Perhaps I’m the only nerd in the world who looks at things like this, but when you have a REALLY big album drop, I always like to think about how it’ll affect the generally far better, but lesser known projects. It goes so nicely that almost anything which will attract new and casual fans of the music to the Reggae section of their local store or their favourite etailer, is a winner to some degree in my opinion, despite the fact that the actual release itself may or may not be very good. For instance, just last year I was absolutely delighted at the number of potential first timer Reggae buyers who, because of Sean Paul’s downright ghoulish Imperial Blaze album may have stumbled upon the piece of magic hidden further back in his catalogue, Stage One. Sean Paul is a wonderful case of this because he’s previously had two other albums in the even worse Dutty Rock and the pretty nice Trinity, both of which did heavy business and certainly made a number of fans go, ‘oh, he had another album? I guess I’ll get that too’, in reference to Stage One. Similarly, I’m sure that artists like Luciano and Mad Cobra have been aided in selling records for years and years due to the fact that alphabetically speaking their names come very close to every single member of the Marley Family and even if the newer fans get their album as an afterthought or maybe even just retains their names into memory, in that instance, any publicity is GREAT publicity. And while I probably no longer qualify as a ‘newer’ and/or ‘casual’ fan at all (emphasis on “probably”) this is something I deal with VERY frequently, particularly given the digital side of things which inevitably presents the WONDERFUL option of merely clicking an artist’s name, thus revealing EVERYTHING they have available at the time. For me, generally (as is the case here), it serves more of a reminder of something I may’ve formerly had my eye on and have forgotten about (and more and more these days, I find myself being reminded of something THAT I ALREADY HAVE, but have yet to really vibe too much) and have yet to have gotten to. Of course in my case, however, it’s rarely (I.e. NEVER) a matter of a truly big and crossover style album which directs my attention to something else. It’s usually something which was unexpected and kind of came up from out of nowhere and it gives the opportunity to research it and thus shedding some light on something else which may deserve just as much light.
Such is the case here and I have to give credit to Bescenta for once again bringing this release to my attention. Not very long ago at all the chanter released his very well received debut album Genuine and did so on his label home, Uplifting Music International. Previously, UMI had been involved in quite a few works, including releases for Terry Linen and a very solid riddim release, the Imoka. Still, for me the bonafide highlight of their catalogue was and remains one SWEET riddim they released a few years back which received a nice bit of attention at the time and spurred on a number of nice hits and very solid tunes, the Africa Riddim (and I believe the label had a different name at the time also). This thing was on the radars of so many because, first and foremost, it was just excellent. The riddim (which I believe was laid the legendary Sly & Robbie) is so pleasant and bubbly and MODERN that it’s simply hard to just kind of ignore and let play in the ambiance, it’s definitely an attention-grabber. On top of that, I believe that when it was initially launched, the Africa Riddim was a part of a bigger charitable project for children I believe and whether or not that project was successful or not, it did birth this very interesting release and certainly helped to set the stage for a label which has grown to be increasingly prominent and crucial. I’ve actually had it for quite awhile now and it wasn’t until going through the aforementioned Genuine album when I went back and took another listen (and a LOOK) and heard (and SAW) the names on this thing, I definitely found it be a very VAST project and even more so than I originally thought when just looking at the tunes on the riddim which would go on to do damage with the masses. Subsequently, over the past few months (and including just a few months before Bescenta’s album dropped because I just happened to notice that it (as well as the Imoka) had been essentially re-released after seemingly vanishing from the digital arena via the always on point Zojak Worldwide) the Africa has quietly become one of my favourite riddims and albums just to vibe to ever so occasionally and it practically always serves its function in that sense. This relatively high profile piece, along with everything I’ve mentioned thus far, also had one of the more impressive and just downright SOLID roster of artists voicing it, but not in the stereotypical way you might imagine. While you certainly will find some big names here, you won’t find the likes of Capleton, Luciano, Tarrus Riley, Etana and a whole heap of others who would’ve definitely added to the vibes here, but so many of the second, third and fourth tier of artists (in terms of popularity) who voice it add to the kind of ‘exclusivity of the riddim. Of course Bescenta’s is a name which would definitely fit into that category and such a status would almost surely endear it even further to the hardcore Reggae fans online shopping for it (like you and I), but also it just thrives on that certainly underrated skill level of artists who definitely can use the light shone on their excellent material, even a few years on. And to go along with just the names themselves are vibes and messages which are, many times, very powerful and poignant and just necessary in my opinion. To put it flatly: What you’ll hear on the Africa Riddim is just well rounded and solid throughout and makes for a damn nice riddim album for anyone keen enough to stumble upon and appreciate it, however you may get there.
I actually thought for awhile that this riddim was a remake of an older one given its name and the fact that Sly & Robbie were involved. And while that still may be the case, I am now convinced that this riddim is an original and not a remake of one of the billions of others with the same or similar names. Getting the album of this version of the Africa Riddim, from Uplifting Music International, up and rolling, unsurprisingly is the much aforementioned UMI artist, Bescenta, who gives us what was my choice as the finest tune altogether on his album, Genuine, ‘Fari A Hold A Joy’. I absolutely have grown to love this song recently and the fact that it isn’t my favourite (or second favourite) tune on the riddim (or third) definitely (or fourth) goes to say a lot about what else is to be found here. But for this tune in particular, it should probably be the signature tune for a label known as ‘UPLIFTING MUSIC International’, because it is just so upful and powerful and definitely conveys a wonderful message for the people and is such a wonderful way to start. Topping the opener, however, and every other tune on the Africa, is Natural Black’s WICKED ‘If Me & You Inna Business’ [aka ‘Nubian Business‘]. This tune! I’ve LOVED this song from the very second I heard it and the intensity has only gotten stronger across the time. The song essentially speaks about maintaining one’s “business” (and, by extension in my opinion, one’s DECENCY and common sense) at all times and it’s just such a powerfully SMART tune and one of my favourite from Black’s entire catalogue. You also may recall that it features as the single finest tune on the Guyanese chanter’s Naturally Black album (and if I don’t get a new Natural Black tune in 2010, I shall be mighty pissed off). HUGE tune. Rounding out the opening of the Africa Riddim album is the largely previously unknown and inactive Stamma G with the kind of strange, but captivating ‘Look How Much Girl Me Have’. I’m pretty sure that Stamma is the very same Damian Allen who runs UMI, and is thus the executive producer of this riddim, and he does a pretty good job (whoever he is). The tune sounds very strange because of Stamma’s kind of ‘sad’ delivery, but you can listen to the lyrics and kind of get a vibes which is quite rare - Here is this very popular person with the ladies, but yet he’s obviously completely lonely because what they want is what he has and not who he is. Definitely take a few spins before casting your ultimate decision on the tune, for me it’s a winner.
While most hardcore Reggae heads are fairly certain to recognize the vast majority of the names on the Africa Riddim, there’re a couple who may stand out as being unknowns and both do a pretty good job in my opinion. Definitely police officer, Stamma T, isn’t a name which sticks out of this crowd, but that fact shouldn’t steer your attentions away from his effort, ‘Mother Me Love So Much’. Stamma REALLY REALLY loves his mother and it shows on what has to be considered one of the most LOYAL ‘Mama tunes’ that you’ll ever hear in my opinion. And the other largely unfamiliar name on the riddim is Juice who checks in with ‘Burn Dem Up’. Don’t let that title (which is pretty bad) warn you away from the tune. The big voiced chanter (who I haven’t heard from ever since) is very impressive on the track and although it kind of goes all over the place in terms of direction, you definitely get a nice taste of the talent the artist brought on the fiery tune (now if we can just remember what the hell happened to him). And apart from those artists, we can move up to (quite) a few steps ahead in terms of popularity, but not up to the top notch names to someone like the always nice Spanner Banner who tips in with the very inspirational ‘We Should Be Loving Life’. This tune is pretty much an antiviolence and anticorruption piece, but it seems to kind of acknowledge that both violence and corruption will continue by certain people and powers and that those of us who don’t engage in such things should definitely seek to continue to freeze out those who do and their heinous actions on this very nice tune. And I’ll also include the somewhat mysterious, but excellent Paul Elliot whose ‘Same Set Of People Dem’ (a lot of very long winded titles on this riddim) is amongst the finest pieces on the Africa Riddim altogether. The song deals with two faced and just generally NASTY people of the world who really don’t have your prosperity in their hearts at all, but are just waiting and hoping to see you fall in actuality. And while I’m at it, actually, I should probably also mention ‘Babylon You Can’t Stop The Youth Dem’ from Andrew B[ees]. EASILY this tune ranks as one of the finest I hear on this riddim and it just may be as high as number two or so because it is WELL impressive - Speaking on a variety of dimensions inherently brought up through the title and in my opinion ultimately tying them together under the umbrella of education which Bees sees as a way of making the coming generations all but invincible to corruption.
In getting to the artists who voice the Africa Riddim whose names will almost jump off the page at even casual Reggae fans, there’re two here who definitely have a very similar case of circumstances for me personally, Gyptian and Norris Man. Both artists do what’re essentially love songs with ‘Why You Have To Lie’ and ‘Just To See You Here’ respectively. I’m not very fond of either (although both have been better as of late) (especially Gyptian) and would have even less so at the time these two tunes dropped, but both songs are pretty good actually with Gyptian’s being the better of the two, but Norris Man isn’t far behind to my opinion at all either. And I could very well say the same thing of Turbulence also and his antiviolence song ‘Shoot Out’. This piece is almost Rising level material and if we could get Turbulence to sing tunes like this all of the time (instead of those creepy and ‘watery’ love songs of which he’s been so fond for the last half decade or so) then he’d definitely be one of my favourites again. The Morgans aren’t amongst my favourites either and they probably will never be, but their tune on the riddim, another antiviolence piece ‘Too Much Blood’ is one of my favourites here. It’s a song which just sounds so nice, sonically speaking it’s one of the best tunes here, and then there’s the message of course and Morgan Heritage definitely get credit (as they usually do) for kind of thinking in the ‘worldly’ sense of things and they do the same thing here in seeking to apply the will of His Imperial Majesty throughout the entire planet to make it a better place (“saying whoa Jah, we need you much more than ever”). Richie Spice joins his brother, Spanner Banner, on the Africa and arguably does even better with the somewhat typical (for him) apocalyptic ‘A Where The World Gone To’. This one doesn’t ring in like ‘Earth A Run Red’ or something like that, but basically the same sentiments are uttered and it worked on a tune like that and it definitely works here as well. Anthony B echoes Spice’s message, somewhat, on his piece, ‘What’s Going On’. It isn’t an example of him putting his best foot forward, but Anthony B riding at 75-80% is easily better than about 90-95% of his peers at their best and thus if you wanted to declare this tune one of the best on the riddim (and I’m not), I wouldn’t put up too much of a fight (and it definitely does pick up later in the tune).
And lastly, I’ll mention my two favourite artists on the Africa, Sizzla Kalonji and Queen Ifrica, who score arguably the two biggest tunes (in terms of how well they did) on the riddim as well as probably my second and third favourite altogether, respectively. For her part, Queen Ifrica infuses not only a very much needed feminine touch to the riddim, but also some absolutely BRILLIANT vibes which is here norm with her HUGE tune ‘Rasta No Chat Rasta’. This tune aims itself at all individuals who claim to follow His Imperial Majesty, but whose actions CLEARLY reveal them to be followers of someone/thing else and it comes as yet another step in an increasingly long and impressive line of genius from the diminutive songstress. And of course Kalonji doesn’t at all disappoint with his BEAUTIFULLY SPRAWLING ’Show More Love To The Youth’ a tune which generated quite a bit of attention for this project and impressed so many that it actually became a #1 tune for Sizzla at the time. You can listen to the tune and although it isn’t quite vintage Sizzla, whatever it is, is awfully close and the song is very powerful as you might imagine.
Overall, I just do want to stress how very nice and delightful this piece was and just how much and how far I wanted to be sure to mention it because it’s probably one of the better riddim releases of the last few years or so in full. The Africa Riddim is, in my opinion, a very nice addition to the collections of both newer and older fans alike with the older fans definitely hearing a very familiar vibes (and liking it) and being impressed by the aforementioned ‘eclectic’ roster of artists and I’m convinced that newer heads will catch on because of the nice and kind of ‘liquid’ bounce the riddim shows. Certainly there could have been more in the way of truly big names to voice it, but what UMI ultimately came up with is more than enough. So, when you find yourself bouncing around your favourite record store or on cyberspace, definitely pull back that last CD on the shelf to see what lies behind it or click on the name of that artist who you’ve never heard of. Failure to do so could make you miss out of near GEMS like this one.
Rated 4.5/5
Uplifting Music International/Zojak Worldwide
2008
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