The Architect: A Review of Riddim Driven: Rock Steady by Various Artists

Of course in music it is the vocal artists who tend to reap the most attention and, probably, deservedly so as the people who work behind the scenes do so in order to make the vocalists even bigger stars. However, I find that within Reggae music especially, there has always been a situation where those who work behind the scenes tend to receive even MORE credit and, arguably, just as much, if not more attention than the vocal acts with whom they work. I have ABSOLUTELY no problem with this, especially in the case of a producer. In the case of the Dancehall, specifically, the trend which has developed as of the last few years is that we’ll see an up and coming producer either virtually align themselves with an equally up and coming artist and, in making tunes with that artist, will BUSS at the same time as that artist which is just such a wonderful case in my opinion. Definitely the prime case of this as of late would be Don Corleone and Vybz Kartel who BOTH rose to prominence alongside each other, more a half decade ago now. It was so interesting that when Kartel made it to his very first album, Up 2 Di Time, in 2003, most of the tunes on which he had established his name were done for Corleone. Songs like Sweet To The Belly, Why You Doing It and even underground hits like Start Well were all for the producer as were newer links at the time such as the hilarious Robbery and Kartel & Kardinal, a link with Canadian DJ/Hip-Hopper Kardinal Offishall. Kartel went on to, and still does, record with Corleone even after branching out more and more, with both having helped establish each other as TOP CLASS Dancehall talents. The same thing could be said, even more recently for production group Daseca, who did the same thing with Mavado (and Busy Signal sort of, but are now OFFICIALLY linked with Serani and Bugle). In the roots arena, however, things are a bit different, in my opinion because there is more and more competition. Think about it like this? How many international based WELL REGARDED producers of Dancehall music can you name? Sitting here thinking off of the top of my head, and sticking with non-French/Creole producers, the only one which comes to mind would be Elly Ess and company at Rock Star Entertainment, and even if I’m overlooking someone (which I have to think that I am) there is simply not that much competition. With Roots Reggae producers, however, there are relatively decent names on nearly every continent on the planet with whom ‘competition’ for the big artists and the big tunes are laid, essentially even taking Roots music to a global level even MORE competitive than back home in Jamaica.

However, were you to actually have a Jamaican producer who could, more or less, lay a substantial claim to being THE main Roots Reggae producer of the new school generation of artist, this person would hypothetically wield such an extreme level of power as he/she would have such an extreme access to THE big time artists, far more so than their international peers. If there were such an individual, its also fair to say that he/she would spend their years basically STOCKING hits for not only the solidified talents in the game, but the up and comers as well, to whom they would have access to LONG before international ears had even been opened to their vibes and if this producer actually has REAL SKILL, he/she might even be setting themselves up to be one of the greatest of all time. Well, thankfully such an individual does actually exist in this day and age as BY FAR the producer who has aligned himself not only with an artist or two, here and there (and he has done that as well) but the entire up and coming GENERATION of youths making music for His Majesty in Jamaica has been one (pretty young himself) Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor. If you can name a relatively successful Roots Reggae artist who has been making at least DECENT vibes within the past couple of years or so, McGregor has most likely voiced them (even if the artist is a bit past their best years) and done VERY good with them. And besides that, the man has scored full on HITS with many of them as well. AND, were that not enough (and it was) he has also produced full blown albums for several of them as well. Add to that mixing pot that it was McGregor who had a significant hand in the early development of one future superstar Gyptian and is currently serving the same role for the very gifted up and comer Nesbeth and the man has simply had the Midas Touch over the last few years. Of course, things have been quite well for him on his own as well as his productions have been getting so much attention and spins all over the world and he has been receiving probably more riddim albums than any producer on earth. Right now, in Jamaica’s Reggae landscape, there are two producers whose riddims are a virtual LOCK to make it to albums, Jukeboxx’s Shane Brown (because he actually has a deal) and McGregor. Thus, it is no surprise that he, just as he did in 2008 with the MASSIVE Rub-A-Dub riddim, which proved to be my favourite riddim of the year, McGregor and his No Doubt Records make their respective 2009 debut with the big Rock Steady Riddim (of course he had the Drop It Riddim release in between as well) on VP’s famed Riddim Driven series. To my ears, the Rock Steady is a bit different from McGregor’s other productions in that it is a bit more VIBRANT on the surface than some of the others and, as is his usual, what he does is seem to pick a base sound for the riddim (in this case, the Rock Steady has what sounds like a piano/key board) around which all of the other wonderful sounds revolve. As also is his usual, McGregor links some of the BIGGEST in big talent Jamaica has to offer and does so with a few twists and turns from a few No Doubt Records first timers. The results are yet another very well done project which, although it does reach the standards set by the HUGE Rub-A-Dub riddim, is certain to please any fan of modern Reggae, myself definitely included.

If I recall correctly, Kemar McGregor and No Doubt Records’ Rub-A-Dub riddim was the very first time they had linked with VP Records. That riddim featured so many of VP’s own talents like Etana, Morgan Heritage and Richie Spice, who had projects going at the time and BIG tunes on the riddim, that it seemed like a ‘no-brainer’ for move for VP to make. Consider it another no-brainer that the Rock Steady features no less than seven official VP/Greensleeves artists in its fifteen tunes and nine, in total, who have released albums for the now merged label. Also unsurprisingly is it that getting things started on Riddim Driven: Rock Steady from VP Records and No Doubt Records are no less than three consecutive VP artists all of whom do very good work. The first is the woman and the artist of the moment, Ms. Etana who is a holdover from the Rub-A-Dub and checks in on the Rock Steady with the OUTSTANDING Bad Mind which, at least in my opinion, tops the Rock Steady riddim as it’s finest tune altogether. Etana is an artist who I STILL don’t think has begun her prime and when she does, should she start consistently filing better tunes than Bad Mind, we may be looking at a legend in her. This tune is BEAUTIFUL and MEANINGFUL at the same time as the Princess of August Town sounds nearly PERFECT while taking a much deserved swipe at the bad minded and dirty hearted people. A HUGE tune and the sweetest opener possible with the riddim’s finest. Next up is a bit of a surprise as I-Wayne for the first time to my knowledge voices a No Doubt riddim (I could be wrong) with what turned out to be a decent hit for him, One Hit Wonder. The tune addresses the notion that the Portmore singer could somehow fade away in the game and become a one hit wonder of sorts. Of course, he wonderfully ties it together to make a point beyond just himself and really it was just interesting to hear him speak so openly on the matter. Big tune. Coming back from the Rub-A-Dub is also Mr. Plane Land himself, Richie Spice who rides the Rock Steady with Why Should I. I haven’t been too high on the singer as of late but I have to give credit where it’s due and Why Should I is a pretty nice vibes and Spice sounds VERY good on the vocals definitely. Very good opening.

Although the Rock Steady is brimming with artists from the Rub-A-Dub and/or typical No Doubt Records regulars, there were a couple of welcome surprises here I was very happy to see. Surprises like Cocoa Tea who comes in with a tune in Sweeter which requires a bit of listening to grow on you but when you really get it’s vibes, it’s a very nice tune and longtime I’ve waited to hear the coolest man on earth ride a Kemar McGregor riddim. Konshens’ is another name I was surprise to see voice the Rock Steady and he really, while going (RIDICULOUSLY) really straight forward on his tune, Let Me Know (almost sounding R&B-ish at times) proves to give a nice effort. Konshens, I feel, is an artist still searching for his real identity and in the meantime he’s all over the place and I’ve heard FAR worse ‘experiments’ than the lover’s tune Let Me Know (even though it is kind of corny). The biggest surprise here, however, was probably long underrated veteran sweet singing Stevie Face from out of St. Thomas (Jamaica). Face seems to be making a big statement with the quality of his recent tunes and his effort on the Rock Steady definitely has to be amongst his finest and I’m looking forward to seeing the singer on future No Doubt riddims. And if that weren’t enough sweet singing veterans for you (and it should’ve been), there’s also Glen Washington with a tune that missed his most recent album, Destiny (for VP, duh!) the very nice and solid lover’s vibe Not Going To Wait. That’s not at all to overlook some of the more popular names and usual faces on the riddim, however, as several of them score nicely as well. Such is the case with No Doubt’s own Nesbeth who strikes out against corruption on the EXCELLENT social commentary, Injustice. Because he actually is an artist on the label, Nesbeth should CONSISTENTLY voice some of the best and with a wicked tune like this, he’s well on his way. The surprisingly ELUSIVE Capleton returns following his effort on the Rub-A-Dub to No Doubt studios to deliver a tune which is still growing on me pretty nicely, Save Dem. This song just has ALMOST the feel Capleton is notorious for pushing on those BIG anthem-like Roots masterpieces which he is famous for and HOPEFULLY, FINALLY 2009 is the year for The Prophet’s next long awaited album and hopefully Save Dem, a very LYRICAL tune for the youths is included on the tracklist. Excellent tune there. To my opinion, Fantan Mojah had the single best tune on the Rub-A-Dub riddim altogether with his RINGING tune, The Most High. While he doesn’t repeat by taking top honours here, Mojah’s song for the Rock Steady, Rising, the somewhat subtle, yet EDGY tune definitely ranks amongst the class on the on the riddim (speaking of big roots anthems, Mojah’s kind of ‘built in echo’ he has on his voice makes almost every song he does such a tune inherently). I’m having a tough time avoiding Teflon these days, another ‘veteran’ from the Rub-A-Dub and I’m not complaining here at all as he delivers what is my choice as the Rock Steady’s second best tune in full, the WICKED One Thing, a BLAZING social commentary. Teflon is really coming into his own as an artist full on and definitely check out this tune (and his recent debut album, Motherless Child), probably the single best lyrical performance on the riddim. Another holdover, the vocally impressive Ginjah continues his streak of BRILLIANCE on the moving tune Where Is It. Take a few spins on this one as he sings it so impressively, its somewhat easy to overlook the lyrics, but when you really take in the song as a whole, you’ll see it as one of the riddim’s best. Speaking of riddim’s best (and lyrical) personal favourite enters both categories as he ends Riddim Driven: Rock Steady with his FINE Girl Don’t Cry. Somewhat in the same nature as the LARGE Wipe Those Tears (Phantom War album) the tune definitely carries a sweet, although sorrowful, vibes to it and, of course, the lyrics are consistently on point from the Spanish Town chanter seemingly incapable of delivering even a substandard VERSE these days to end the album in very fine form.

Overall, of course the Rock Steady is most likely to be compared to the MASSIVE Rub-A-Dub and in that comparison (and only in that comparison) it will fail. However, should you just listen to this riddim as it is (and unfortunately VP hasn’t included a clean version of the riddim) and the vocal performances on it, you can well appreciate it’s own power. It certainly falls into the same level of class as other Kemar McGregor productions like the Trumpet, the 83, the Key and the Drop It (his finest two being the aforementioned Rub-A-Dub and the Triumphant from 2005 which was arguably even stronger). The Rock Steady riddim edition of VP’s Riddim Driven is recommended to fans of modern Reggae (with a slight preference for new school material and maybe even a bit of Dancehall). ANYTIME Kemar McGregor delivers a new production, its definitely something to take a bit listen to and no different is the Rock Steady, the latest STRONG release from the best damn Roots Reggae producer in the world. Period.

Rated 4/5 stars

VP Records

2009

http://www.myspace.com/nodoubtrecordsja

The Vault Reviews: Purification Session by NiyoRah

I’m sitting here trying to figure out exactly how many TRULY GREAT Reggae albums that I have heard in my years of listening to albums and although I don’t consider myself to be the harshest of critics, the number really isn’t that high compared to the overall amount of albums I’ve probably heard. And, of course, that’s both a good and a bad thing. It is a good thing in the sense that the word ‘great’ is far too often thrown around, especially in matters of the arts (musical or otherwise) and bad in the sense that I can honestly say that I’ve probably heard upwards of fifty thousand or so Reggae ALBUMS and how many of them were TRULY GREAT? Maybe thirty. How many of the great ones were from the modern era? Maybe fifteen. So what makes a great Reggae album? Different things and it depends on the specific album, of course. But in the scope of a Roots Reggae album (which is, after all, why we’re here) the top criteria to my opinion is that the particular album serves its purpose. Now that’s interesting, of course, because either the purpose of the album, musically speaking of course, is not stated and is WONDERFULLY left to the interpretation of the listener; or the purpose of the album is some rather lofty and unattainable goal (I.e. “Ridding the world of oppression in any form in which it may exist“) which cannot be achieved in the course of the album, however, it is, again, left to the listener’s interpretation to see how far along that album has come. My first and foremost example of a great Reggae album in the modern era is, of course, Sizzla Kalonji’s Black Woman & Child which is the single greatest album of any genre I have EVER heard in my life. For my own personal opinion, the purpose of that album was to UNIFY and really just UPLIFT Afrikan people and I feel that was a goal which was rather EASILY accomplished in the course of that masterpiece. Similarly, another great one would be Buju Banton’s CLASSIC album ‘Til Shiloh in 1995, which, in my opinion , had a similar purpose as a later album, Capleton’s More Fire. The kind of parallel attribute which they both had in common was that they both somewhat REDEFINED the genre. Whether you took them as Roots Reggae albums adding a Dancehall-ish dimension or vice-versa, they both had that sort of rippling effect on the industry (and I’ve always made the argument that More Fire was one reason in Sizzla’s hyperactive experimental phase) as well as the fans of the music. There are more criteria, of course, for GREAT albums (like music quality) and other albums, of course, which have met these ‘requirements’ on my levels, such as Jah Cure’s STIRRING Ghetto Life and Sizzla’s other opus Praise Ye Jah which have stood out from the pack of miles of Roots Reggae albums as being head and shoulders above the rest.

Well sometimes you can be a standout without actually standing out. A few of my favourite albums in recent years have gone so far beneath the radar that I often feel as if though I’m the ONLY person who knows about them because of how little they’re actually discussed amongst Reggae heads. Albums like Elijah Prophet’s King of Kings, Jah Mason’s Never Give Up and Queen Omega’s Away From Babylon didn’t receive much buzz at all in their respective runs (add Daddy Rings’ MASSIVE The Most High album to that bunch) but each, their own ways were downright SPECIAL projects and big credit goes to the artists, producers and labels who definitely haven’t received their fair share of credit throughout the year for putting forth those pieces. Well another album I have held in similar regard over the past couple of years or so as being a GREAT piece is definitely the wonderfully titled Purification Session from Rock City based Dominican born chanter/singer NiyoRah. Not only did this album virtually catapult itself near the top of my list as far as albums go, it also did the same for the artist as well upon its release back in 2006 from Laurent ‘Tippy’ Alfred’s I-Grade Records. Now Purification Session was one which came with a ‘primer’ for me because I had thoroughly enjoyed Niyo’s very first album the year before, A Different Age, which definitely opened my senses to receiving the next album after it (incidentally, I should just mention that A Different Age was a part of the biggest promotion I’ve ever known I-Grade to half as it virtually simultaneously released it along with Conquering Sound from Ancient King and Rasta Awake from Army and I find it VERY interesting that the only artist for whom they have released an album since then has been NiyoRah). NiyoRah, even before A Different Age had my ears opened to his vibes being a part of the famed Star Lion Family from out of St. Thomas alongside superstar Pressure Busspipe and other strong members as well (Ickarus, Raffijah, Kimbe Don etc.) and after Pressure was the first of the SLF to release an album (and Niyo actually reached a sophomore piece before Pressure and since then Ickarus has debuted as well with Mind Of The Icktionary in 2007). In all of their exploits, together or solo however, the single GREATEST project to come forth from the Star Lion Family and its members has been Purification Session! This album went so far, at least to me, to arguably establishing NiyoRah’s talents as the best in the group (when at their best although I would probably say that Pressure has shown himself to be a bit more consistent at this point, just given his opportunities up until now). Purification Session was just such a big project and an undeniably large improvement over the A Different Age album which was already a very fine and solid introduction from Niyo and one could even make the point that the first album has been even more respected and discussed than it’s follow-up. Regardless of that case, Purification Session is the best album NiyoRah has done to date and back in 2006 ranked alongside albums like Tanya Stephens’ BRILLIANT Rebelution and Lutan Fyah’s MASSIVE Phantom War as one of the best Reggae albums of the year, period.

On the A Different Age album, production was left to Tippy himself and company (Tuff Lion), however, wonderfully, joining I-Grade on Purification Session is very familiar collaborators Lustre Kings Productions and Zion High in the States. That definitely spices up the vibes on an album where EVERY SINGLE SONG is at least solid. Solidifying itself and getting things started on NiyoRah’s OUTSTANDING sophomore album Purification Session is one of the real highlights on the album, the simmering Nothing To Prove. This SWEET vibed tune is one of Zion High’s productions and Niyo uses it to deliver a nearly brilliant tune of Afrikan upliftment and unity. This tune in the form that it appears here, wouldn’t have been on the first album as Niyo had simply improved so much between the two. LARGE opening. The next tune is arguably better, from a musical standpoint, and although it is much more specific as Niyo uses a storytelling style to deliver his powerful message of looking to His Majesty and righteousness in general to get us through hardships we may face in life, on the tune There For You, another Zion High production. Keeping things going on the opening few tracks is a BIG Livication to all of the Afrikan Empresses, Special Request. Although pretty expected is Special Request, it still rises to amongst the CLASS of Purification Session and I really enjoy the direction in which Niyo takes the tune from a lyrical point of view: He doesn’t just approach it from the standpoint of simply lauding the Woman (which is more than acceptable), but he also focuses a bit on the actual relationship between Man and Woman, as he says on the hook, “Special request, bigging up the Rastaman weh love Lioness”. And a GENIUS Tuff Lion guitar solo leads the tune out. BIG tune, Big beginning to a BIG album.

A Different Age only had one official combination, R.O.C.K. which featured fellow Star Lion members Kimbe Don and Ickarus alongside NiyoRah, but what happens on Purification Session is absolute MAGIC when it comes to the combinations. The first of the three tunes is also the best in my opinion and the finest on the album altogether. African Chant was the LONG awaited first big time official combination between Niyo and Pressure Busspipe and it certainly didn’t disappoint! This tune is MASSIVE and the two make a very MIGHTY duo, as expected, it’s a song that if you are of Afrikan descent (and I am) will definitely strike a chord in you, trust. HUGE tune, album’s finest. Incidentally the producer of African Chant (on behalf of I-Grade) is the artist on the second combination on Purification Session, the peerless Vaughn Benjamin, who checks in with Niyo on the WICKED tune Lion Have Mane. The crazy bounce of this tune (produced by Tippy) is right up Benjamin’s alley and he absolutely steals the show and reaches a point in the late middle of the song where Niyo is simply playing active backdrop to Benjamin’s brilliance! The tune is a mighty praising one for His Imperial Majesty and you simply will not forget this one! EPIC! The final combination here is certainly the most unexpected as the SMOOTH tune Nobody Knows features Cruzan veteran and potential superstar Ras Attitude joining NiyoRah. Unlike the first two tracks, this one is so laid back that it basically flew beneath radars in my opinion, but the ABUNDANCE of talent on the song, which simply reminds us to accept LOVE, is evident throughout. Let it grow on you, you won’t regret it. When Niyo is left to his own powers he definitely keeps the vibes of Purification Session just as high. The tune Kick Up is one after my own heart as it comes across one of my favourite LKP productions, the Shining Riddim (Lutan Fyah’s Fire In The Barn, big tune on that riddim) and is a wicked lyrical SLAP in the face to corruption and the systems which promote it. I don’t often find myself really enjoying acoustic sets (especially not in the middle of an album), but the one here, We Are One caught me A LITTLE. Perhaps it’s the fact that this tune is ran by Tuff Lion, or perhaps its Niyo’s sweet vocals or message. Either way, the tune is a winner for me. Another winner is definitely I Love The Way which I believe was featured as a single for Purification Session. This is another familiar one as it comes across LKP’s Arabian vibed Time & Place riddim (I THINK that’s the name) and is just a dynamic and sweet lover’s tune which was certainly aided a bit by the nice video. I Love The Way can definitely be regarded as one of the signature tunes from Purification Session and another three come up not too long after; Caught Up Inna Image, Globe All Warning and the HUGE We Shall See. Caught Up Inna Image is a more aggressive swipe like tune at those who deal with the more material things and vanity and such and with that HEAVY riddim backing it, really does big things. Globe All Warning is just BRILLIANT. The tune is (DUH!) a piece on the environment and the destruction of it and it is HIGHLY lyrical. There’s nothing obtrusively wonderful about the tune but you REALLY have to get into the lyrics as Niyo not only paints a BLEAK picture of the world and it’s future, but he also paints a way out of the coming failures. Its just so well written as the song appears to, midway through, shift from the negative to the positive. BIG one and easily one of the album’s finest. The tune We Shall See is a previous single from Rastar on their own riddim named after the label and was the biggest tune on that HUGE riddim as Niyo pushes a MARCHING upliftment vibes that is simply too aggressive to have been present on A Different Age. This song was probably one of my favourites from 2006 altogether and on this album, it isn’t very far from the top at all! As Purification Session comes to a close there are still a couple of surprises around. None of them bigger, perhaps, than Wha Yu Feel Say which is EXHIBIT A if you need to see the shift between the first album and this one. The song is pure KNOWLEDGE and comes in a pretty straight forward delivery on a Dancehall DJ’s cadence! The song is probably the most lyrically impressive on the album and that’s saying a great deal here. Definitely check that one out. The aggression sticks around on the next tune a bit with Defend which is a song which urges peace but not passivity and to DEFEND yourself if/when the time comes. That’s a big one there. Always is another acoustic piece, this time in a nice lover’s vibe (kind of reminds me of Sandy Weekend from A Different Age, as far as how its sung, a little). It sets the table for the aforementioned Nobody Knows and the SWEET closer Inner Light. This one is one of the album’s best as well. It really could have been an instrumental and still be strong as that riddim is just GORGEOUS and for his part Niyo pushes a tune which urges the masses to pay special attention to the voice coming within to end this eighteen track piece of MASTERY.

Overall, NiyoRah’s Purification Session is probably one of the best ten albums that I’ve heard since the turn of the century. Yes, it’s that good. What is probably most impressive is the fact that I remember listening through the A Different Age album when it released and thinking how impressive the youth sounded back then (and how much he sounded like Warriour King) and definitely that was a solid album, yet Purification was LEAPS AND BOUNDS ahead of it in all respects. Musically speaking, it just may be the single greatest album that I’ve ever heard from the VI Reggae scene altogether and lyrically one of the more impressive (of course, on that side of things NiyoRah has to ‘compete’ with walking word processor Vaughn Benjamin) ones. Over the almost three years since it’s release, I find that it’s material has only gotten stronger and only gotten more anticipating of his inevitable third album, maybe even this year (I-Grade did release a mixtape for Niyo in 2007, Stolen Scrolls which was full of tunes from his first two albums). Regardless of the future, leave it at Purification Session and its STILL VERY IMPRESSIVE. As I said, one of my top criteria for a great Roots Reggae album was if it accomplished its purpose. The purpose here? To make good music: Check. To praise His Majesty: Check. To uplift the masses: Check. To actually purify: Check. Mission accomplished. One of the best damn albums I’ve ever heard, period. AMAZING! GO GET IT!

Rated 5/5 stars

I Grade Records

2006


http://niyorah.com/

Creativity - A+: A Review of Riddim Driven: Beauty & The Beast by Various Artists

I will probably forever maintain in my lifetime that the single greatest thing to ever happen to the Dancehall on the production side is the birth of one Dave Kelly nearly forty years ago in Kingston, Jamaica (SHOCKED when I learned he hadn’t even reached forty yet). Dave Kelly introduced a rather revolutionary style of production apart from many of the strong producers who were around at the time, most notably King Jammy and Donovan Germain of Penthouse (under whom Kelly, as an engineer, honed his craft). This style was far less ‘structured’ than the ‘Dancehall one-drop’ (as I like to call it) which dominated the scene of the most of the early digital era of Dancehall, going full on until the late 1980’s/early 1990’s. To my ears, Kelly also inspired an immediate group of slightly younger producers, with the primary two being his brother Tony, of course, and a next product of Penthouse, Stephen ‘Lenky’ Marsden, both of whom have shown the same jovial and youthful approach to riddim production as Dave Kelly himself. Now, while Kelly remains a very prominent and BRILLIANT producer in the game as have Tony Kelly and Marsden) running his Madhouse label as well as steering the career of Dancehall superstar Baby Cham who he discovered and developed under his own wing, the TOP of the producing game is a lot more crowded these days than when Kelly rose, ESPECIALLY on the Dancehall side of the business. I could go ahead and d name the usual suspects and cast of characters, but you probably know them already and they are already (Di Genius, Don Corleone, Daseca etc.) and while Dancehall specifically has been receiving so much criticisms as of late, one would have to objectively admit that the Dancehall right now may just be near a next height of creativity. We’ve seen some of the most ambitious productions within the last few years in the Dancehall and most of them (regardless of how much I myself may or may not like them) have found success with the masses. Of course, the greatest example in terms of pure creativity and experimenting would be the aforementioned Lenky’s Diwali riddim from a few years back. To this day a good case could be made the Diwali is the single most popular Dancehall riddim EVER (if it isn’t the one then that distinction probably belongs to the Sleng Tend) as it dominated the Dancehall and the international world when Lenky decided to make a Soca-ish base track and throw some hand clapping behind it to score MASSIVE results. Don Corleone’s entire catalogue is also a WONDERFUL example of Kelly-like creativity with BOUNCING riddims like the Mad Guitar, the Good 2 Go, the Mad Antz and the French Vanilla (VERY underrated riddim). Scatta with the Coolie Dance (in all its variations), Di Genius’ various pieces, probably most notably in this situation, the Workout and just a whole heap a others (including Kelly himself with the Eighty-Five) just make the point that even though you may not like it, the Dancehall has slowly been building some CRAZY creative vibes in the last few years under some of the new TOP producers.

Arguably, one of the most ambitious riddim PROJECTS I’ve seen recently was from production group Daseca in 2005-06 I believe with the AWESOME monster which was the Anger Management Riddim. Announcing not only its own arrival, that same riddim went on to help establish Daseca (and, by extension, Serani) and two very significant Dancehall artists, both Mavado and Busy Signal who dropped the WICKED combination Full Clip on the riddim (and Mavado also had Real McKoy which was, arguably, his first signature tune). What you may not know about that riddim, however, is that it also had a slightly more amped version, the Angrier Management (Full Clip was on the Angrier while Real McKoy was on the Anger) as the production team had simply used the same foundation riddim to make two different riddims. Well, if you, like me, were hoping to someday perhaps get a taste of the Angriest Management Riddim, then perhaps that day has come (not really, but maybe something to take your mind off of waiting) as Daseca again returns to drop one of the most creative riddim projects that you could have imagined, The Beauty and The Beast. This time the up and coming TJ Records takes the credit for the actual production. That label, headed by one Teetimus is also responsible for one of the (if not THE) most popular Dancehall tracks in the world right now, Mavado’s I’m So Special on his equally popular Unfinished Business riddim (which Dave Kelly is suing him for, I digress). The Beauty & The Beast construct has had people whose opinions on Dancehall I respect openly wondering if it may be the long awaited ‘sequel’ to the Diwali in terms of success (that riddim’s literal sequel was, of course, the Masterpiece) and although I wouldn’t go that far to ponder that question openly, it is definitely about as DIFFERENT a riddim as I have ever heard. Now VP Records, having dropped the ball on the Diwali and missing out on what become probably the most popular riddim album of ALL TIME with the riddim (to its then rival Greensleeves Records) and also missing out on the Anger Management album which Daseca released on their own, are fully up to the cast and tap The Beauty & The Beast as one the two in latest releases in their always solid and welcome Riddim Driven series (it is being released simultaneously with The Rock Steady riddim from super Roots producer Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor) which, although appears less and less these days, seems to have streamlined itself in a good way as opposed to its formerly OBESE days. Now, what actually occurs with this riddim which is even more creative than the Anger/Angrier Managements is that a base riddim is present, however neither the Beauty nor the Beast follows it exactly (meaning neither are, in themselves, the actual base), however they display different takes on it. The Beauty takes it into a more dancing and bouncing and vibesy direction, whereas the Beast, as the title would suggest, is a war zone of a riddim. The results? Mixed, as expected, but the riddims themselves, the real stars here, shines BRIGHT on Riddim Driven: The Beauty & The Beast, the series’ most high profile piece in a very long time.

After you get past that absolutely BRILLIANT cover art for the album, you’ll turn it over and you’ll then notice the artist selection, which isn’t exactly the best, but does offer quite a few surprises. The way the album is set up is that the first ten tracks are dedicated to the Beauty and the final seven to the Beast. To the Beauty. Getting things going on the Beauty side of the album and the entire album itself, TJ Records’ Riddim Driven: Beauty & The Beast is a WONDERFUL clean version of the riddim. These are always welcome and (if they are present) they’re usually at the end of the album, but here, VP decides to put it up front which is a nice touch. The clean version of the Beauty is absolutely KNOCKING and is, in and of itself, one of the best tunes on this album and the same riddim itself. The first vocalist taking a shot at the Beauty is the most welcome surprise for me personally, veteran STAR Dancehall singer Wayne Wonder, who delivers another of the riddim’s finest efforts, the banging lover’s piece, Stay Close. Wonder is such a CLASSY and SKILLED artist that he can do several tricks to accompany almost any backing and I would suggest that if you listen to almost anyone else on the Beauty, it sounds a lot faster than he makes it sound! He actually ‘stuns’ the riddim just a bit and melds to it nearly perfectly. Big tune. Next up is the up and coming Ishawna with Ladies Night which is a song which I’m not feeling very much at all, but in all honesty, my niece does, and she is FAR more the target tune for such a song and I’ll just mention that some modicum of international stardom may actually await Ishawna at some point in the not too distant future, in which case, you may want to get used to hearing Ladies Night. Four artist choices for the Beauty actually concern me in different ways. In the case of Voicemail, Wayne Marshall and Chino, those three acts are EASILY amongst my LEAST favourite artists going these days and neither Voicemail nor Marshall ‘disappoint’ in that respect as their efforts, Pull It Up and Dance, respectively, are much of anything to write home about (even though Marshall is afforded one of the most addictive mixes of the riddim). Chino, on the other hand, does do quite well on his tune, Style It, some very nice straight djaying on that tune, to give credit where it’s well due. The other rather curious choice is Bramma, easily one of my favourite artists going now, who chimes in on the well exhausted Daggeration. I’m just tired of daggering tunes and even Bramma can’t save this one, but he shouldn’t have had to. He should have been on the BEAST! Continuing to raid Big Ship (after Bramma and Chino), TJ does strike gold with young Laden whose tune, Anytime is EXCELLENT. The undeniable peak of The Beauty, however, is CLEARLY the ridiculousness which is the X-rated Wine For Me from Elephant Man. I won’t ruin that at all for you but when madness runs in Dancehall, sometime down the road, it eventually runs into Ele and as CORNY as Wine For Me is, trust me, it will grow on you, all over you (he also gets a nice mix as does Laden)!

Then it’s the Beast. The Beast sounds like a war march type of riddim at first which eventually ascends into a mystical sounding backdrop for some of the Dancehall’s harsher lyricists (two in particular, of course). Just as the Beauty did, the Beast gets this side started and although it isn’t as all around BEAUTIFUL as the Beauty it still definitely stands up as one of the best offerings on this side. The first lyricist to actually go at the riddim is the same one who you thought it would be, Vybz Kartel, who takes a not too veiled shot at one Gully God with Kill Dem. Kill Dem is absolute MADNESS! One of the most scathing war tunes I’ve heard in awhile and it was definitely a point on Kartel’s side in their feud (although Mavado fired back on the WICKED Gangsta Nuh Play, curiously absent from this album). Kartel’s two protégés follow him, the first of which being Black Ryno on Shot A Buss. I don’t know if I’m just tiring of hearing his type of flow but Shot A Buss, a decent enough tune, just doesn’t win me over. The same, however, simply CANNOT be said for Aidonia who drops Badman A Step which is, to my opinion, the strongest tune on either riddim and on the entire album. Once a role played by Bounty Killer and Vybz Kartel (to a degree, although the little ‘hitch’ Kartel has in his style typically lends him to a more melodic style), of DOMINATING the highly digitalized HARDCORE Dancehall riddims like the Beast is now bestowed upon Aidonia. Badman A Step is some EVIL EVIL genius piece of tune! You can check that flow in any way shape or form, as messy as it sounds at times, it is COMPLETELY on point and Badman A Step is highly calibrated Dancehall. WINNER! The final three tracks on the Beast and thus the entire Riddim Driven: Beauty & The Beast album come from three very high profile artists as well. The first is Demarco whose tune No Fear just may be the second best overall on the riddim, his level of versatility makes him a candidate to ride both riddims on this one (only Ele did that, his completely insane Plan Fi March being absent from this album). Very impressive, as usual. Dancehall’s most miserable, Bugle steps up next with his very lyrically impressive Hypocrite Friend, another of the real standouts on the piece. As is his norm, Bugle’s rather unique (dark, deathly, dreary, whatever you want to call it) take on things leads to one of the very few tunes of actual substance on the album. Ending matters here altogether is upstart Konshens who brings his tune Don’t Leave It which doesn’t really register much with to be honest. It’s a very odd sounding tune (with Konshens YELLING at times) and really this artist excels on a different type of vibes, more smooth and a little laid back (which means they should’ve switched him out with Bramma). Leaving a rather unusual final stamp on a rather unusual project, to say the least.

Overall, the real star of VP’s Riddim Driven: Beauty & The Beast album is, of course, the riddim itself and it NEVER fails, not once, during the entire seventeen tracks on the album. In my criteria for judging riddim albums, somewhere very high on the list for a project EXCEEDING the standard album is one where the tunes receive a bit of individuality because the producer will take the extra step and offer various mixes for different artists on the riddim. Besides the built in mix on this one (I.e. having two different riddims) there are several inter-riddim mixes as well which, from a musical standpoint is just highly ADDICTIVE and IMPRESSIVE, regardless of the vocal acts’ quality or lack thereof. That, combined with a base which is just so BEAUTIFUL definitely pushes this one to the next level as a riddim. Riddim Driven: Beauty & The Beast is by far one of the most creative and well executed Dancehall PROJECTS I’ve seen in awhile. I definitely would like to see this one get some type of international push (with probably someone like Ishawna or maybe even Wayne Wonder being the most likely candidates (maybe even Ele actually or Serani, whose tune, We Grow, on the Beauty isn’t included here, crazy mix on that one also). This one is recommended to ANY fans of modern Dancehall and is guaranteed to look mighty fine (literally) in your collections and newer fans as well, who may need to get used to it sooner or later. Big riddim.

Rated 4/5 stars
VP Records
2009

Wickedest Album?: A Review of Love Is The Way by Jah Hem

There is an unfortunate trend going on and has been going on for quite awhile now which even I myself am guilty of perpetuating of having Reggae artists (and Caribbean artists in general) who have a more ‘soulful’ quality to their voice being thought of as Pop, or R&B sounding. Such is the case to an extreme now where, even if it is a new artist who hasn’t developed his or her style to ANY degree and are just the happenstance of nothing else besides themselves (and mother nature), the discussion amongst even the most harsh of Reggae heads (again, your’s truly included) will deem those artists as having a more American style and literally start (figuratively speaking, of course) fitting that artist into a far more international genre. To my own self, I’ll admit to having done the same thing with two artists recently, both Mykal Somer and Claudette Peters. Somer is a WONDERFULLY soulful vibed artist from out of St. Kitts who, although he hasn’t had much success as of late, (and we DEFINITELY are anticipating his conquering return) has, in the material he has put out, like his excellent debut album, Element Of Surprise, demonstrated himself to be an artist with SOUL who can surely fit into a Reggae landscape with absolutely no problem. In the case of Antiguan Soca Monarch FIREBALL Claudette ‘CP’ Peters, her voice is simply so far off the charts that people have wondered if a career in gospel might not prove to be just as successful (if not even more so) than her already crowning achievements in Soca from the diminutive Taxik front woman. And while I doubt highly that either will cross the guard into a next genre of less Caribbean intensive music (at least not in the immediate future), THANKFULLY there are MANY talented voices on vocalists of whom there is virtually NO QUESTION of where they truly belong. Of course, my first choice of artists who were seemingly born to sing Reggae music is Jah Cure. My main point of reference to the efficiency of the Cure’s talent is the number of friends, many of whom were longtime R&B fans, that I’ve played his music for and I used to be flat out SHOCKED at how they responded by saying that either they weren’t impressed or that (and I heard this a few times), they thought he sounded “like a computer”. in Reggae music, however, the Cure’s rather ridiculous and martian like tones are absolutely perfect as he continues to build a catalogue full of tunes which no one besides someone named Jah Cure can sing. I’ll also say the same ting for someone like Bushman oddly enough, because on the surface at least he is simply a baritone voiced singer. However, that RICH and FULL voice would be doing the world an absolute CRIME were he not using it to sing the wonderful brand of Reggae which he currently does. Add to those two names like Luciano, Warrior King, NiyoRah (especially) and Mavado in the Dancehall and you see certain artists, although they definitely have a certain universal APPEAL to them definitely belong full time in a Reggae arena.

And sometimes those talents come with ‘twists’. Such would be the case with a singer who rose to significant prominence throughout the Caribbean with hits over the lest couple of years or so, Jah Hem, who, to my ears has all the makings of someone who was specifically CREATED (like in a warehouse somewhere) to sing Reggae music but chooses to deliver in a DELIGHTFUL style which incorporates a bit of R&B into his own style. Of course, it’s not a very heavy level, so much to interfere with his still Reggae heavy vibes but when you can successfully meld the two genres (R&B and Roots Reggae in particular) you potentially have something special (think Alaine). This apparently has been the case with Jah Hem as he has become one of the most powerful voices (if not THE most powerful) in his native Bahamas in Reggae and his popularity within the last year has began to explode throughout the Caribbean. I actually hadn’t even heard his name until earlier last year/late 2007 for the most part I believe, my previous experience in terms of Reggae artists from out of the Bahamas probably began and ended with the same name, Monty G, who is a Reggae/Dancehall/Gospel artist who has been on the scene for quite a long time and is a very respected artist throughout the genre. Last year, besides Hem, I also became aware of a Hip-Hop/Reggae hybrid artist by the name of Jah Doctrine and another WICKED chanter name Jah Nyne, both from out of the Bahamas and are solid Reggae artists as well (might be a next album from Doctrine pretty soon, also). With the amount of attention Jah Hem attracted in such a relatively short time (at least on my radars, maybe he was pining away for years, but after reading his bio, it only says he moved back from Florida to the Bahamas in late 2003), it made his solo debut album, Love Is The Way for Cutting Edge Entertainment, which is a label he apparently owns and runs with a group of others, one of the most anticipated REGION-SPECIFIC releases of 2008. And thankfully Jah Hem and the people at Cutting Edge have made it available worldwide as well. Now, Jah Hem has a very SOULFUL style like I mentioned, but in my opinion, it is one which is PERFECT for Reggae music. I’ve heard several people disagree with me, but I definitely hear a little bit of Jah Cure in Hem’s vocals. Although he can’t exactly reach that stratospheric type of levels as the Cure in terms of range and tones and such (NO ONE DOES), Jah Hem definitely adds a more ‘translatable’ style to the vibes, almost to the point of being Gyptian-like (thankfully his lyrics are better than young Gyptian’s however). I have to say that Love Is The Way has been one of my favourite albums for the better part of the last year and it has been doing quite well for the single apparently as it was VERY well promoted throughout the Caribbean, as far as albums go. But how about the music? It is a little bit R&B and a little bit soul, but more than enough EXCELLENT Reggae vibes to impress an old Reggae head like me.

This project is very well put together so definitely credit goes to Jah Hem and Cutting Edge for pushing a very PROFESSIONAL looking product to the masses. The album ends up going in a few directions and it WONDERFULLY throws a few surprises into the mix as well. Mixing it up first on Jah Hem’s debut solo album (his bio says that he previously had another album as part of a group in Florida which never was released) Love Is The Way is somewhat of an R&B type of vibes in a Reggae song (DUH), but very nicely done on The One. The tune is a lover’s track with a SWEET vibes which later adds a kind of winding keyboard, which to me at least sounds like an R&B type of ‘freshness’ in the song. Regardless, however, you categorize it, at the end of the day you’ll have to call it a big opening for the album. Next up is the first of two REALLY BIG surprises on another very R&B type of Reggae tune, Call Me, which features Jah Hem alongside none other than superstar Ky-Mani Marley. As a former R&B head, I can tell you that the sound of a phone ringing is the CLEAR sign of a forthcoming R&B song and that’s sort of what happens here, but after the intro to the tune (which runs a little too long for my tastes) what develops is a beautifully LUSH riddim with a hard nyah drum behind it. I was actually quite surprised, musically speaking, what happened with Call me in a good way and although I don’t rank it all as one of the class pieces of Love Is The Way, it’s certainly isn’t a bad tune, but I do feel that Hem himself could have added more to the tune earlier than he ends up doing while giving Marley the lion’s share of the tune for himself. Decent enough lover’s material there. The third similarly vibed lover’s tune in a row to start the album, Tonight Is The Night is my choice as the best of the three and is the first of the small bunch to offer a DIRECT forecast on the BRILLIANCE which is to come later on Love Is The Way. This tune in itself, however, is VERY strong. This is the type of material you’ll find coming on one of Don Corleon’s downright ENCHANTING pieces every once in a while with its smooth and romantic type of vibes. Easily one of the album’s best tunes altogether and a strong opening for the album in total.

Love Is The Way is clearly a tell a two albums in one. The first being a more romantic lover’s rock set which drifts in between Reggae and R&B vibes and the best of this bunch is BY FAR the previous single Come Here Girl which is downright MASSIVE! The tune was the lead of the bunch which attracted a great deal of attention to Hem and it’s no wonder why, it truly is an excellent vibes. That first half of the album also ends with a pretty nice tune, Missing You which actually flows on the very familiar Guardian Angel riddim from Jamaica’s super producer Arif Cooper. I don’t know if Hem actually got the riddim from Cooper or just did the works himself, regardless it is another big tune and another on a riddim which features basically NOTHING BUT big tunes. By time the title track hauls in, in the seventh position on the album, suddenly the vibes have changed and we’re now listening to a Roots Reggae album! Love Is The Way, the song, is one which urges society as a whole to focus more on love and righteousness than the violence and the corruption in the world (it actually sounds VERY Jah Cure-ish at times). It is a very nice message of course, and perhaps more importantly it sets the table for the tune which follows it, Love Is The Way, the album’s, finest tune overall. Enter the Wickedest Time. LOVELY! BEAUTIFUL! ENCHANTING! All are words which can accurately describe this tune, Wickedest Time, which was definitely one of my favourite tunes of 2008 altogether. Really it is an IMMACULATELY sang tune and the message gains much more amenability and palatability when you literally douse it in the richness of this song. I have been just so affected by this tune and I’m sure so many people have all over the world and when you pick up this album, you will be too! Holding the unenviable task of following Wickedest Time is a song which just may be the entire album’s second best tune or at least the album’s second best Roots tune, Be Strong. This one is just an uplifting message for the masses to put our trust in His Majesty and to keep faith in HIM for things, one way or another will get better and it is such a nice song with that CRAWLING riddim supporting it. Definitely check it out. As Jah Hem’s Love Is The Way begins to wind down, it saves the final three of it’s four in total combinations (including the aforementioned Call Me with Marley) and it just so happens that ALL three are definitely big Reggae tunes. The first of them, oddly enough, with the least known artist, previously mentioned Bahamian chanter Jah Nyne, may just be the best of all three. Nyne links with Jah Hem on an SUBLIME tune, The Most High. This song is bouncing vibesy praising tune to His Imperial Majesty and the two make strong duo. Nyne, for his part, is one of the more impressive unknowns in the Caribbean today in my opinion (check a next artist, Daniel Bless, from out of Trinidad as well) and I have been high on his potential for quite awhile as he reminds me a great deal of Jamaican chanter Bascom X. The Most High just may, fittingly so, be the most ADDICTIVE tune on the album. Next, is another superstar alongside Jah Hem, Luciano who checks in on another praising tune, Make A Joyful Noise Unto Jah. If Love Is The Way wasn’t spiritual enough for you in the previous ten tunes, then this ends on this Make A Joyful Noise DEFINITELY. I’m also happy to say that even with Luciano sounding in fine form, Hem manages to hold his own, vocally, with the legend, although that chorus which is one of the finest on the album is what most sticks with me throughout with Luciano’s PEERLESS voice riding the spectacular one-drop riddim and Luciano goes on to steal the show with a dazzling speech near the end of the song. HUGE tune and one of my favourite here. Closing shop on Love Is The Way by Jah Hem is the only ‘official’ two acts of ‘business’ to take care of. The album sans the tune Mama not only lacks an obligatory ode to Mama track, but it also lacks a combination with Monty G, both of which are taken care of here. Of the last three, this one is probably the least in terms of quality, although it picks up as it goes along and seriously, you know this was a NECESSARY tune for this album and a nice choice to end things here as well.

Overall, I have to say that the song placement here is quite interesting and, although I sometimes frown on something that isn’t necessarily a somewhat ‘random’ form of track placement, which, at the end of the day ends up helping the vibes along in the album move better by setting up the following tune. Here, however, the OBVIOUS trick which they did was to separate lover’s and straight Roots Reggae and if you notice very carefully, you’ll see that the big tunes, or potentially big tunes come right near each other in the middle of the album, surrounding the title track which brings attention not only to said title track, but the tunes around it as well with the others being surrounded by tunes already certain to receive attention because they’re combinations. Besides that technical bit, what we have here is an artist so CLEARLY talented and so clearly inclined to just reach A LITTLE outside of straight Reggae. However, as I said, I don’t think leaving Reggae is in Jah Hem’s best interest and I don’t think that is his goal. I THINK his goal was to make a HUGE impression on the Reggae listening community and just give a taste to the outsiders who’ll certainly get just that. If that was the purpose of Love Is The Way from a technical aspect: Mission Accomplished. From a musical standpoint? Mission more than accomplished. Top notch, one of the best albums of 2008.

Rated 4.5/5 stars

Cutting Edge Entertainment

2008

http://www.myspace.com/jahhem
http://www.jahhem.com/

Lyrics to Watch Over Me by Lutan Fyah

Strength!

Ceaseless Ises unto The King.

Haile Selassie love is everlasting.

Whoa no.

The Most High watch over me!
Conquer the wicked give I strength to carry on
Emmanuel watch over me!
When dem come to destroy meh flesh I'm firm
I must trample death!
The Most High watch over me!
Conquer the wicked give I strength to carry on
Emmanuel watch over me!
When dem come to destroy meh flesh
I must conquer death!

It seems to seh dem only come to rape and jeer
Backbiting hypocrits, waan fi treat us unfair
Dem no waan fi si mi rise
And wi dun see it clear!
Dem alla judge wi by di clothes weh mi wear
Den I sidestep dem
Watch how dem coming wid extra gear
A true dem scandalous
Thats why mi nah stay near
Your best friend could be your worst enemy around here
A who dem a try get scared?

The Most High watch over me!
Conquer the wicked give I strength to carry on
Emmanuel watch over me!
When dem come to destroy meh flesh I'm firm
I must trample death!
The Most High watch over me!
Conquer the wicked give I strength to carry on
Emmanuel watch over me!
When dem come to destroy meh flesh
I must conquer death!

I burn out dem flattering lips
Dem aim fi shoot
But dem gun dem stick
Man ahgo chuck dem inna di grave weh dem a dig
None a dem
Can stop di Rastaman from live!
Mi hear some badmind talk
Mi just guh zip dem up
Dun fyah done spark
Mi nah kick dem up
Pay dem no mind because di devil dun trick dem up
An if dem gwan too bad mi nah guh diss dem up
Hey, mi hear seh dem a walk wid dogs [Nightmare duppy]
Hey, inna dem closet fulla bone
Hey, but The Most High dun protect my soul
Man a RALLY ROUND SELASSIE I THRONE!

The Most High watch over me!
Conquer the wicked give I strength to carry on
Emmanuel watch over me!
When dem come to destroy meh flesh I'm firm
I dun trample death!

The Most High watch over me!
Conquer the wicked give I strength to carry on
Emmanuel watch over me!
When dem come to destroy meh flesh
I dun conquer death!

The powers of The Most High!

Truthfully known, the wicked man lies
I already mek my sacrifice
Hail the BLACK CHRIST
NO DISGUISE!
The righteous man will rise!
The devil all claim to be wise.

[Repeat verse one]

The Most High watch over me!
Conquer the wicked give I strength to carry on
Emmanuel watch over me!
When dem come to destroy meh flesh I'm firm
I must trample death!

The Most High watch over me!
Conquer the wicked give I strength to carry on
Emmanuel watch over me!
When dem come to destroy meh flesh
I must conquer death!

Taken from Lutan Fyah's album Africa

http://www.myspace.com/lutanfyahball

Enter Madness! A Review of Flame On by Machel MontanoHD

Following the 2008 Carnival season, 2009 had some REALLY big shoes to fill in terms of just how much attention it attracted, its total presentation and effect, and of course, musically speaking. The music from 2008, across the board, not just in Trinidad was just so BIG, and not even by my tastes alone, that had 2009 come in just as strong, it still would have had a hard time, by comparison, following the year. So, with Trinidad’s Carnival having now come and gone and all of those questions having been answered, I think it’s pretty safe to say that 2009 didn’t exactly do a good job (not that anyone expected it to) and in the five or six years now that I’ve REALLY been listening to Soca, it was probably one of the weaker seasons that I’ve been experienced. Now, that’s not to say that it was COMPLETELY a waste, of course it wasn’t. the undeniable highlight of Trinidad’s Carnival was DEFINITELY Faye-Ann Lyons who, although I don’t think she came in as strong as she did in 2008 (even despite the fact that, unlike in 2008, she won EVERYTHING and had two legitimate hits), turned 2009 into her own personal showcase headlined by two MASSIVE Monarch performances which won her two crowns and subsequently, a second consecutive (third overall I believe) Road March title for Meet Super Blue. Besides Lyons, also having a pretty good season in 2009 was longtime veteran and my favourite Soca artist on the planet, Destra Garcia, who probably had the biggest single tune (of course I’m partial) with Bacchanal and also steady and consistent Blaxx whose song Tusty, again, although not as good as his 2008 effort (the RIDICULOUSNESS that was Breathless). The always solid KMC also had a decent year, as did Nadia Batson and a few others. However, there were several SIGNIFICANT top notch Soca artists who simply didn’t make the grade this year or pushed forward at an obviously lower level than they had in 2008. The first of those is the most unusual as well, Bunji Garlin. The WELL decorated Garlin had about as LITTLE motivation to succeed in 2009 as anyone as he could simply phone in his entire Carnival season to support his wife (Lyons) which is exactly what he stated was his goal at Monarch. However, although he came nowhere near reaching the levels of 2008’s Fiery, Garlin’s 2008, highlighted by a tune which is growing on me still, Clear De Road. So, yeah, he clearly wasn’t at his best, but did he really want to be? Less questions of motivation surround someone like ‘D Boss’ Iwer George who really didn’t have that good of a season (not that you would know it, because he was EVERYWHERE with a commercial which now sickens me) in my opinion. The same is also said of BIG artists like Shurwayne Winchester, Denise Belfon (who is effectively past her prime, but didn’t even have as good of a year as she did last year when she was also past her prime) and Dawg E Slaughter (who just a couple of years ago was one of my favourites). So many artists just didn’t BRING IT, like they did in 2008.

All of that being said, BY FAR the greatest ‘offender’ of failing to live up to standards set in the previous year was Machel Montano. UNARGUABLY one of the biggest stars Soca has ever seen in its still young history, 2009 saw Montano seemingly either simply not trying/caring or just clueless as to what was going on. Because of the mastery he has exhibited just in recent years, the ‘Michael Jackson’ of Soca, at least from me, gets the benefit of the doubt that he was all but taking the year off and didn’t care that the tune I personally heard played from him most frequently wasn’t his Road March contender, Wild Antz, nor his combination with US based stars Lil John and Pitbull but a tune named Tempa Wine, a combination he did with protégé and potential superstar Patrice Roberts for last year’s Crop Over. I’ll just assume that he didn’t care, rather than that he is just faltering (although a public spat with Winchester may suggest different). Last year, although Montano passed the crown of Road March which he had won in the two previous years (with Jumbie and Band of The Year, respectively) to Lyons, he STILL ended up delivering a year which was downright MAGICAL, musically speaking. And what better way to celebrate the successes of a season than by releasing an album! While the jury is still out on if/when Machel will release a 2009 album (although I’m hearing now that it’s looking more likely), if it does come forth it will have downright MASSIVE shoes to fill as, perhaps only amongst the hardcore fans, Montano has been releasing some of the strongest albums in Soca music amongst anyone for quite awhile. 2008’s edition, Flame On, has to be regarded as one of the best he has ever pushed forth and while I’m not all that familiar with his albums going further back, just in recent history, standing in comparison to its two most immediate predecessors, Book Of Angels (2007) and B.O.D.Y. (2006), Flame On holds up very well. The album, reportedly his tenth to date, definitey capitalized on the wonderful year and pretty much stands as a ‘soundtrack’ to Montano and company’s orchestra of MADNESS in 2008. For my own personal reasons I definitely have to say that I was looking forward to this one and I’ve pretty much been playing it VERY consistently nearing a year now as Montano scored with some of my favourite tunes in so many of my favourite tunes in 2008 and I wasn’t alone as the demand was VERY high for Flame On and so much so that, unlike either B.O.D.Y (Band Of De Year) or Book Of Angels (which may just have the best title for a Soca album that I’ve EVER heard), this album was actually released in the Caribbean and Europe as Flame On, but, through switching labels, eventually became known after one of it’s largest hits, Wining Season as it reached stateside. Regardless of how you know it, Flame On or Wining Season, if you are a fan of Soca or of Machel Montano’s in particular you should have this one already because EASILY it was one of the, if not THE best Soca album of 2008, period.

Flame On is SATURATED in hits from beginning to end (even the one tune that I don’t like here) and it’s even missing one. Hardcore Soca heads will IMMEDIATELY notice the absence of the aforementioned Tempa Wine which was done after the album’s initial release (but if you REALLY want it on an official release, mysteriously it shows up on the latest edition of Don’s Collector, Saison 3, a collection of hit tunes from the French Caribbean). Although being sans Tempa Wine, as I said, the hits on Flame On aren’t exactly lacking and they’re even bolstered in the most unusual ways as the album rolls in with the very ODD, yet equally ADDICTIVE Unconditional Love Prelude which clocks in over two minutes. This is like a GOSPEL version of the original tune which I’m sure embarrassed several Soca heads (your’s truly included) that we were just listening to it alone for quite awhile. EVEN THE PRELUDE ON THIS ALBUM IS BIG! The first actual song here is, of course, Unconditional Love’s original version and the real madness on Flame On begins! Before I heard another tune which I’ll be talking about momentarily, Unconditional Love was not only my favourite Machel Montano tune of Trinidad’s Carnival season 2008, the entire season in general as well (at the end of the day my favourite tune was probably Breathless, but I heard Unconditional Love weeks before it or Faye-Ann’s Get On, my number two). This one is just ridiculous and even though the next tune on the album was pushed for Road March, I think they made a mistake. MADNESS! Concluding the opening is the aforementioned Road March contender which I believe finished third after Breathless and champion Get On, Blazin D Trail. As I said, I do feel they chose the wrong tune to support (not that Unconditional Love would have won) (it wouldn’t have), but Blazin D Trail is still full on INSANITY! The song definitely does have the Road March feel to it, it’s just kind of overbearing at times and I think a more melodic tune would have done better for him (even Jumbie had more ‘funk’ than Blazin). But don’t take that as a diss, when you listen to this one ONE TIME, you recognize it’s power immediately! An excellent tune, an excellent opening in full and it gets better!

Meet better. One of the best things I feel Machel Montano has EVER done for himself was welcoming into his camp (formerly Xtatik, now HD, as he claims to be the first human to go High-Def) the diminutive potential superstar cousin of Bunji Garlin, Patrice Roberts. Besides her own endeavours, has supplied Machel, in combination, with UNFORGETTABLE hits, like Tempa Wine and even Band Of De Year. 2008 was no different as the two delivered my second favourite tune between the two (after BODY) the DAZZLING Rollin! Rollin brings tears to my big 27 year old grown man eyes, I LOVE THIS SONG! Roberts has a quality, like Nadia Batson and Antiguan singer Tizzy, to bring MELODY to these MONSTROUS jump up Soca tunes and she has rarely done a better job than when she chimes in on Rollin, effectively stealing the show from her boss! MASSIVE, HUGE and one of my favourite Soca tunes ever. Roberts is probably the least known artist who Montano taps for Flame On, he also gets the legendary David Rudder to join him on the COOL Oil & Music. This one is for the more MATURE ears (slightly), but whoever can really appreciate it and between powerhouses loaded at the front of the album your ears (and your feet if you’re moving) will definitely thank you. Cool tune. Even more popular than Rudder is The Mighty Sparrow, one of the most revered Caribbean artists altogether, who joins Montano on a remake of his CLASSIC tune, the Congo Man. This one is just BRILLIANCE and, in my opinion, one of the most significant tunes to come from 2008 (Bunji did a similar thing remaking Fiery from Maestro) in full. This one brought smiles to so many in the older crowds definitely and the youths will appreciate it as well, as it isn’t just a straight remake, but Montano adds just enough of himself into it to make it his own. EPIC! Then there’s WINING SEASON! The tune may have just been the single biggest hit for Montano in 2008 altogether and it’s BOUNCE will grow on you like a fungus, guaranteed! If Wining Season doesn’t get you moving in some way, then you, my friend, are a corpse! Setting the stage ultimately from Oil & Music is the just as cool Make Love which kind of went under the radar a bit, but for me is one of my favourites, especially for the dance floor. Getting a bit more GRIMY, Montano takes on one of the more popular straight Soca riddims of the past few seasons, the Pressure Boom (aka Leggo Mi Riddim), for one of my favourite tunes here, the somewhat underrated Jamishness. No, he didn’t reach the heights set by Lucian Ricky T (who dropped the Pressure Boom), but Jamishness is still a SPECIAL tune, indeed. The last original Soca tune on Flame On, sequentially is another of the underrated tunes, the somewhat generic We Will Live which I didn’t remember being quite as good as it is now listening to it for this review. It is essentially the first of two changeups on the album as it features Montano in a bit reflective and conscious states at times. Still, its real power is evident even though it may not scream out at you, listen to it a few times REALLY get it. Winding down Flame On the big remixes and combinations roll in as Machel taps to modern Reggae legends in Shaggy and Buju Banton. Shaggy does a better job on his take with Machel on Wining Season (it helps that he has a better tune to work with definitely) and the tune just generally sounds ‘louder’ and ‘bigger’ than in its original form (although I still prefer the original to the remix). Buju definitely adds a surprise element and a Reggae element to the already well chilled Make Love and he doesn’t hurt it at all, I just find it a bit unusual sounding (I REALLY wish they had made a video for this song however). Machel of course has a long history working with Reggae artists having worked with the likes of Beenie Man, Vybz Kartel and even Sizzla in the past and Bermy upstart Collie Buddz for this year on the tune Fly Away. Extinguishing the flame on Flame On is my least favourite tune on it, Defense (The Anthem) which features Montano alongside Lil John and Pitbull from the States. Given what occurs in the twelve tunes before it the Soca - Hip Hop - Reggaeton odd sounding hybrid is entirely forgivable ending things here (and incidentally the same trio repeated the feat this year on the tune Fire On The Floor which may be the only example of Machel Montano improving on 2008 as I ENTIRELY favour it to Defense.

Overall, Flame On is simply one of the strongest Soca albums from a single artist that I have probably EVER heard. The album gives me that POWER, jump up sound which I absolutely LOVE and just enough in the way of the smooth and groovy vibes to take the feeling off of being overwhelmed at times which is downright CRUCIAL when it comes to Soca albums like this. I also feel that the album is somewhat of a landmark in Machel Montano’s career as whole as, he may very well be slipping a bit (he turns thirty-five this year) and Flame On may have been one of the last bits of all out GREATNESS that he brings. Regardless of what the future may or may not bring, Flame On is a special album recommended for Soca fans new and old alike. 2009 may have seen a changing of the guard event or maybe just an off year from Machel Montano. 2008, however, was a different story, one which played out as one of his best, one where he was still King. AMAZING! Go get it!

Rated 5/5 stars

Ruff Rex Productions

2008

http://www.myspace.com/machelmontano