'A Sound For Sore Ears': A Review of "Mortima Hardly" by Natural Black

2010. While just about two months away from being able to look at the year as a whole, I think it’s pretty safe to say that in terms of Reggae albums, those of us who REALLY pay attention (all thirty of us or so) don’t have too much to complain about. For some reason, however, it does look a little bleak when compared to last year, but it clearly hasn’t been. I’m definitely going to point to a very recent period of time which just saw full blown albums released from a trio of Dancehall/Reggae legends, Buju Banton, Lady Saw and Spragga Benz and the fact that not a single one of those albums came via industry leader, VP Records, is probably a pretty good sign to the testament of the strength of another portion of the genre, not just at the top. We’ve also seen powerful debuts from big named artists such as Romain Virgo and Gappy Ranks and returns from the likes of a long LONG overdue Capleton, Luciano, Junior Kelly, Admiral T, Natty King (and you can’t really grumble at all when Natty King pushes an album) and Chezidek. Really, I don’t want to go too far, but in mentioning even more releases from the likes of Sizzla Kalonji (more on him later), NiyoRah, Toussaint and there’s always Naptali, 2010 has been pretty good to us, hasn’t it? Still, like I said, for some reason if you hold it up to what 2009 turned out to be (even though, after all of that, I’m probably leaning towards calling 2010 even stronger come December), it doesn’t seem as strong, ostensibly, at least not to me. You know - It almost seems like something is missing. But what could it be??? Something that certainly could’ve helped would have been an apparently postponed until next year sophomore release from Etana. Another thing could have been if [Lady] Spice’s reported debut album had actually come through, that’s an album I think could have even garnered slight mainstream interest and while we’re on the ladies for the moment - Lady Sweety . . . Whenever you’re ready. And there’re a few other things in the works and a few other people who’ve just been quiet as of late and we’ll surely get all of those in due time and most likely a whole lot more (just not this year), but even apart from them does it seem like it to anyone else that 2010 is just missing something?

Ooooh! I know and I think you’re going to LOVE this. Although it isn’t accurate at all, it just seems like, at least to me it does, that it’s been AGES since last we’ve heard from outstanding Guyanese chanter, Natural Black, on an album. Of course it hasn’t that long since his last album, the decent but all but forgotten ”Guardian Angel” (what happened was that album released at the beginning of 2009 and here we are at 2010’s end), but I get accustomed to and comfortable with having certain things jump up and a Natural Black album is such a thing which can make all of that heat I just mentioned a little less than steamy. Well, I’ve just gotten word that my time to complain is quickly running short as now, approximately halfway through October (closer when it was released), we now have a NEW NATURAL BLACK ALBUM and all things are sunny again. Said album, ”Mortima Hardly”, is Black’s ninth studio release (by my count) and comes, most interestingly, courtesy of Rippa Blaxxx Productions and the same Grillaras Productions who had hands in album releases from Norris Man (”Captura”) and the exciting UT Ras ("Tha Bitter Stretch”) from just a few years back (and the album also reaches us, digitally, via the most magical place on earth, Zojak Worldwide). Rippa Blaxxx is interesting because, as far as I can tell, it is the new label from Dancehall veteran producer Daniel ‘Blaxxx’ Lewis who is one of dozens and dozens of unfortunately underknown and underrated producers and players of instrument in Reggae and Dancehall without whom the genres could not function as they do. Lewis, to my knowledge, has previously worked with labels such as Blaxxx Records and Black House Records and his is a name which, although predominately only known amongst hardcore heads, does have some really strong material behind it. Fans of Greensleeves’ once mighty Rhythm Album Series can credit Lewis for delivering both the #62 Middle East Riddim and #71 (one of my personal favourites) Slingshot Riddim. So, while you still may not be too familiar, it is clear that we aren’t dealing with a rookie, in either case, manning the controls for Natural Black’s latest release. For his part, the chanter is a mighty fine form. I have developed a very nice method for listening to things for the various first time: Should I find that I don’t actually like a riddim or if it is just kind of ‘different’ to my ears and not so easily digestible, what I do is IMMEDIATELY focus on the lyrics of the song. So, I don’t know if it is because of that (even though I started to like most of the riddims here after not too long) or because I would have been easily impressed in some instances, having gone through Natural Black withdrawal for the better part of a year and a half or so, but I’m inclined to say that ”Mortima Hardly” has to be considered one of Natural Black’s better lyrical efforts as an album to date. He handles a healthy variety of subjects on the album and he doesn’t take them in the typical or clichéd directions (at least not usually), which is always so refreshing. On top of that (speaking of refreshing), what I think generally tends to be the dominant quality of Black’s music - His ability to so finely implement his personality into any given song - is on full and vibrant display throughout this set as well. And when you take that and combine with ‘uniqueness’ of the feel of this album (more on that in just a moment), in my humble estimation, I’d say the album proves to be an upper echelon release, at least, from Natural Black.

Shame on you if you don’t catch the title of the album. The star here was born in Guyana in 1975 and given the name Mortimer Softley. Apparently the album’s title marks some sort of ‘alter-ego’ or simply a different approach and that’s evident because it does show itself to have a bit of a different sort of edge to the vibes, particularly given the varied nature of the production at times. ”Mortima Hardly” by Natural Black from Rippa Blaxxx Productions and Grillaras Productions gets up and going with a tune with a bit of a subtle edge to it, but an edge nonetheless. ‘Running’. The riddim here is very strange and it took awhile to grow on me definitely, but if you start to quickly listen to what Black is saying, it proves to be the kind of tune I absolutely RELISH because it is such an interesting concept.

“Stop running away from problems
Running away from pain
And when you think it’s over
Here comes the rain again”

Next in is the very truly GREAT tune on the album, ‘Ethiopia Awaits’. This tune is beautiful on the lyrical aspect, the riddim (which is so nice that you barely even notice at times) and it also features Black mixing things up a bit in terms of adding more colour to the tune just from his style and I ALWAYS love to hear him do that. I’d think this tune, given the opportunity, could do a major damage. The song poised to do damage, however, is ‘Beautiful Lady’, which is next and I believe is the song tapped as the first single from ”Mortima Hardly”. Play with this song for a bit, it is one WEIRD sounding piece and should you just kind of pass it over, you’ll probably be missing out on something very fascinating and not only that, but if you can actually find something you like in the tune, it literally starts to blossom right in front of your . . . Ears - It is very catchy and after a bit of close inspection, probably a pretty good choice for a single.

The tune which is certain to attract the lion’s share of attention on ”Mortima Hardly” is also a tune which is one of the more DIFFERENT tunes on the album. Of course said song is ‘Sufferation’, which just so happens to feature Natural Black alongside the aforementioned Reggae legend, Sizzla Kalonji. To my knowledge, this was an original Black House produced set from last year or so and it is very very strong. When you put together two such big names, the results HAVE to be there and even if the vibes of the song aren’t what you would like, like I said, listen to it strictly lyrically and you’ll hear something nearly special. The tune which precedes it, ‘Open Your Ears’, is just as unique. It is, essentially, a Hip-Hop song (incidentally, apparently Rippa Blaxxx also has offices or studios in Philadelphia, so that may also explain the sound in some respects), which isn’t a quality which generally resonates with me, but this one alike and hopefully I don’t need to tell you WHY at this point. The obligatory Mama song on the album, ‘Mamma Love’ is another somewhat similarly vibed piece. This one isn’t amongst my favourites (at least not yet), but I’m well still working on it. And I’d also place a few later tunes in this line as well - ’All Over You’, ’Money Money’ and ’Distance Yourself’. I’m not particularly fond of the middle tune, but the first and third are very nice (‘All Over You’, in particular). And just to speak on the nature of such tunes in full - Natural Black is an artist, unlike someone like a Lutan Fyah (see the ”African Be Proud” album), who can take on a variety of different styles and still REALLY find something golden within, so if you are that kind of hardcore Reggae head (and if you’ve managed to read yourself this far into this review, then clearly you are), don’t be so quick to scurry past this album or such tunes.

However, with all of that being said, I too am such a lover of all things strictly Reggae-ish, so for me the most impressive portion of ”Mortima Hardly” comes near the middle of the album with four absolutely HUGE tunes. The first of this quartet is ‘Ready Your Mind’ which is call to action, in the general sense, for people to simply step themselves up and become better as people.

“Some mek the glory and the honours pass dem
Now you haffi si what it ah cost dem
Dem shoulda listen to Mortima Hardly
Wouldn’t know fi tek mi broadly”

The next tune, the Nyah drum backed ‘Straight With’ is absolutely the best tune I hear on the whole of this album. The song, much like the one which precedes it, is somewhat inspirational and a piece is just calling on the masses to try to become ‘better’ and more fulfilling as people. The difference here is that it takes things in more of a spiritual manner and the delivery on this song is just so unforced and natural that it sounds like Black just vibed the tune a one time through and immediately came up with the lyrics. BRILLIANT! Next in that same stretch is ‘Dog Nyammings’ which has a riddim which is familiar (it sounds just a bit like the riddim from Peter Broggs’ classic ‘International Farmer’ tune) and is a nearly special social commentary which my overactive brain instantly began to take in so many different directions. And the last of the four big tunes is my second favourite, ‘Sunshine Glory’. MAMMOTH! The song is one about knowing where one is from and seeking pride and JOY within it and not denying it. The vibes here, ostensibly, may just be the most impressive in a ‘traditional’ Reggae style on the whole of the album. I begin to think about the Afrikan Diaspora and other such events, but even if you just vibe to the tune on the most superficial of levels, I’m convinced that most will still love it.

The final 'new' track on ”Mortima Hardly” is an odd one because It’s one of the most unusually vibed on the album, but the subjectry is full on Reggae music - the melancholy ‘Who Selassie I Bless’. I really liked this song after about three spins or so and it isn’t (just) from a lyrical aspect, I liked the entire thing and actually it is one of the album’s best moments. And while the album’s final moment is marked as ‘Beautiful Lady Version’ it isn’t the instrumental that you’re thinking about. Instead, it is basically a kind of a Jazzy remix to the original and I don’t have a problem with it. Moreover, the album ends with another decidedly DIFFERENT, but solid, set which is characteristic of it, in full, indeed.

Overall, I think it goes without saying that ”Mortima Hardly” more than simply satisfies an itch of mine for 2010, it’s also a very good album. I’m going to recommend it, specifically, to two very opposite type of fans: The first being the new listener who either hasn’t heard much of Natural Black or hasn’t heard much Reggae at all. This is a very good introductory album in my opinion. The other type of fan who I think would have a very good shot at enjoying this album is the WELL indoctrinated Reggae fan who can kind of listen to it in a different way. While you may not like the fact that every tune isn’t on a one-drop, what you will like, as I said, is the fact that it is very strong lyrically. And either it is so strong lyrically that I didn’t notice or something else is at work because as someone who, myself, has a slight aversion to Hip-Hop, I really didn’t mind it in this instance and, in some cases, I did like it just on the vibes. As a whole, while Natural Black does have better albums, I’m very secure in calling ”Mortima Hardly” one of his better efforts to date. Lyrically, it is arguably THE best he’s done and the fact that it comes through so varied is certainly going to make it a standout for many fans, I’m sure. And now maybe I can sit back and enjoy the fact that 2010 has probably been a MASSIVE year - Nothing’s missing anymore.

Rated: 4.15/5
Rippa Blaxxx Productions/Grillaras Productions/Zojak Worldwide
2010
Digital {CD reportedly soon to come}