Check It Vol. 8

Assassin & I-Wayne - Fire Song [Boardhouse Records]

Okay, most attention grabbing this week (and I say that despite the fact that I haven’t finished putting this thing together totally just yet) is this SHATTERING tune, ‘Fire Song’ from Assassin’s Boardhouse and featuring I-Wayne alongside the star. I’ve definitely been quite critical of I-Wayne over the last year or so, but he’s so far having a pretty strong year so far and this tune, for me, becomes the highlight (despite the fact that he also has a tune with Lutan Fyah). This song is just STRONG and a very interesting combination between the two and, of course, Assassin is A+ lyrically while I-Wayne provides a more hyped version of his typical fire and brimstone (but highly highly COY) condemnation and all wicked people and actions everywhere. Definitely pick up this single and we’re hoping for albums from both in 2010.

Saïk - M-10 Strict (Street Album) [G-zup Concept]

I’ve been sitting on this one going on a year by now I suppose and it’s definitely time that I’ve told you about it (it’s actually featured on the big Frenchie site Antilles-Mizik.comtoday, jogged my memory). Of course you know Gwada star Saïk is one of the maddest artists on the planet, crazy lyrics, crazier flows and just a dynamic and winning personality and presentation and, in my opinion, may just be the artist to take the lead for French and Creole Reggae music in the future (along with Mrs. Nasso of course). M-10 Strict was Saïk’s ‘street album’ for 2009 and it was definitely something nice to get us by until the next studio project. Although it wasn’t as ‘tight’ as Face à La Réalité, with a whopping TWENTY-THREE tracks here, it was still damn interesting and impressive to say the least. Featuring spots from the likes of Young Chang MC, Reyel Ay, impressive up and comer Jao Kynx and even Stone J (biggup Stone J every time) add to the shine of this release from one of the most talented artists on the planet and Mortenol District’s finest.

{note: There’s also a digital version of the album available now, in EP form, but if you want the full lot, check Antilles-Mizik.com}

Yeahman’C - Trop Forte EP [Everweed]

Staying with the Frenchies for just a second - Veteran Yeahman’C from out of Nina is set to drop his debut album (I thought he already had an album, but apparently that release too was a ‘street album’) Le Bon in a couple of weeks (this cover is also the album’s cover apparently) and in preparation he’s released an EP for the album, featuring three of the reported nineteen tracks on the album, Trop Forte. On the EP is the title track (for the EP), ‘Ma New Era’ and most interestingly ‘Les Enfants Du Soleil’ which features Tiwony and sounds EXCELLENT. I’ve honestly been pretty high on Yeahman’C for awhile now, although very quietly, and I’m definitely looking forward to getting my hands on it and I’m hoping that the label pursues similar situations when the full album releases (meaning I hope that they release it digitally right away).

Scrappy - The Caribbean Dream [Faluma]

While artists like Krosfyah and El-A-Kru can’t seem to get anything through at this point, Scrappy must be the happiest human being in the entire ever fattening Faluma roster because he, seemingly, has an album released from the label about every half-hour or so. Thankfully everyone’s favourite Soca artist from out of Montserrat (although definitely biggup I Cultural), is well talented, so even though you’ll find many tunes shared between the releases, his is always a welcomed name. Highlighting his latest, Caribbean Dream is the nearly MASSIVE ‘Show Me A Flag’ which probably should’ve earned him another Montserrat Monarch last year (again, biggup Cultural) and is VERY strong, probably one of the strongest lyrical efforts I’ve EVER heard from him thus far. There’re also familiar selections such as ‘Taking Over De Road’, ‘Start To Bounce’ and ‘Carnival SOS’ rounding things out on this very impressive set and I’m sure he’ll have another album in a minute or two (and now here would be the point where I would say something about the Rocket Launcher, but I’m not going to. . . Oh wait. . . ).

Ziggi Recado - Same Difference EP [Rock ‘N Vibes]

Apparently they just couldn’t wait and I can’t blame them honestly with a talent like this. I was definitely hoping that 2010 might bring the world a followup to Ziggi’s EPIC 2008 sophomore release In Transit and while it may just do that still, while we wait Ziggi is bring us an EP, Same Difference which features six tunes. Since the release of his last album, Ziggi has been absolutely on fire and flaming so with some of the material present on this release such as ‘Ganja Smoke In The Air [aka ‘Joka Smoka‘]’ and ‘Pretender’. There’re also new (at least to me) tunes present, with the most eye catching being ‘You’ which is a duet style tune with the legendary Marcia Griffiths of all people. Of course I’m still hoping 2010 will be an album year for Ziggi, but even if it isn’t, Same Difference is sure to do damage. Also doing damage in your search for this piece is the fact that Ziggi recently changed his name to Ziggi Recado, why that and not Ziggi Regatta, the world may never know.

Eric Blowtorch & The Welders [Bopaganda!]

HEAVY! It may very well take me a very long time to get used to some of the vocals from the US based Eric Blowtorch & The Welders, but the music here is OUTSTANDING! The actual craft and the compositions as well, clearly these people (whoever they are), know what they’re doing and it’s to no surprise at all that they’ve also attracted the attentions of the legendary Trombone Man himself, Rico Rodriguez, as well Prince Jazzbo. Between the tunes available on these two releases (apparently there’s also an album and you can also get much of this work digitally, but I’ve found that Ernie B and JUNO both have the physical (and you know if Juno has it, that means that you can basically listen to the entire thing because they’re ’clips’ are pretty much the entire songs, all of the time) releases) I’m absolutely in love with the vibes of ’Vision Of Alpha’ which features Rodriguez. The version for ’Salt Water’ is also very impressive, exemplifying that old and adorably ’dusty’ type of Roots/Dub sound and there’s also ‘Most Dangerous Man’ (which shares a foundation riddim with the aforementioned ’Vision Of Alpha’), 10% of the proceeds of which will reportedly go to Human Rights Watch, which is an organization for protecting and defending human rights, worldwide. Do a good deed today and pick up some big vibes in the process.

Bloodshot Riddim EP [Xconvict Records/Zojak Worldwide]

With only four tunes, ostensibly there isn’t much to mention here, but with two of the four being from Jah Mason and I-Octane and the third, being from the 'up and coming' Little Joe, surprisingly probably being the best of the vocal tracks (the fourth is the clean riddim track). The Bloodshot Riddim itself is a very ‘different’ sounding vibes, sounding like The Godfather theme with the spiraling sound, mixed with hardcore modern Roots Reggae, very interesting to say the least.

Maxi Priest - Too Busy With My Own Problems [Bass Inna Yu Face/Zojak Worldwide]

Maxi Priest apparently is a very busy man and doesn’t have time for much else these days, or at lest that’s the type of person he’d like to tell you about with his new single ‘Too Busy With My Own Problems’ for Bass Inna Yu Face. That same label is apparently the label belonging to Priest’s bassist, Taddy P, from out of Mobay. Taddy has his own single out as well (which you can also get in this digital bundle), ‘Leave The Crumbs Alone’ with veteran Mackie Conscious on vocals. Both selections are very impressive and both artists made an excellent performance at Regatta earlier this month as well.

420 Mix [Zojak Worldwide]

Okay, I mentioned this one last week, but now that it’s been released and I’ve had a bit of time to deal with it more, I thought that I’d bring it back. Perhaps because this “mix” is hardly mixed at all and features a great deal of the tunes on the piece (many of which I love), it’s grown on me greatly where other mixtapes barely even see my players even semi-consistently. I will say that this one is great for newer fans and older ones maybe looking for a bit of nostalgia (call me a nerd, but when ‘Ganja Farmer’ dropped in, I STILL paused) because that’s exactly what I was feeling from it. Just an all around solid idea and some HUGE tunes on this one of varying popularity ranging from Black Uhuru’s ‘Sensimilla’ all the way to the up and coming Baijie with ‘Spliff Long’ (and biggup Ce’Cile getting in on the act as well). Very solid representing nicely for Stonerville.

Anthony B - Rolling The La La La [Bornfire Music/Zojak Worldwide]

And lastly (thankfully because I’m getting tired) (as hell) is a new single from Anthony B, ‘Rolling The La La La’. This one is way too Hip-Hoppish for my tastes, but you may just enjoy it. The tune features an unnamed Rapper also and it isn’t horrible so definitely if you like your vibes half and half, mixed with Hip-Hop, check the tune out, it’s available now.