The Even Better of The Best.
{HONOURABLE MENTIONS GO TO: Fulfillment by Chuck Fenda, Motherless Child by Teflon, Movin' Ahead by Lorenzo, Herbs Man by Ras Zacharri & Let Dem Talk by The Itals}
#10. Viv La Vi by Tiwony [Blackwarell]
‘The Rising‘. Had I done this list as recently as a month or so ago, Tiwony’s sophomore solo album may not have made the list at all as while it hadn’t necessarily fallen out of my favour, it had fallen out of my players and done so considerably. However, that was until I retook notice of a WONDERFUL video of Tiwony performing a tune from the album, ‘Mouille Le Maillot’, alongside his adorable daughter and since then the album (to consistently hear that tune, if for no other reason) has been amongst my favourite and most spun. That’s definitely a great thing and I feel for people who have largely ignored it, because they’ve done so to their own peril. Viv La Vi is one of the most COMPLETE releases of the year. It’s probably even more consistently well done than a few pieces which are going to outrank it. Tiwony is simply one of the most talented faces we have in the game and this project should’ve been his breakout in my opinion and while I don’t believe it was very popular (I think the only thing missing was a combination with a BIG Jamaican artist (biggup Ras Zacharri again), I think in terms of its actual quality, it was just that. When Tiwony reaches with a release, Reggae heads would do best to pay attention because when at his absolute best, he’s able to do WONDERFUL things like this.
#9. Justice by Lutan Fyah [Philadub Records]
‘For Me’. It’s interesting that, in retrospect, quite a bit of the minor criticisms here and there that Justice would receive centered around one of the reasons why I liked it so much and do so more today than I did about six months ago when it came through. It was pointed out basically how straight forward and ‘melodically-challenged‘ that the album was and while certainly that was true because the album was largely recorded a couple of years back when Lutan Fyah had yet to develop that dimension of his game to the point where it is today (and he’s still not VERY melodically gifted by any means, but he’s better at it now to my opinion), but what he had developed and done more so than just about ANYONE was the RIDICULOUS lyrical acuity he possesses which, much like the voice of the individual at #15 can ‘rescue’ just about anything he does at any given turn. Should you find yourself not actually being entertained by this album, I challenge you to just take a step back and on ANY song, merely take a listen to what is being said. If you do that, then you’ll absolutely have no doubt at all as to why Justice was one of the year’s finest.
#8. I-Meditation by Ras Attitude [Universal Balance]
‘The Shining’. For all intent and purposes, through the now thirteen albums which have appeared on this list thus far (including this one) Ras Attitude’s I-Meditation, in my opinion, is the first which is UNDENIABLY a great album. If you don’t find some wonderful in this beautiful release, well then I just can’t help you. From beginning to end, this album was absolutely flawless: Not a misstep to be found and each and every time I hear it, I find newer and more interesting reasons to love it.
#7. Love Life by Black Dillinger [IM Music]
‘One Big Nation’. There’s something SO wonderful when you hear an artist who you’ve had SO MUCH hope for reach their potential and do so in a big way. Such is the feeling I get when the discussion turns to the sophomore release of South Africa budding superstar, Black Dillinger. Out of all the albums on this list with the exception of #1 and the next album you’ll see (for obvious reasons, in both cases), Love Life has not so curiously managed to find its way onto my players and remain there consistently ever since I got my hands on it. I’m going to go ahead and assume that a year from now when I’m working on this list again, I’ll probably be able to say the same thing again. It is TRULY a beautiful thing and I’m not even sure that “love” is the right word, but it’s damn close.
#6. Ghetto Youth-Ology by Sizzla [Greensleeves Records]
‘Mover & Shaker’. What a surprise! I LOVE a Sizzla album! Unbelievable! Maybe not so shocking is the fact that Ghetto Youth-Ology is pretty easily the biggest gainer on the entire list. I definitely enjoyed it when I first heard it, but I would have put it in a case of being most likely in the top fifteen or so after some of the more high powered releases arrived (such as the two which immediately preceded it here), but upon further reflection - Ghetto Youth-Ology on the total is just a couple of levels or so away from being VINTAGE Sizzla Kalonji. With all of my partialities well intact, had THAT Sizzla arrived, it would’ve been an unquestioned #1 and you see how highly I rate it when he merely APPROACHES that. And now I just have to hope that I don’t change my mind before I post this and rate it even higher.
#5. Contagious by Tarrus Riley [VP Records]
‘Still . . . DAMN!’ I’ve read so many ‘decorated’ reviews (I’m trying to say “reviews from people who write about Reggae often) about this album and it hasn’t really seemed to have resonated with the critics the same way that the Parables album did. Also, amongst the fans, it also hasn’t had that type of nearly LANDMARK success and response (although it has birthed more than its fair share of hits), but I think they’re all crazy! Contagious is CLEARLY better than its elder sibling to my ears from beginning to end in my opinion and that’s saying so much, considering how wonderfully immaculate Parables would grow to become. Still, I do have to wonder why it seems as if it hasn’t had that same type of impact. However, if it remains like so, I really won’t mind. Let it stand as an ‘illness’ that only I caught. AMAZING. (“never before, has the world seen a KING like HIM!”).
#4. Helta Skelta by Mad Cobra [DJR Records]
‘The One’. You won’t find Sean Paul here. You won’t find T.O.K, Mavado and you DEFINITELY won’t find that thing Kartel released. You’ll find albums from Pressure and Sizzla and others who definitely use it, but you won’t find any other PURE Dancehall release on this entire list outside of Mad Cobra’s EPIC Helta Skelta album. In what was definitely one of the shittiest years in recent memory in regards to the Dancehall album, Mad Cobra was CLEARLY the head of the very small pack and he may have even outdone the last GREAT Dancehall album (Kartel’s The Teacha’s Back). Cobra is definitely one of my favourites and I’m damn partial, so forgive me, but this BRUTAL album, at least for me, went and outlined and demonstrated everything a hardcore Dancehall album is supposed to be. Not to mention the fact that it’s done by one of the art form’s greatest champions who’d been promising such a release for a few years prior. Well he was right and Dancehall heads worldwide needed to look no further than here for GENIUS in 2009.
#3. Montego Bay by Queen Ifrica [VP Records]
‘On The Rise’. If you didnt like this one, you need medical help. Queen Ifrica’s debut on the big time, Montego Bay was the best high profile release of 2009, no question about it. Not only that, but in terms of comparison, had it released last year, I would have also marked it better than even Etana’s debut masterpiece, The Strong One. In that class of artist helmed to take over and ascend to the heights of Roots Reggae, Queen Ifrica certainly isn’t the most marketable and she may not be the one whose style IMMEDIATELY grabs the imagination of the public, but amongst them ALL, not a single one possesses the tangible talent she does. She is TRULY divine and to date, Montego Bay stands as the greatest representation of that talent. . . But I think she can do even better.
#2. Real Rebels Can’t Die by Nereus Joseph [Sirius Records]
‘The Trendsetter’. I’ve been telling any and every one and thing that I could find with functioning ears just how BEAUTIFUL this project was for the better part of the year. On top of that, I’ve been flatly declaring Nereus Joseph’s highly unexpected Real Rebels Can’t Die for the same amount of time as well. Why? Perhaps because no one combined such a quiet confidence and CLASS with such a wonderful refinement. This album sounded like it was vibed over years and years by people a helluva lot more well known than Nereus Joseph and ‘Sirius Records’. But we have to give credit where it’s due and doing so Real Rebels Can’t Die was such a powerful album from the UK based Joseph that it forced me to trace his solid history as well and hopefully I wasn’t the only one. Although I haven’t heard many (anyone) as vocal about its quality as I have, definitely everyone who I’ve played it for have found (with very little prodding from me) (although I do love to prod) it to be the same. So with qualities and praises like that, you would think there would have to be something REALLY special to outrank it and take top honours.
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