some artists who don't have to try very hard in either case. These are artists who, by little (if any at all) more than being themselves, have STYLES which keep themselves in a category of sound of their very own. These are artists with 'Special Deliveries', singers edition.
{Note: Artists are ranked by their uniqueness and the effectiveness and appeal of said uniqueness, NOT by lyrics}
{note 2: Of course, as usual, I try to focus on the current}
{note 3: I intentionally made an exception for one Soca artist}
{note 4: Part 2 of this list [Chanters & DJ's] will probably be next week}
{note 5: Biggup Pavel}
{Honourable Mentions: Bitty McLean (who was #10 before I remembered Hero) and Moses I}
#10. Straika D [T’sion Anbessa]
Expression of Versatility. If you’ve never heard the name Straika D (then that’s fucked up for you, because apparently, he just changed it), well it’s time you became acquainted with this WICKED singer from out of Martinique. I’ve tried to mention Straika as much as I possibly could over the last few years, since I’ve become aware of him and his music. What attracted me first is the fact that he seems to be the singing answer to a countless number of Roots chanters (many of whom you’re certain to see on the second installment o this list) who rather freely try their hand at singing with varying degrees of success. Straika does the same thing with chanting and deejaying with STELLAR results and he doesn’t do it for lack of developing a single style: As a singer he may just be the most talented Frenchie artist that I’ve stumbled upon thus far, period.
#9. Romain Virgo
Back To The Future. Former Digicel Rising Stars winner Romain Virgo, like Bitty McLean, is another artist here who may have come in a generation less accepting of his talents than a previous one. HOWEVER, Virgo seems to be in the process of making an entirely new genre for his style as he becomes more and more popular. It’s more than just becoming ‘the new Sanchez’ or the new whoever, which people like to call him, it’s a matter of showing that with just a hint of US R&B styled vibes, that old school style can work like a charm and despite the fact that he indeed does remain a rarity RIGHT NOW, I can’t imagine that it’ll be too long at all before you’ll see literally dozens of young artists turned loverman (which will be hilarious), in hopes of achieving similar success and because it’s not just a gimmick, most will surely fail.
#8. Lil’ Hero
Lil’ Different. I don’t know how long Hero has been around, seemingly since I was a small child, and for all of the time he’s taken off over the years due to his accident and whatever else he’s had going on, he’s always remained in the back of my mind somewhere (obviously it takes me awhile to remember him, which is why I finished this entire list only to remember that I forgot him) as quietly one of my favourite singers. Undoubtedly that has quite a bit to do with the fact that he just makes GREAT music, but it also has a bit to do with his very different sound. He sings like a kid whose voice hasn’t gotten where it’s going yet, but of course it has (he’s a grown ass man), so it allows him to purposely have this incredible control which almost like he’s throwing the voice at you. Yo-yo style.
#7. Empress Cherisse
The Hypnotist. You know what? I think I may have, somewhere along the way, incorrectly described Empress Cherisse as being somewhat mechanical or ‘rigid’ in her style. I was wrong. Each and every time I hear this woman’s voice these day’s, my eyes start to get a little heavy, I start to feel very comfortable and just GOOD in general. That voice is soooooooooo damn soothing and deceptively powerful that Cherisse could very be in the process of becoming one of my absolute FAVOURITE singers in the game altogether. I think she could have success with a variety of different styles, but it’s very unlikely that she’ll ever venture beyond the incredibly comfortably confines of the HEAVY Roots Reggae that she sings, and you know what? It’s probably for the best, she’s truly one of a kind.
#6. Ginjah
Who Got Next? Besides definitely have an unusual sound, the fragile voiced Ginjah is also on my shortlist of ‘next big things’ in Reggae music because of his overall talent levels. The man has been on one helluva streak for a couple of years now and I think it definitely has something to do with his unique sound. I hear a lot of ‘air’ in his voice and that usually means (to my experience) that someone isn’t REALLY pushing their voice, but what I do hear is something so HUGE that it almost doesn’t even register: I couldn’t tell you who Ginjah sounds like and I couldn’t tell you which two artists combine to make a sound similar to his, I’d have to use three or maybe even four to get the vibes of that tone, and you get used to it, you’re going to be hearing a TON more of it in the years to come.
#5. I-Wayne
Odd Man Out. Undoubtedly were I not SO used to and accustomed to hearing I-Wayne’s voice, he may have ranked as high as third on this list. Mr. Lava once dripped all over Reggae players worldwide with a style and a voice which was as unusual as the man himself and as we got to learn a bit about both, the artist became more and more devastating to the point where, again, the oddness of his voice almost became an afterthought. However, should you erase a little of your memory for a second and go back and just HEAR how the man sounds (or play it for someone who hasn’t heard it) and think of just how difficult retaining such a octave must be ALL THE DAMN TIME, you start once again to see I-Wayne as the original ‘I’m not quite sure what to think about him’ artist that he was from a few years back.
#4. Claudette 'CP' Peters
The Secret Weapon. The last time I saw Claudette Peters (I THINK) would have been as the final act earlier this year at TnT’s Soca Monarch. She essentially had NO way of winning that crown. She was the last act in the competition (period, Groovy was done, she was the last Power performance, TRULY the final act) and with Faye-Ann having already secured the crown and the audience having sat through all of the evening, our asses were tired! But, something in the back of my mind still say maybe she could do something. Why? Because in the body of this teeny-tiny little gal from Antigua is probably the most RIDICULOUS of voices in a genre which is the master of the ridiculous. Clearly born in a church somewhere, it’s seemingly a useless trait for her to have - all of that voice. You almost would see her go towards the Gospel or, at the very least (MOST) Reggae. But no, it just makes things all the more impressive when this ‘I don’t know how many times’ Antiguan Soca Monarch winner (I think she won the double twice, two years consecutively), ABSOLUTELY LOSES HER FUCKING MIND on a tune.
#3. Richie Spice
Pay Attention. Have you really listened to Richie Spice? I mean REALLY listened to him? If you have then what you’ve undoubtedly noticed is an artist who has about two or three different styles to him and seems to be very calculating about which he chooses to use and when he does so. Richie Spice is QUIETLY the singing equivalent to an artist who may very well top the second part of this list, because like that chanter (from ST. ANN’Z!), he’s not completely against just stopping his singing and YELLING if it really suits him. He’ll also talk at times, sing straight forward and every once awhile do a straight chanting style. I don’t know who this man thinks he’s fooling, but he may very well be the most unique BIG TIME talent in the game today, but you have to REALLY listen to catch it.
#2. Chezidek
The Martian. The first of two COMPLETELY no brainers. What in the hell is going on with Chezidek’s voice? Anyone? Didn’t think so. I am so curious how the (ST. ANN’Z NATIVE!) singer came to develop that voice and I’m hoping for the day that someone, somewhere will uncover the tapes of a 10-15 year old Chezidek singing a song, because I just want to know! I cannot begin to tell you how many people I’ve seen wit faces which just seem to screw up and jump to the side the very first time they hear a Chezidek vibes. That being said, whatever you want to call it, he’s used it WELL to his advantage and these days, Chezidek is one of the more active and CONSISTENT hitmakers in all of Roots Reggae. Period. But still - WHAT???!
#1. JAH CURE
Higher. . . Purely in terms of vocals - Jah Cure is EASILY the greatest singer who has ever walked the earth. EVER. I don’t care about some opera singer who can break crystals with their voices or some small Japanese woman who can make noises with her mouth to a riddim that only dogs can hear, he sounds better than all of them! Where Chezidek will elicit kind of these ‘hard’ stares, the response to a first timer hearing Jah Cures voice will almost always be the inevitable jaw dropped and wide eye glare not to say ‘what in the hell is going on here?’, but to say, ‘I’ve never heard ANYTHING like that in my entire life’.
Neither Have I.
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