Coming Soon Vol. 3

Vybz Kartel - Come Back Home [Adidjaheim/Notnice]

First this week is Vybz Kartel who delivers a single, apparently not on his forthcoming album, Pon Di Gaza (which releases next Tuesday digitally), Come Back Home. The tune has received quite a bit of attention and is what it is, however, I chose to mention it largely based on the fact that it comes via the same Adidjaheim & Notnice combination label that is also running Pon Di Gaza. This, along with the rather OBESE nature of that album (22 tracks, sans a single interlude) kind of makes me think that you can expect a rather 'generous' output from the label and I wouldn't be at all surprised (especially if Pon Di Gaza is successful (and it will be)) to see a Kartel album every few months or so, especially as quick as he releases music these days. As for Come Back Home, however, judge for yourself.

Rated: 3/5

Releases digitally October 13

Carlene - True Worship [VP Records]

Carlene Davis is back! With her first release in four years, True Worship, Carlene resumes her well earned place as THE name in Gospel Reggae. You can expect what you've come to love from the songstress over the years, a very calculated blend of traditional Gospel and one-drop Reggae and enough of both to attract fans of one genre who aren't necessarily so much of the other. I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Carlene, despite the fact that I'm not very much of a straight Gospel fan at all, simply because of the CONVICTION with which she sings her songs and anytime she's working on something, it's worth checking out, True Worship is no exception. And a little birdie told me that VP Records are giving Carlene her time to shine with an anthology styled release coming in November, so be on the look out for that one as well.

Rated [Potential]: 4/5

Releases physically on October 6 (available now digitally)

Riddim Driven: Clearance Riddim [VP Records]

Speaking of VP Records, they're also firing up Riddim Driven again with the first Dancehall installment of the series since The Beauty & The Beast, with the Clearance Riddim. Why the Clearance exactly? I would assume it had a bit to do with the fact that the signature tune on the riddim has become Mavado's (a VP artist) Dem Alone and the fact that the best tune on the Clearance is Bounty Killer's (another one) SCATHING Rodney's Intentions probably didn't hurt matters either. Joining the Alliance's most popular faces are solid efforts from the angriest people in the world, Einstein & Flexx, as well as Munga Honourable.

Rated Potential: 3.75/5

Releases [digitally] on September 22

In Stores Now

Dancehall 101 Vol. 5 & 6 [VP Records]

Lastly from the fine folks at VP today are two installments from another of their signature series as the seemingly forgotten Dancehall 101 series gets its first bit of light in seven years (almost to the day) and does so with arguably the series' best releases to date. Between the two pieces, you'll find tunes from the likes of Sean Paul, Tanya Stephens, Beenie Man, post-conversion Capleton and even General Degree (GRANNY!) which are certain to make you (like me) feel old as hell (now that these tunes are considered old school). However, should you be seeking to recapture your youth, tunes from the likes Shabba & Nardo Ranking, Mega Banton, Reggie Stepper and Ninjaman should do the trick. If you like Dancehall and aren't necessarily the most complete collector, Dancehall 101 was MADE for you.

Rated [in full]: 4.75/5

Peter Broggs - Never Give Up & Fire Fi Lucifer [Jah Warrior Records]

Lastly this week is a bit of a 'feel good story'. Steve Mosco (I think that's his name) and the powers that be at Jah Warrior Records have released not one, but two new albums from THE MAN himself and one of my favourite artists, Peter Broggs. Later in his career, Broggs did some of his finest work for the UK based Jah Warrior and that manifested itself in the BEAUTIFUL Jah Golden Throne album back in 2000 or so. Apparently, in his work with Jah Warrior, Broggs did quite a bit of other material as well which is now showing up on Never Give Up and Fire Fi Lucifer. Reportedly, the two albums are only being released digitally for now and I would assume (although I don't know this, so don't hold me to it) that in some way, proceeds from sales would go to help a now physically depleted Peter Broggs, following a stroke a few years back. So do a good deed and simultaneously get to enjoy one of the few bonafide MASTERS of Reggae Music.

Rated [in full]: 5/5

{note: There are a couple of albums I'm dying to put in here this week, but instead, I'll just slap a review on them in the next coming days (including one tomorrow) so stay tuned}

Evidence of My Antiquity

I'm getting old! At the ripe old age of 28 (feeling like I'm going on 78), I now, unfortunately, have replaced my once youthful zeal, with some old assed jaded views. I now routinely find myself going through my catalogues, finding albums which previously meant so very little to me, which now strike me as remarkable, upon further review. These are albums which, in the past, I've based: Calling them "unremarkable", "disappointing and not worth the wait" and downright "boring as hell". Well, now I'm here to admit my mistakes. Thus, I submit, for your approval, albums that have grown on me to a LARGE degree over the years and stand, as yet more GLARING declarations of my oldassedness.

{note 1: Albums aren't listed in any particular order}

{note 2: There is another condition of this list, but I don't remember what it was}

Midnite - Nemozian Rasta [I Grade Records, 2001]

In respect to some of the other pieces you’ll find you on this list, Nemozian Rasta is slightly older and my ‘awakening’ to it occurred only a few years ago now, but there was a time that I found this one to be ABSOLUTELY USELESS! I would have been nineteen or twenty when it was released and although by that point I had already discovered Midnite and I think I probably would have heard something from them already which I had enjoyed but Nemozian Rasta was far from it. These days, however, it is “it”. The rather dark yet jovial album has risen to the cream of Midnite’s proverbial crop in my opinion and now reigns supreme as my favourite Midnite album of all time. Period.

Sizzla - Burning Up [RAS, 1995]

What??? A Sizzla album on this list??? Yep. Admittedly, Sizzla’s debut album, Burning Up, didn’t have very far to grow on me, especially when compared to many of the other titles you’ll find here, although what little room for ‘improvement’ it may have had, it has certainly taken care of that bit. The album finds a version of Sizzla clearly still within his developmental stage and simply not as ‘good’ as he would later become and I believe the first time I heard this album was after I had actually heard quite a bit more of his work, years later, which would have made me even more critical in looking at it. Nowadays, however, things are different as, although I would rated (and probably still would) it as a four, I have no doubt that some very linguistically gifted fan (like yours truly) could make the case that Burning Up is actually a five star album, indeed.

Hugh Mundell - Blackman’s Foundation [Shanachie, 1978]

This album has somewhat ‘haunted’ me for awhile now. I have purchased Hugh Mundell’s Blackman’s Foundation on approximately SIX different occasions and it wasn’t until 2004 or so that I really began to give it any type of attention (and I’ve bought it twice since then, at least). After years of ‘lending’ it out to friends and flat out losing it I’ve finally managed to dig in and find out what all the fuss was about. It’s an album that you just kind of feel like you should have and for good reason and while the rest of the world continue to forget Hugh Mundell’s name, Blackman’s Foundation reserves room on my players more and more each year.

Mykal Somer - Element Of Surprise [Somer Music Group, 2003]

By far the most unusual entrant on this list is St. Kitts born Mykal Somer’s Element Of Surprise album which only qualifies for participation here because it, more or less, sat unopened in a closet for a few years before I even gave it as much as a cursory listen. Mykal Somer is an absolutely DAZZLING singer and one whose rather curious level of refinement may make one think that he’s a man well into his 50’s or at least 40’s and not still relatively young in the business. And Element Of Surprise is a very strong showcase of that talent throughout and it has to make you wonder exactly just what in the hell may be hiding in my closet today. Surprise indeed.

Ras Attitude - Holding Firm [Zion High Productions, 2005]

As one of three signature albums which inspired me for the existence of this list (the other two are next), Ras Attitude’s Holding Firm has PERSONALLY done things for me definitely. The album once not only struck me as quite boring when I first got it, but it also was quite the disappointment as I had been VERY much so looking forward to anything which would be labeled ‘the new Ras Attitude’. I found the vibes to be too slow and not dynamic and just not very interesting. About a couple of years down the line and things changed GREATLY and I suddenly started hearing vibes and tones which I didn’t previously and experiencing the wonderful colours in the vibes which were missing. I’ve certainly heard better Ras Attitude albums since, but I may never find one again which strikes so close to home as the JOURNEY which was Holding Firm.

Batch - Jah Guidance [Carrion Brookes Production, 2005]

(Not so) Surprisingly with Ras Attitude comes Batch and the very same year. I’m having a difficult time remembering how it went but I THINK I received Jah Guidance before we picked up Holding Firm and just simply thought it was terribly boring and it spent the better part of two years or so shelved before I decided to give it another spin for some reason or another. I’m almost sad because if I found in 2005 what I found later, then I would have spent the time telling any and everyone who would possibly listen to me about the album’s OBVIOUS brilliance. Tune after tune, Batch’s DEEP vibes get more and more powerful throughout on Jah Guidance to the point where, despite the fact that from any type of objective point of view, Blackman’s Foundation is probably the ‘best’ album on this list, Jah Guidance is CLEARLY my personal favourite.

Warrior King - Hold The Faith [VP Records, 2005]

I didn’t even notice that this one was also from the same year. Warrior King SO impressed me on his debut album, 2002’s SHINING Virtuous Woman, which was chockfull of hits after hits and then came Hold The Faith which. . . Just wasn’t. The album, again, struck me as quite boring and particularly so in his case as I had definitely had my eye on the King as, in a line then with young artists such as Turbulence, Jah Mason and several others, struck me as one of the most talented in the bunch. I still don’t think he’s necessarily fulfilled on the promise he once showed (he still does have much time and with two albums apparently loaded and ready to go, he’s ready to make a big attempt to do just that), but I WAS COMPLETELY WRONG about Hold The Faith. No. It wasn’t as strong of an album as Virtuous Woman, but it wasn’t disappointing at all either. Hold The Faith was a more laid back and HEAVY type of vibes and when you combine that with Warrior King’s almost ever-jovial inherent vibes, what you got was DEFINITELY quite interesting and one of the best albums of that year. My bad!

The Music of Peter Broggs

Make no mistake about it, I’ve always kind of been a fan of Peter Broggs’. When I was a youth, although I, of course, couldn’t really appreciate his music, I thought he was COOL. He looked like several members of my family (my Mother’s brothers) and he just had this vibe about him which was very nice. Now, as an old ass man, I still think Peter Broggs is cool, but now, thankfully, I have the ears and the tastes to appreciate his life’s work. Tune after tune and album after album, Peter Broggs impresses, firstly, as undeniably one of the best WRITERS Reggae music has EVER seen altogether. Apart from that is the voice which many people question, but to me is one which was MADE for Roots Reggae. And again is the mere presence. The figure that he casts is one which leaves NO DOUBT about what the man’s purpose is: He was sent to sing the finest music in the world. Mission Accomplished Peter Broggs.

The Prototype: A Review of I-Meditation by Ras Attitude

Imagine that there were some type of experiment, going on in some lab somewhere in Kingston, where the goal was to ’simply’ construct a Reggae artist as close to perfect as possible. If you were going to helm such an aspiring project, what qualities might you give this person? What type of look might he have? How would he sound? What type of a figure might he cast? And would he even be a ‘he’ at all? Me? Well, personally the first thing I’d think to do would be to make a Woman before coming to my senses and realizing that She already exists (her name is Etana). The artist I would make would be one who might have a fairly modern, yet traditional look. The type of an individual who non fans of Reggae may not IMMEDIATELY know is a Reggae artist, but when they learn that he is, they’re not all that surprised. He would, likewise, have a sound which might ‘match’ the look as his vibes would clearly be those born post 1990, although he would definitely have an overstanding of the music in its more traditional form and that would often come through in his output. He would be able to chant and sing and also have a noticeable EDGE to him at times and have a skill level which would allow him to enter a studio and deliver effectively over almost any type of riddim. He would also be not too young, but relatively fresh and still close to years which were full of the curious youthful exuberance, which would also come across in his music. Actually, the artist who I think I would ultimately come to create wouldn’t be too different from consistently OUTSTANDING Cruzan chanter Ras Attitude. Attitude (alongside his good friend Batch as well) has been an artist who has so often exemplified what I feel is a STRONG and accurate representation of modern Reggae music. Of course, there are others such as Lutan Fyah and definitely Tarrus Riley these days. However, Fyah has never been the overall artist in terms of singing as Attitude and, by contrast, although Riley does have an edge to him, I think we’re still waiting to see the results of what he might do should he approach a tune and just LOST IT, a little. As a matter of fact, I would go as far as to say that Ras Attitude would exist as a type of a ‘bridge’ between the two Jamaican stars as his vibes, in my opinion, incorporate a bit of both of them. Ras Attitude is also the type of artist who, at his best, listening to him makes him sound better. His music tends to come with a very MATURE vibes is what I mean to say and because that, although he may not be as IMMEDIATE as some of his peers, there’s a fairly good chance that some of (and perhaps even quite a bit) his music may not grow to be as appreciated as it should be for several years. Trust me I Know.

So, with such lofty accolades laid upon him fans should be able to ‘ask for’ and expect a bit more in terms of the quality of Ras Attitude’s music shouldn’t we? And I’m not asking for the second coming of ‘Til Shiloh or Black Woman & Child, but wanting him to deliver GOOD and sometimes GREAT material consistently and regularly isn’t asking too much in my opinion. Thankfully, it doesn’t appear to be too much in Attitude’s opinion either as after five studio albums (not including this release) to his credit, Ras Attitude has showcased himself to be simply one of the ‘best’ artists on the scene. In reviewing his work, I’ve used terms like ‘the potential next big thing’, ‘royal (musically speaking, of course)’, and ‘simply brilliant’ and he’s shown himself (again, musically speaking) to be all of those things at times, but something still seems to be missing doesn’t it? It isn’t the attention from a wider audience who may not have been exposed to Ras Attitude’s music, nor is it the same lack of exposure and in my opinion respect for the DOMINANT and IMPORTANT musical genre of Roots Reggae in which he participates. What I think has been missing from Ras Attitude’s career (especially considering the way he makes music in terms of how it is released to the general public, as he doesn’t seem to focus so much on singles, like his Jamaican peers) is that one BIG album that separates him from ‘himself’ to a degree. Wonderfully, however, he’s gotten very close and done so almost sequentially more and more in his releases. Save from the very first time anyone might’ve heard of the chanter/singer which was on his debut album, 2001’s Happiness which found him in a full on developmental stage, Ras Attitude’s albums, Love Life, Holding Firm, Royal Lionage and Trodding Home have been almost increasingly MASSIVE, in retrospect. Thus, his next album, whatever it may be, has to be looked upon and anticipated as potentially not only his best, but one of that given year’s best also. Meet I-Meditation! The three weeks or so between finding out that I-Meditation actually existed and getting my hands on it has been interesting to say the least as hearing bits and clips from it, I simply HAD TO HAVE IT. I-Meditation is borderline SPECTACULAR! I knew it before I even ripped off the plastic covering (violently) and sifted through the wonderfully presented project: I was dealing with something SERIOUS. I-Meditation comes via the California based Universal Balance Entertainment, which I only know because they also released chanter Ishi Dube’s solid recent album, Lion Camp. Dube, incidentally, is apparently a player in UBE and he, rather surprisingly, takes an Executive Producer’s credit, as well as a technical Producer’s credit as well (and that’s well surprising to me as someone who just heard Ishi Dube’s name within the last year or so for the very first time). Listening to the results of Dube’s and Ras Attitude’s combination on I-Mediation, however, I can’t help but wonder now, what may have taken them so long to do such a thing as the chemistry the two have is COMPLETELY obvious from the very first tune, throughout. The only question now is how quickly we can get it again as I hold very little in the way of conditions when I say that I-Meditation is the BEST Ras Attitude album I’ve ever heard.

I can tell you right now that if you have never heard a Ras Attitude tune and you’re thinking about picking up an album, I Meditation is the one for you as it introduces the listener to a WIDE variety of the talents he possesses. Introducing the same listener to Ras Attitude’s sixth studio album (by my count) is a very interesting brief intro with the cleverly titled ‘Brass Attitude‘. I’ll leave the lion’s share of it (all fifty-six second of it) to your ears, but the piece is a bit of a spoken word style which gets I-Meditation off to a FLYING start. It reaches new altitudes, however, with the next tune, the IMMACULATE ‘Disya Time’ which is ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS. The tune is my choice as the best tune on I-Meditation altogether because it brings both heavy knowledge and such a SWEET vibes at the same time. The tune speaks of going through very difficult times and what is necessary to make it through such situations and, again, the song sounds LOVELY! I LOVE this song. Charged with keeping those vibes high (and succeeding) is the moving and similarly vibed ‘Ease the Pain’. This tune also ranks very high as one of the best on the album (get used to me saying that) and, as I alluded to, it follows Disya Time rather nice as it also speaks about the pains and the ills of the world and the people facing them and what we all need to do to COPE and ultimately overcome. I also get the feeling that Attitude was speaking about internal pain as well as the pain of the world which is a nice vibes and helps make the tune a real winner. And then, as if wanting to change the mood up a bit, there’s the oft-hilarious ‘Mi Woulda Vex’ which co-stars producer Ishi Dube alongside Ras Attitude. Dube takes center stage with Attitude on the tune (ESPECIALLY ON HIS FIRST VERSE), but both are in a good form and the vibes are on point and make sense, but they’re definitely done with a bit of humour which, at least in my opinion, make it sounds even better (and you have to hear what Ishi Dube says about Barrington Levy). All in all, a big opening here and I’m wondering what’s next.

Next for I-Meditation are combinations. Outside of Dube, there are a few other high profile combinations on I-Meditation as well. The first (and arguably highest profile) is ‘Whip Dem’ alongside the incomparable Everton Blender. Attitude (‘appropriately’ so in my opinion) uses the tune to give the first dosage of EDGE to his vibes and he sounds VERY STRONG alongside the Blender who is at his usual brilliance to my ears as he call upon His Majesty to punish the corrupt people and forces of the world. Jah Sun is the second of three artists ‘repaying’ the guesting favour (Attitude appears on the aforementioned Lion Camp release from Ishi Dube on a nice tune by the name of Taking Over) to Attitude as he and Lutan Fyah gave Jah Sun the best thing I’ve ever heard from him in the form of the WICKED ‘No Bonez, No Blood’ tune from his Height Of Light album. He appears on the SWEETLY vibed ‘Why’ which sounds so nice and if I weren’t very high on Jah Sun beforehand, I might need to go back and re-listen to a few things as his additions here are quite nice (and I love the vibes on this song. Norris Man does the same (Attitude was on ‘We Try’ from Norris’ Know the Road album) on the tune ‘Great God’ which is downright EPIC! The song is a praising vibes to His Majesty and it absolutely HUMBLES the listener as one of the best tunes on the album. The seemingly inescapable Jah Dan guests on an arguably even stronger tune, ‘Sing A Song’, which has ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL Afrikan vibes thrown into to the mix to create a POWERHOUSE of a tune. The song speaks of social and cultural issues and situations and how MUSIC and songs can help you cope with them. At the end of Sing A Song, I was singing a song and so will you, as the tune is simply divine and one of the finest you’ll deal with on I-Meditation (TEARS!). Youts Dem is a tune which features the previously unknown (at least to me) Ibednigo. The tune has a bit of Hip-Hop influence to my ears, which isn’t a bad thing and the HEAVY vibed Ibednigo also adds a bit of a different sound to the tune and, by extension, the album as a whole. And the last combination features the very recently very popular Winstrong, from out of Suriname, on ‘Herbs Over Silver which is definitely one of the best combinations and tunes altogether. The tune urges all to put life into a real perspective and take a look at things which can actually HELP and not the more material and ultimately less worthy matters on a BIG tune. And that’s just the combinations! Back on his own, Ras Attitude continues the BIG vibes. ‘More Love To Grow’ (which fittingly took a minute to GROW on me) has a very nice and serene vibes which honestly caught me off guard a bit I suppose. It kind of goes on (and I literally played through it about seven times or so-) before you realize that it’s a VERY NICE song and I love the delivery in there also. The thing, however, about More Love To Grow is that you’re REALLY going to have to dig into that song to get the message from it because the vibes themselves will undoubtedly distract you for awhile. Mary Jane! What can I say of ‘Mary Jane‘??? If you listen to it as the title might suggest you should, then you’ll be OK. HOWEVER, if you’re distracted at all by the sound of it (and the lyrics at times), then you might not rate the song very highly at all, despite the fact that it’s EASILY one of the best songs on I-Meditation altogether (and I laughed several times when it all finally made sense). The inspirational ‘So It Go’ is another nice one with a very LUSH and old school approach which really caught me and did so in short order. To my ears, So It Go indirectly continues on the message began on Disya Time and Ease The Pain and it expands it by subsequently DIRECTLY making the point that reliance on His Imperial Majesty is the way out of the pain and struggles of life. The sound there is in nearly stark contrast to the BOUNCE generated by the tune which follows So It Go, ‘Gway’. The addictive Gway is just a tune where Ras Attitude basically says, ‘if you aren’t trying to do anything positive then stay the hell away from me!’ Indeed Ras Attitude (also it includes the unforgettable line, “. . . stop fighty-fighty and gwan look a wife). The tune ‘You’ is the lovers tune (which surprisingly doesn’t happen in the first fifteen tunes on I-Meditation) for the album and that’s a style where Attitude does quite well here as the song proves to be very nice and, again, it’s musically entertaining as well as poignant and just all around STRONG. Closing the album is (DUH) another one of my favourites and if you don’t like this song then something’s wrong (seek help)! ‘Where Would You Be’ comes with a gospel style and it takes a minute to really get going, but there is a point in the middle to latter stages of the tune where you feel like getting up and yelling AMEN! Where would we be without Jah is the question of the song and the answer of the tune and it’s posed in such a HUGE form that you have to think about it. And love this song as a closer to this wonderful album just the same.

Overall, Ras Attitude has had some very fine album releases in his career, but I’m full prepared to call I-Meditation the best of his bunch here. The album does everything you would hope one of his albums to do at this point in terms of bringing together not only a very strong collection of tunes, but also showing Attitude’s varied style to its absolute best. I also love the production (biggup Ishi Dube) as well as the way in which it is put together. The album has a very nice packaging and comes complete with a poster of Ras Attitude (which looks like it’s taken from a screenshot from his Trodding Home video), the flipside of which contains lyrics to all sixteen vocal tracks (excluding the intro, of course). I-Meditation is OUTSTANDING and to say that is above albums like Royal Lionage and Holding Firm and Trodding Home (which is exactly what I’m saying) is a big deal. Ras Attitude, ‘The Prototype’, shows himself AGAIN to be in a very elite class of the most talented names in the business on the album and I still think he can do just a hair better. If he does someday then maybe asking for the likes of Black Woman & Child or ‘Til Shiloh won’t be out of the question. VERY WELL DONE.

Rated 4.999999999/5

Universal Balance Entertainment/Universal Balance Productions

2009

Ras Attitude @ Myspace

Ras Attitude Website [To Purchase Album]

Words of The Week: Ten Miles From The City by Louie Culture

Ten Miles From The City

In Jah do I put my trust.

So me nah fraid a no bwoy, coulda ten gun him a buss.

Mi serious!

Fi go a Zion is a must.

And mi nah take no ride pon di Babylon bus.

A di truth!

Marcus Mosiah Garvey say.

10 miles from Kingston City, Bull Bay.

I Man say.

10 miles from the city.

Garvey say, 10 miles from town.

Marcus say 10 miles from the city.

Fyah will be burning, city down.

And then we move.

10 miles from the city.

Garvey say, 10 miles from town.

Marcus say 10 miles from the city.

Fyah will be burning, city down.

Well them me pack up everything inna mi scandal bag.

Mi ahgo lef outta di city, dem a live like hog.

A just yesterday dem find two more tag.

Man ah boast and a brag over tings, dats bad.

A yute lef college and him caan get a job.

Looting and shooting, murder dem ah rob.

Yu jook a old lady, steal her handbag.

Knock out a likkle youth and drink him egg nog.

Mi move. . .

10 miles from the city.

Garvey say, 10 miles from town.

Marcus say 10 miles from the city.

Fyah will be burning, city down.

And then we move.

10 miles from the city.

Garvey say, 10 miles from town.

Marcus say 10 miles from the city.

Fyah will be burning, dem down.

Well inna di city all mi see is pollution.

Babylon build it up without no solution.

Same so.

Dem build dem constitution.

Fi dem constitution only full a confusion.

Cause.

Inna di city ah di rich man wealth.

The poor man living there without no health.

The bills in time, them caan get help.

Well so Jah set it, the Gideon fyah haffi melt.

Mi move. . .

10 miles from the city.

Garvey say, 10 miles from town.

Marcus say 10 miles from the city.

Fyah will be burning, city down.

Again we move.

10 miles from the city.

Garvey say, 10 miles from town.

Marcus say 10 miles from the city.

Fyah will be burning, city down.

Well up inna di hills where the cool breeze a blow.

Away from di city with di traffic overflow.

The sunshine so pretty, Mama wash outta door.

The flowers dem bloom as the green grass grow.

Mi weed up mi hair tru mi nah have no lawn mow.

Nature plant di few likkle herb seeds mi sow.

Mi put it inna cup and they a watch things a glow.

Jah Earth is so blessed but a nuff man, doh even know.

10 miles from the city.

Garvey say, 10 miles from town.

Marcus say 10 miles from the city.

Fyah will be burning, city down.

And then we move.

10 miles from the city.

Garvey say, 10 miles from town.

Marcus say 10 miles from the city.

Fyah will be burning, dem down.

Well them me pack up everything inna mi scandal bag.

Mi ahgo lef outta di city, dem a live like hog.

A just yesterday dem find two more tag.

Man ah boast and a brag over tings, dats bad.

A yute lef college and him caan get a job.

Looting and shooting, murder dem ah rob.

Yu jook a old lady, steal her handbag.

Knock out a likkle youth and drink him egg nog.

Mi move. . .

10 miles from the city.

Garvey say, 10 miles from town.

Marcus say 10 miles from the city.

Fyah will be burning, city down.

And then we move.

10 miles from the city.

Garvey say, 10 miles from town.

Marcus say 10 miles from the city.

Fyah will be burning, city down.

Well inna di city all mi see is pollution.

Babylon build it up without no solution.

Same so.

Dem build dem constitution.

Fi dem constitution only full a confusion.

Cause.

Inna di city ah di rich man wealth.

The poor man living there without no health.

The bills in time, them caan get help.

Well so Jah set it, the Gideon fyah haffi melt.

Mi move. . .

10 miles from the city.

Garvey say, 10 miles from town.

Marcus say 10 miles from the city.

Fyah will be burning, city down.

Again we move.

10 miles from the city.

Garvey say, 10 miles from town.

Marcus say 10 miles from the city.

Fyah will be burning, city down.

Don’t come to ramp.

Don’t come to play.

10 miles from Kingston dat a Bull Bay.

Cha!

An mi chat it same way.

Rastafari doh have no time to play.

Taken from the album 'The Uprising' by Louie Culture

Louie Culture @ Myspace

There's Something About This One: A Review of Herbs Man by Ras Zacharri

2009 has definitely been a year which has been quite heavy on the releases from the big names and, before it’s over, the year also figures to have at least of couple of more as well. We’ve seen so many powerful (and more so) popular releases from very well known names that I’m almost tired of recounting them at this point and I would imagine that Reggae album and song sales are up quite considerably from last year, definitely. However, if you take the biggest and ‘semi-biggest’ of those names out of the equation and just look at what remains, guess what. Things are just as strong. Each and every year we see the kind of middle of the pack and COMPLETELY unknown types making releases which reach international shores and, for the most part in my opinion, the vast majority of those pieces fail to make very much impact and not just because no one gets to hear them. What I’m saying is that if you look in those lesser watched and kind of Reggae HEAVY circles where there exists an audience (of which I myself am firmly a member) (hell, I’m probably the PM of them by this point) who will seek out these lesser known artists and their albums and singles, we’ve been treated VERY well in 2009. The first case I point to is the SPARKLING King Of Kings album from one King Hopeton. How many people right now do you think are enjoying that album and on how many corners do across the planet do you think the vibes are being appreciated and celebrated? I would bet (a lot to a very little) that not too many have even heard the name King Hopeton in respect to Reggae music, but the album was absolutely OUTSTANDING. Very similarly is the case of Nereus Joseph who STILL has my vote as the author of 2009’s best Reggae album PERIOD, with Real Rebels Can’t Die back in May or so. Again, although Joseph’s popularity is apparently decent in his homeland of the UK, I can’t imagine that his music is actually doing any type of damage worldwide which is a real shame because almost NO ONE besides hardcore Reggae heads (who buy just about anything) are able to get that BIG and POWERFUL message from Real Rebels Can’t Die. I’m so eager as well to put an individual such as Daweh Congo into that mix as well, although with the amount of time that he has been around, he’s probably picked up a couple of generations now of Reggae heads, but the same people who marked 2009 releases from the likes of Jah Cure, Buju Banton and Sizzla on the calendar of ‘things to do’, most likely didn’t do the same thing with Congo and a case (a rather strong one) could be made that his Ghetto Skyline is BETTER than all of the releases from that all star-studded trio. And, of course, there are more.

Like here. In the not too distant past, Gwada Reggae star Tiwony dropped his EXCELLENT new album, Viv La Vi. One of the main attractions going into that album was the presence of a tune which had become quite popular and especially online, Pagan Eyes. The tune featured Tiwony alongside one [Ras] Zacharri and was amongst the class on the album which proved to be, in and of itself, another BIG attraction for hardcore Reggae heads in 2009. If I recall correctly, the tune was actually orchestrated by Zacharri for his Shem Ha Boreh Records label’s No Violence riddim where it was the best tune also, in my opinion. Now, of course, I’m pretty much a solid fan of Tiwony’s and anytime he works alongside a Jamaican artist (especially one who has actual talent), it’s something that I’m most likely going to enjoy and Pagan Eyes was no different, but the song essentially introduced me to Zacharri of whom I had heard quite a bit about and just a few tunes and was even further impressed by. Tiwony reportedly isn’t Zacharri’s only popular link as he is also (again, reportedly) the nephew of aforementioned Reggae superstar Buju Banton (who he resembles a bit, to my eyes) and although we’ll have to wait for a nephew-uncle combination to that extent, what Zacharri has done instead is bolster an already potential WONDERFUL year of the aforementioned lesser and unknown artists by adding his debut album (I THINK) to the pot in the form of Herbs Man, so named after one of his bigger hits. Zacharri’s name is one which has been coming up more and more and he’s also showing that he just may have the potential in the next couple of years to put his name alongside some of the more popular in the game also (and DEFINITELY a combination with Buju, uncle or not, would help with that considerably, and personally I’d LOVE to hear it). I would go as far to say that Zacharri has actually become on of the REAL breakout stories of the past twelve months or so in Reggae music and as more and more fans worldwide get an opportunity to listen to his ‘plainly unique’ brand of vibes, I think he’ll definitely have a big opportunity to fulfill on the VAST potential that he is currently showing. As I alluded to, Zacharri’s style is a very simple one. He’s probably equally a chanter and a singer but he has a big BOOMING voice when he chooses to but in a SLOWER vibes. I would liken him to someone like Fantan Mojah, although their voices are very different, in terms of actual styles and application of those styles, I think that’s a pretty nice comparison (although Zacharri seems to have a better sense of melody and I’d probably say that Mojah is a bit more developed at this point. It is that simple niceness which exudes all over Herbs Man and, in my opinion, ends up REALLY lifting the vibes for this one and, at least right now (as it has been for a week or so) Herbs Man ranks quite highly on my players. The album comes via the same previously mentioned Shem Ha Boreh Records who released the No Violence riddim (although, surprisingly, both Pagan Eyes and the riddim’s title tune (from Zacharri also) are absent from Herbs Man), which subsequently means that you can be absolutely sure that Zacharri ran the show and Herbs Man is probably pretty close to being EXACTLY what he wanted it to be. The question, however, is will it be what YOU want it to be. I’m not completely sure, but I think it’ll come pretty close at the end as Zacharri takes the listener on a dynamic and DRIVEN trip of powerful Roots Reggae.

There’s something with a kind of an indescribable ‘hitch’ to Ras Zacharri’s vibes. I’m having a hard time putting my finger on it and it’s something that’s definitely worth mentioning as, at least in my opinion, it basically keeps me from BROADLY lumping him into the category of artists such as Lutan Fyah, Jah Mason and even Turbulence, to an extent and it’s very nice. Whatever “it” is makes its first go on Herbs Man on a STIRRING intro by the name of Yad Hat Waw Hay. It’s a nice and electric intro which I could definitely see Zacharri using in a live show and it works just as much here. The first actual song on Herbs Man, to no surprise, is the title track which was one of the tunes that definitely won Zacharri quite a few fans and it should continue to do that right here as Herbs Man is BIG tune. You hear rather dry and LAME herb tunes from so many and I like to definitely give credit when someone can take such a song and make it sound refreshing (like Batch and Luciano) and that’s exactly what Zacharri does here. You listen to this tune and you don’t hear anything so far out of the ordinary, but it sounds SO NICE and so ORIGINAL that you can’t just play it a one time and walk away. If you wanted to call it the album’s best (and you probably will) I wouldn’t argue, it’s right up there definitely. Big song. The very FULL sounding Dem A Fight I is in next and it continues the big vibes here in an outstanding way! The song speaks of dealing with negative and just corrupted individuals who fight against righteousness and positive men and Zacharri delivers the good here, both in terms of actual SOUND and lyrically as well! Another big one. And then there’s We Survive. I don’t know if I wasn’t really listening to the song or what, but I had to listen to We Survive about five times before I got the message and the vibes. And??? I LOVE IT! We Survive is the best tune I heard on Herbs Man altogether. The tune is a song speaking about the LONGEVITY of the Rastaman and for me, it just hit me so personal as far as my own walk because I’ve definitely been through some interesting things walking this ‘direction’ in life and it just resonates on HUGE levels. I’ll probably be the only one (I would think the consensus choice for the best tune here would be the title track), but I don’t care. We Survive is an AMAZING song and it completes a nearly just as amazing opening.

Although what may have been the most anticipated combination on Herbs Man, Pagan Eyes, is absent, that doesn’t mean that Ras Zacharri exactly goes at things alone either. Nope. Instead he calls in two LEGENDARY friends and one who may be a legend someday as well. The first is previous single Ruff Road, alongside (potential legend) the always STRONG Natty King. The King just makes things sound BETTER. Whoever you are, whatever style of music you make, you should make a combination with Natty King. Here, he compliments Zacharri very nicely to the tune of one of the best songs on Herbs Man as the two speak of the hard road so many go through and how NECESSARY that journey is to make. Luciano later joins the fun with an older tune, the EPICALLY COOL River Jordan where he declares himself ready to cross River Jordan with, “Bible in mi life hand, mi rod inna mi right”, on yet another big tune. The last combination features the incomparable Gregory Isaacs on Knock Knock, a sweet lovers tune. I do have to respectfully say that I don’t think Isaacs has sounded very well as of late and Knock Knock finds him in a similar key, but the song is still quite nice and it has a bit of an ADDICTIVE substance to it so, although it isn’t amongst my favourites on Herbs Man, I’ve probably listened to more than most of the other tunes. The quality doesn’t DIP at all when Zacharri takes things on his own and you might even argue that the vibes get stronger to a degree. Check the downright STUNNING Jah Reign which finds Zacharri CLEARLY declaring where his allegiances lie and with Whom (if you need some help in determining them) on the subtly SWEET sounding tune (it utilizes a lick of Dennis Brown‘s timeless Revolution riddim). The tune Never Give Up On Jah comes in like an R&B vibes before ascending into some brilliant Reggae stratosphere with one of the best efforts here. I mentioned “plainly unique” and that’s exemplified WELL here as the song is just so straight forward but SO nice and I literally had tears in my eyes listening through it one time. Zacharri channels the (LIVING) spirit of Nasio on Black & Comely (it’s not a cover) but definitely leaves his own stamp on the title with the moving vibes. The tune sets the stage for the final two original pieces on Herbs Man, Too Much Youths A Die and Gun, Bombs & Bullets. Too Much Youths A Die may be my least favourite piece here, but its definitely not a BAD tune actually (it has a kind of ‘pulsing’ edge to it and it almost seems like Zacharri changes his own delivery to ‘keep up’ a bit. Guns, Bombs & Bullets, however, is MASSIVE! The song comes in so nicely and maintains that same high level throughout to my ears. He definitely does amp up the intensity, but it sounds more ORGANIC to him and I like the kind of free flowing nature of the EPIC anti-violence tune for the world.

The final three tunes on Ras Zacharri’s Herbs Man album are three mixes of some of the tunes. The first is a very nice ‘Binghi Mix’ of Dem A Fight I, which has the drums turned way up (DUH) and sounds arguably better than the original. There is an instrumental cut of Ruff Road which has some nice typically Dub elements mixed in and I really liked it also. The best of the three, however, to my ears, is the ‘Instrumental Melodica Mix’ of the title track. It sounds like something out of a Spaghetti Western as a Melodica is used in the place of (and using the same melody of) Zacharri’s original vocals. I’m not AT ALL going to say it tops the vocal version, but if I didn’t find myself whistling this song LONG after it had completed, then I must’ve been dreaming and apparently I still am. My only complaint here is that I could have even gone for longer versions of the mixes, maybe up to ten minutes or so, but definitely give respect to Ras Zacharri and company at Shem Ha Boreh Records for a very INTELLIGENT way to end an album.

Overall, GO GET IT! This album grew more and more on me, even while I was writing this review. I just LOVE the way the piece is presented and the vibes are so strong that you just can’t leave it is ‘run of the mill’ Roots Reggae, it seems as if Ras Zacharri left that stage a long time ago. Again, however, I almost have to be redundant and stress the fact that this one is almost strictly for Reggae heads, although I think it’s clear that Zacharri doesn’t exactly have his attentions fixed on any type of crossover market, but Dancehall heads even may struggle with this one. You, however, you crazy Roots Reggae loving, all day and every day type of fan, YOU almost need this album. Herbs Man was made just for US and if you’re at all like me, you’ll appreciate almost every bit of it. WELL RECOMMENDED and one of the year’s finest.

Rated 4.75/5

Shem Ha Boreh Records

2009

Music That Changed My Life Vol. 1: Healing by Malika Madremana

One of the most common questions you’ll encounter within a discussion of music is the inquiry of favourites, in one way or another. Be it as general as favourite artists or favourite albums, or as specific as favourite concert of a certain artist or favourite year of an artist, the subject will almost always arise within such a context. I find these types of questions, on some level at least, to be very fun and random, to an extent as the seemingly unavoidable ‘ritual’ of the pseudo argument between people of, “No. You’re crazy if you think ____ was better than ____”, begins. However, if you frame the question of favourites around SONGS, then . . . Well then you’re talking about something that isn’t quite so fun for me at all. Usually it is poised to me such as, “Hey Achis, I’m a reader of your blog and I always see how you mention that you’re a big fan of ____’s and I was wondering if you had to recommend one song by them what it would be?” In other words, ‘what is your favourite tune by the artist?’ I HAVE NO IDEA. Almost every time you ask the question, I will surely fit in the ending portion -right now- which is the only way I can normally answer it. I can easily tell you that my favourite Tarrus Riley song RIGHT NOW is King Selassie H.I.M., without a problem. It won’t take much thought at all to tell you that I’m really feeling Lead Me To Your Door from Lutan Fyah or that Sizzla has a song called Rat Race that is just DESTROYING me these days, but you say “of all time” and I have to pause.

Well maybe I don’t have to do that anymore. I struggled with starting this and I don’t know at this point when or even if I’ll do a next installment of it, but this is my latest brainchild. I present to you, songs, chants, lyrics, riddims, vibes and COLOURS! These are pieces I may not listen to very often. I may not keep them on the play list around my house and I may even go a full year or so without hearing them a single time and I don’t have to listen often because they stay in my head. They are with me at all times. This is Music That Changed My Life.

MALIKA MADREMANA

If you read me with any type of frequency you’ll definitely notice that I use certain words and try to make certain points. One of the most IMPORTANT, in my opinion, is the point I tend to stress, largely in relation to Roots Reggae which is far more spiritual, of the TANGIBLE aspect of the music. What I mean is that, if you listen to randomly chosen Roots tunes you’ll hear things like “Hail Jah”, “Bun di fyah red!” and “Stay firm in di Gideon”. These things don’t have much meaning if you leave them as they are because someone who doesn’t typically listen to the music is pretty much INCAPABLE of comprehending what they mean. And even if you do go on to explain them, in the spiritual sense, I am left wondering how you then suggest I should apply that to my everyday life. Slinging together choice and oft-used phrases is not a message and, when it comes to Roots music, I’m there for the message. I want to hear what you have to say. That’s why you’ll hear me criticizing the usage of these clichés so frequently because I find that they quite often are not just the result of someone who may not be fully developed as a lyricist or just not as ‘on point’ as they usually are, instead they are the result of the veiled ABSENCE of a message altogether. Now that isn’t, of course, to say that I can’t appreciate the flare of such a tune and take it for a song which simply entertains the ears, believe me, I wouldn’t do such a thing (as a Soca head, I don’t have the right to), because those type of tunes also serve a point, when done well such as simply making the listener feel good! However, when someone makes a song which can almost DIRECTLY address that situation AND, on top of that, give me something useful, which I can apply in my everyday life, I am grounded. I am infinitely grateful.

To Malika Madremana I am infinitely grateful.

If you were so fortunate to have been one of the lucky individuals who came across her debut album Healing then you also would know of a tune by the name of Just Jah. This song doesn’t have “featuring” attached to it. There are only two words in the title and nothing about it would inherently make it a focal point on paper, but I HAVE NEVER HEARD A SONG LIKE THIS IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! NOT ONE! The song is a literal ‘bridge’ between the spiritual world and the tangible world. The way Madremana chooses to make that crossing is in several ways, with the anchoring though being that the mistreatment and the ignoring of The Almighty has been the cause of so many of the troubles of the world, as she says on the tune’s chorus, “When the Earth starts to shake, know it’s Just Jah”. If you listen to the song straight through you’ll notice that she ties said mistreatment to all types of different catastrophes and downright horrible situations. And it would be one thing were Madremana to have simply made the tune in a way where she said this is something that angers His Majesty and left it so flatly but she doesn’t. If she were to have done that, imagine just how much the song changes. The message then becomes one which, again, falls into the clichés and overused clichés so present in the music and by simply saying that Jah does not like to ignored and does not like you to mistreat His planet, you don’t say too much. HOWEVER, when you point to earthquakes, and floods and death and destruction as EVIDENCE of His Majesty’s disapproval, then you have suddenly CHANGED THE GAME! People walk the planet and believe what they want to believe. They believe things that I do; they believe things that I don’t. We can discuss and argue over causes and we can discuss and argue over the source of disaster, but I have NEVER met a person who didn’t believe in an earthquake. I have never met a person who didn’t believe in torrential rainfall and the forests burning down. Now take that and compare it to “Chant down Babylon” and “Bun fyah bun!” It’s one thing for me to say that to you and you, not believing in it, or insisting that you have another explanation, rejecting it; and another with me saying “Bun fyah bun”, and then telling you to go and look outside of your damn window and you actually seeing the fire with the same eyes which ‘verified’ your ‘evidence’. Might your same scales and beakers come up with a formula which could prove that the fire doesn’t really exist either (and if you truly don’t believe, what’s really going to bother you is wondering whether or not those thousands upon thousands of voices chanting “bun fyah bun” actually had something to do with it). She gives a TANGIBLE response to the implied question of WHY to praise Jah also: if you don’t this is what will happen.

Of course that’s just my opinion, so, in order to see how closely my thoughts of the intent of Just Jah ran with the actual intent, I contacted Malika Madremana, herself, and she honoured me by saying exactly how the tune came about. On one of the most poignant and applicable portions of her response, Madremana says:

“. . . So years later, after I had been singin backgrounds for years and it was time to write my own music, I would check my journal for the inspirations that quided me in my early years on my trod...Psalms 71 stood out and I still remember the day I wrote it in my book... I was livin back in NY at the time and I was feelin alone and a bit vulnerable...a young Rasta in Queens...tryin to find my way...and to write the verses down it gave me a strength, u know? As if physically writing the words on paper would manifest the protection...it made me feel safe on those streets…”

“As if physically writing the words on paper would manifest the protection… it made me feel safe on those streets”, she says which is absolutely FULL of material in those few words. It seems to me as if Madremana, herself, would also regard the tune as a BRIDGE between the spiritual and the physical world. She later went on to paint this bridge and put up a nice sign and rails and everything by saying:

“I saw people all around trippin off of these natural disasters and global warming and events as if it's a horrible coincidence that they had to transpire...in total disregard to the fact that The Most High MIGHT be A LITTLE bit pissed off at what a disgrace mankind has been to one another...and to His beautiful Earth...a sheer terror to each other...

like an experiment gone wrong...the simple truth is that mankind is not livin right...and naughty children get punished...by a caring Father still...He watches our every move...to check who's with Him...so easy to ovastand...it would seem…”

It was the analogy she used of mankind to The Creator, as naughty children to caring Father, that so much resonated with me, as she still, in the seemingly most mi-nute moments (after having already made what I think was her primary point in the passage of mankind triggering these catastrophes ourselves), went back to very simple and very easy to overstand and TANGIBLE, worldly terms. I was a naughty child sometimes. I was punished by my caring Father. If you have/had a caring Father, I would all but guarantee that you were too. She essentially closed her explanation of Just Jah by saying:

“Just Jah was a result of my need to honor the source of all creation and destruction alike...And to make it painfully clear to whom I align myself in faith and trust... “

Which, on top of what she says in regard to the naughty child and the Father, is absolute brilliance. Malika Madremana’s allegiance is to her Father. That’s obvious. And while yours may or may not be, she points to chaos and destruction of why, if it isn’t going to be to the same ’Father’ to whom she gives praise and honours, then MAYBE it should be to someone or something higher than yourself, lest you be THE ONE getting caught in an earthquake, confident and convinced that it doesn’t really exist.

And lastly, to answer a question of my own: How did Malika Madremana’s song Just Jah change my life? Not to get all sappedified and downright corny, but I’m an inquisitive type of person. I was a child who asked “Why”, in the face of just about every command (even when I wasn’t supposed to) and sometimes I still do that. It was 2000 when I began to come to sight up Rastafari. Quite a few members of my Mother’s family (ALL of her brothers) also walk that path in life, so it was all around me from very early, but I never really made the connection, even though I observed and observed and observed it. So when it finally began to reach me (and should I make a volume two of this series someday, that would DEFINITELY be an interesting story to write for the first time I believe, because, again, it was a song that helped me there (and my HARDCORE readers probably even know which song) to complete it) I, of course, need direct and literal explanations. The first bit of that came when an ‘elder’ rather frankly told me that His Majesty was LITERALLY the feeling that separated me seeing MY Grandmother as my Grandmother and not just some old woman. I’m not quite the idiot shaking all about, convinced that the earthquake doesn’t exist, but I’m probably not very far from him either. I simply have to know WHY I’m shaking. Just Jah offered and continues to offer me my explanation. It does it in ways that my plumber would tell me that the pipes of my house are rusted and clogged and the way my mechanic might explain to me how driving in a pit of nails probably wasn’t the greatest thing for my tires. For me, Just Jah is personal affirmation of the highest order. The song made it clear to me that I walk the ‘right’ road in my life for me and it COMPLETELY answers the awkward four year old in me who is steadily tugging away at Malika Madremana’s (and simultaneously, His Majesty’s) pant leg, asking “why?“

JUST JAH BY MALIKA MADREMANA

Taken from the album Healing by Malika Madremana

Malika Madremana @ Myspace