This list is a continuation of the initial list where we looked at some of the more 'interestingly talented' of Reggae singers. This time around, the conditions are the same, but the faces are different, as are the styles, because now we examine Roots Chanters and Dancehall DJ's who aren't of the stock and standard variety.
See Part 1 {especially the notes}
#10. Ms. Thing
Take Me To Your Leader. Chances are that you may not even remember this diminutive Dancehall diva very well if it all, but she’s still best known for her work with Beenie Man which pinnacled on the MASSIVE hit ‘Dude’. Ms. Thing was originally ’packaged’ as this very interesting DJ in who super producer Dave Kelly had taken great interest. WHY? I don’t know exactly but I think it must’ve had something to do the fact that, when at her very best, Ms. Thing had this very strange computer sound/alien/robot flow to which existed long after the voice effects (I THINK) of Dude were out of mind and far in the review mirror. In this age were autotune has become auto-overused and various other effects and trends are developing, wasn’t it so interesting to hear an artist who basically had her own BUILT-IN computer voice?
#9. Marlon Asher
Mr. Marlon Asher. As strange is this list is built to be, definitely there is still a place for simplicity and Trini artist Marlon Asher has that to spare, it is in fact the very reason why he is on this list. Ostensibly, Asher’s style is VERY straight forward. He’s one of several dozens of chanters who have a similar style. But you have ever REALLY listened to Marlon Asher? He sounds like Jah Cure, if the Cure were to completely abandon his singing style in favour of becoming a chanter (thus ruining the world), but keep his style. The very ’earthly’ and kind of familiar rasp go on to make overall what is definitely one of the most interesting artists we have, also one of the most interesting sounding.
#8. Fanton Mojah
The Pure Blood. We throw around the word ’chanter’ for an artist who deals with traditional Roots Reggae topics in a traditional (new or old) sense with the spoken word to the riddim, like a DJ in the Dancehall or a MC in Hip-Hop, but if you take the word in its more literal sense, the one name who comes to mind and does so with a dynamic and almost warming appeal, of course, is Fantan Mojah. When Mojah first began his rise to prominence with DIVINE tunes like ‘Hail The King (which I’m listening to right now for the first time in a minute, LOVE this song)’ and ‘Hungry’ and others which set himself as the premiere PURE styled chanter in the game and one who could present a style which was seemingly so ‘naturally engineered’ to be exactly what it was and in the music that it was: BEAUTIFUL!
#7. Ninja Man
25 Trick Pony. One could very well make the case that EVERY single tune Ninja Man has EVER made, like EVER, has been little more than mediocre at best. Why? His style isn’t one which lends itself very well to the recorded medium. You get to a point where it sounds as if he’s using and reusing the same melody over and over again. No. The Ninja’s style is one which is best appreciated live and in person where he brings with him a gift of ’immediacy’ that the Dancehall has just never seen. Ninja Man wasn’t as talented as the majority of his peers ostensibly. Supercat, Shabba Ranks, Papa San and others all had more talent in the studio, but all of them (including Papa San), were fighting for second place when it came to in person because what comes out of this man’s mouth and mind ON THE SPOT is some of the most brilliant stuff you’ll ever hear. So brilliant, in fact, that despite the fact that it undoubtedly loses quite a bit of its luster when you transfer it to an actual song and he hasn’t had a literal hit in a VERY long time, it is no wonder AT ALL that Ninja Man has continued to capture the imagination of Dancehall fans, younger and younger over the years - because he’s a genius.
#6. Norris Man
A Beautiful Mistake. I’m going to call Norris Man the ‘Pablo Picasso of Reggae’. Why? Because in terms of his actual style and style alone, he undoubtedly has one which is one of the oddest that I have ever heard and when it’s not at its best, it is absolutely HORRIBLE. You don’t know what is going on, you can’t listen to it and it is an ultimately useless big ass mess. But when it’s good? It is something unlike anything you have heard. He uses this admittedly UGLY wailing tone which you hear from people like Sizzla at very random moments (and most people complain about it even then) (and I’m one of them) but he makes it on works on levels which make PERFECT sense. Dig up a tune like ‘Persistence’ and notice this quite simple presentation of this tune but with a hint of the wailing piece which you’ll hear further on tunes like ‘Greatest Reward’ and of course, ‘Home & Away’. It’s not singing just quite . . . But it kind of is . . . I don’t know what the hell it is actually, but it belongs to him and him alone and when at its best, it is devastating.
#5. Aidonia
Next. It’s interesting that you won’t find someone on this list who up until the past 2-3 years would have been the very definition of a ‘special delivery’ in Vybz Kartel, but you will definitely find his ‘offspring’, the downright techno strange Aidonia. As his name would suggest (at least to me), ‘Donia’s style is one which is an almost post-modern construct. This is how people will deejay in Dancehall in about a hundred years or so. Each word so RIDICULOUSLY melded into both the word after and before it that if you turn the riddim up behind the vocals, it almost sounds like someone is very agitated and humming. But of course what actually is going on is a downright SICK plucking together of phrases (which usually make sense) (violent sense that is) and when you slow them down, still appreciable is the power of the words, but when at his terrifyingly speed demon best, Aidonia has to be considered one of the greatest WONDERS of the entire scope of modern Dancehall.
#4. Lyricson
The One. So maybe I forgot to put Lyricson on the first part of this list, but it definitely doesn’t minimize the uniqueness of the Afrikan born chanter (don’t start). First of all there’s his style. There is this very unusual sounding but LOVELY level he reaches when he pushes his voice which sounds unlike anything I’ve ever heard and SERIOUSLY, should he someday top out his voice, he may actually have one of the most impressive singing voices to be found in the current landscape of modern Reggae, altogether. There’s that and there’s the fact that within the landscape of French, French Caribbean and French based Reggae hierarchy, Lyricson is one of a very select bunch who delivers mostly in English (in fact, I can’t think of another outside of Cali P who is more removed from that scene). So not only is the work ‘special’ but so even are the tools used to create it. Both are also BEAUTIFUL.
#3. Rebellion The Recaller
Trillion Stylez. You remember that Terminator movie with the one terminator who was Arnold and basically regular (mechanical indestructible) man and the other was essentially this gelatinous goo which could transfer itself into anything its computer could process the image of? That gelatinous gooey Terminator is what comes to mind (in a good way, of course) when I think of up and coming Afrikan star Rebellion The Recaller. No. He doesn’t just add to his style any other artist that he can think of, but his base style - A very OPEN (almost Norris Man like) style of chant is one which has ABSOLUTELY no problem going any and everywhere without warning. He’ll chant, he’ll sing, he’ll deejay, he’ll do whatever in the hell it takes to get his message across and you know what? You’ll like it too.
#2. Perfect
Wild Fire. My wife once made the comment (respectfully) (at least I think it was) that Perfect’s style sounded like an artist who had Tourette Syndrome! No Perfect doesn’t pop off screaming obscenities at every given turn, but he does pop up screaming whenever he wants! Check the contrast: Remember there was the cool little romantic vibe ‘Handcart Bwoy (you better remember it) (dammit)’ and then the madness that was ‘Nuh Badda Mi’? There exists something called the ‘Giddimani Rules’ (or at least there should), which are these rules of tempo and pacing which apply only to Perfect apparently, because even amongst some of his more naturally gifted peers, NONE of them could manage to make even coherent a style which Perfect makes a giant part of his overall appeal definitely.
#1. Vaughn Benjamin
I Stand Alone. And then there’s Vaughn Benjamin. You want to deal ANYTHING in the realm of strange and you’re dealing with Vaughn Benjamin. There’s his style in and of itself which tends to hinge on several things, not the least of which is how Benjamin seemingly felt that day when he recorded it. I’m not to take it into account, but I am anyway in this case, there’re his lyrics, which in the way they’re written, even if he was a straight forward Dub Poet, would make him quite different and then there is the actual delivery. I don’t know if he just doesn’t care sometime or if he can’t actually hear it, but how many times have you listened to Vaughn Benjamin and heard him COMPLETELY ignoring the melody of the riddim and seemingly doing so on purpose (like ‘I have a point to make, I’m going to make it, then I’m taking my ass home!). Thankfully, the KNOWLEDGE that usually crams itself on the ‘usual’ four minute long tune from Benjamin is worth the listen, because he DEFINITELY has the most special of special deliveries amongst chanters and DJ’s in Reggae today.
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