'The Genuine Article': A Review of The Catalog Riddim by Various Artists

The most distressing trend which developed in 2008 or so and has unfortunately bled into 2010 of basically deconstructing and attempting to, incorrectly, rebuild and redefine what is Dancehall music is one which has turned me into someone who I speak out against every chance I get. Surely you know someone who, be it in the case of music or perhaps even in the sporting arena, may not be too much older than you (or they may be), but he/she will seemingly go out of their way to point out to you that whatever it is that you enjoy of today is SHIT compared to what they experienced in their youth (even more ridiculous is when you and that person are the same damn age). It is the most ridiculous and annoying ‘purveyors’ of the ‘older is better’ mentality who do this and . . . Yeah. I’ve been one of them as of late. To my own defense, however, I think I’ve had pretty good reason and I wasn’t directly in that line either. My creed was ‘older is DIFFERENT’. Of course what I’m talking about of is just how fucked up my most beloved Dancehall has become recently. It’s almost gotten to the point where I kind of want to sit down and write some incredibly awful article and title it ‘Dancehall Is Dead’ (and if the genre (or whatever’s left of it) has a similar 2011 to the last couple of years, yeah, I won’t be above doing that) or something misguidedly profound like such, because the music has just gotten so watered down with other styles and people are still calling it Dancehall because whoever is rhyming on top of the backing has a Caribbean accent, but that isn’t Dancehall. Now we almost seem to be where, unfortunately, we simply start to give people credit for being average or for doing what they ‘should’ be doing and so has everyone else. For example, not too long ago one of the biggest Dancehall labels in the world, Daseca Productions, dropped the Dancehall Again Riddim and while it’s gone over pretty nicely, it’s gotten people like me to use terms like ‘old school’ and shit like that in praising it for really absolutely nothing. It isn’t exceptional or anything in retrospect. It’s not even really close. There’re some good performances, but the praise paid to the riddim (and thus, to the label itself) is largely given because a Dancehall label made a real Dancehall riddim which is just fucked up. We don’t give credit like that to Dr. Dre or to Timbaland for making Hip Hop music, but Serani and the boys get credit for doing something so ‘different’ than . . . What it is they do??? What the hell?

Thankfully there are actual moments to give praise to certain entities in making Dancehall music because not only have they made genuine Dancehall, but they’ve also made it exceptional. Just in terms of the actual composition we have had special riddims in 2010 such as the Badda Don, the D.N.A., the Cosa Nostra (probably my favourite) and, of course, the Jim Screechie, but as far as CONSISTENTLY melding the big riddim with big vocals, no one has done it better to my ears than, fittingly, Stephen ‘Di Genius’ McGregor on his EPICALLY BEAUTIFUL Catalog Riddim. I’ve been meaning to review this one for some time now (if for no other reason than just to make this point) and the final bit of impetus came in reading an article with an interview from McGregor where he actually mentioned that part of the idea behind the Catalog’s creation was that he had been mindful that many people were thinking that Dancehall was simply getting too far away from itself and becoming mixed with too many other things and becoming less and less recognizable in its most ‘natural’ form. Now, the difference between McGregor doing what he does here and most others is that he does it within what the scope of what he does - He never breaks his stride. What I mean is that you can go and listen to his output for 2010 such as the Championship Riddim, the Bad People (which is also very strong) and even his most recent cut, the Winnings Riddim, and the Catalog doesn’t standout as being much of a deviation at all. Furthermore, if you go wayyyyy back from a few years to the days of the Tremor and the Powercut and the Red Bull & Guinness even, despite the fact that, perhaps even more so than any of his contemporaries, McGregor always and has always remained CURRENT. I’ll be the first to say that I don’t like everything they put out (this is the first riddim album from McGregor I’ve reviewed in at least two years apparently), but it definitely always sounds like something from this current era of music making and maybe just a step beyond. Specifically, the Catalog Riddim has that certified Dancehall KNOCK to the vibes, but it carries that sound beneath a few different effects and it has the same HEAVY sound you’d imagine existing in an era which, honestly, still has yet to actually define its sound, but if I were to attempt to do so based on the time (and I think I can do that fairly well), it isn’t far from what is in my mind. It also comes is very dark to some degree. Should you go and listen to much of McGregor’s work, that is well a quality which he has and, again, in that respect, unlike the Dancehall Again Riddim and very similar to the Cosa Nostra, it just fits in excellently with that producer’s trend (the Cosa Nostra is produced by Ward 21). What’s left, obviously, is to lineup a solid group of vocal acts who’re equipped to deal with one super modern and super accurate Dancehall riddim and having the status he does, there aren’t too many artists McGregor can’t work with so, in his case he should really be (and is) held to the highest possible standards in terms of artist selection. In this instance, he plays it safe and there weren’t many names here (out of the nineteen different ones) which stick out as being ‘strange’, but in this instance, it proves to be a very wise choice by the young genius. Let’s find out why!

'Sketel Shadow' by Beenie Man

As I’ve mentioned in the not too distant past, I haven’t been paying a great deal of attention to Stephen McGregor in 2010 and if you haven’t (or never have), it should be said that he is easily one of the two most well regarded and popular producers in all of Reggae/Dancehall along with Don Corleon and it’s always a great thing when the big names turn in big performances. On the album of his most recent HUGE performance (in my opinion), the Catalog Riddim, McGregor taps Agent Sasco to get things going and as usual, he doesn’t disappoint with ‘Dem Sick’. I don’t know how many times I’ve said it in the past, but I’m going to repeat it with no problem, none at all: Assassin, RIGHT NOW, is simply the most talented Dancehall artist in the world. Period. This tune is a prime example of that how the man just puts together words over this dominant riddim and although this isn’t the best tune here, it’s second! Next up on the riddim is an artist who is clearly talented and perhaps over-talented at times, the scathing Aidonia who offers ‘Wi A Tek It Off’ for your listening pleasures. The song is kind of funny and it’s toned down from Aidonia’s typical forty word/minute pacing and it’s good! 2010, at least in my opinion has been a disappointing one for the DJ, but surely this was one of the few highlights in retrospect. Beenie Man does pass Aidonia in terms of quality, following him with the ridiculous ‘Sketel Shadow’, which gets a crazy mix from Di Genius. It would’ve been a damn shame had Beenie not voiced the Catalog, but thankfully he’s managed to become (unsurprisingly) one of McGregor’s absolute favourites and his versatility has always come in handy on his big productions. Here, we have no exception.

Speaking of Stephen McGregor’s favourites: Quite a few them shine brightly on the Catalog Riddim. For me, the most surprising is McGregor’s brother, Chino, whose tune, ‘No Gyal’, is one of my favourites here, despite the fact that, in all honesty, he’s probably one of my least favourite artists in general. This tune is clearly one of the greatest displays of deejaying had in his entire career and I simply must give credit where its due that the man can make a song just three seconds more than two minutes, write a chorus and completely DAMAGE the verses.

“City to city mi have a gyal in every county
Holeon!
When mi check, mi have a gyal in every country
Love di gyal dem bad, but mi is a yute, mi know mi boundary
No gyal can lock mi inna no room and do no laundry
Yuh mad!
No mi nah go mek no gyal go clown mi
Gyal dem waan so much til dem wish dem coulda clone mi
Gyal dem tek a whiff and waan fi know weh di cologne be
Di vegetarian girl dem waan fi sample di bologna”

MAD!

'They Don't Know' by Freddie McGregor

Even more of a favourite of Stephen McGregor’s than his brother is a next artist by the name of Stephen McGregor who floats in on his own riddim with ‘Nah Forgive Dem’. There’s a very interesting story behind this tune (and one or two more like it) which I won’t get into, only to say that you’ll probably notice who ISN’T on this riddim or any other semi-recent Big Ship projects. But I will say that the song is kind of clever from McGregor. He never really names anyone directly, but everyone knew who was meant, so he really didn’t have to. And rounding out the family is the captain of the Big Ship, Freddie McGregor who essentially stands up for his label and his Family with ‘They Don’t Know’. I REALLY like how Freddie has responded to the success of his children - Like the PROUD PAPA he clearly is - And while he doesn’t bless every creation from the camp (thankfully), when he does it’s almost always excellent as it is here. There’s also ‘indirect’ relatives such as Laden who does well with ‘Red Eye’. I’ve never REALLY been too high on Laden’s talents, but I know more than a few people whose opinion I do respect, who think otherwise. I have, however, been REALLY high on the skills of one Bramma, who ATTACKS the Catalog Riddim with ‘Dem Anuh Friend’. Bramma didn’t have the best or biggest of years this year, but he’s steadily been improving anyway and hopefully 2011 proves to be the biggest of years for him because, seriously, as far as that NEXT ‘class’ of coming Dancehall artists, Bramma is and has been my choice as THE most talented for some time now. Oh and while I’m here, I guess I should include Mavado who comes to discuss “dat ting unda yuh skirt” on ‘What It’s Worth’ - And I’ll leave that right there (this has to be the first time I reviewed something with a solo track from Mavado in how long???). And Ele also well impresses with ‘Worry Dem’ which is HARD. I pretty much stopped paying attention to Elephant Man a couple years ago, but thankfully when I do go back, it’s a tune like such which is big (and he has an album dropping early next year apparently so . . . Yep).

So who’s left? The balance of the artists on the Catalog Riddim is a mixed bag, to say the least, but thankfully, in terms of quality most do well - One does much much much much better than “well”. Shockingly doing okay is Flippa Mafia with ‘Nuttn Over Wi’. The song is, by no means, exceptional and it isn’t one of the best here, but I generally cannot stand Mafia’s music and this one is an exception to my raging apathy in his output (mind you I haven’t even heard a new Flippa Mafia tune from this one (which dropped back in May or so) despite the fact that he’s still pretty active, so there you go). Young Savage also shows flashes of goodness on ‘Graveyard’, most of which show themselves in the tune’s infectious chorus, before going very Red Rattish on the tune’s verses - Oh no indeed. And later on, the final two vocal pieces come from two of my least favourite artists also, ‘Good Wid Di Gyal Dem’ and ‘Stay Far’ by Voicemail and Wayne Marshall, respectively. The former just isn’t for me and I’ll leave that right there. The latter, however, has been THE best tune from Marshall I’ve heard this entire year (I’ve had this thing from sense it first reached, but when I went back to dig into it for the purpose of this review, I had forgotten just how nice it was actually. It should be said, however, that this sounds absolutely NOTHING like the Marshall I know.

One of the highlights of the Catalog’s Riddim comes in a very interesting streak of four tunes from some serious veterans, consecutively. Singing Sweet, Spragga Benz, Terror Fabulous and Frisco Kid all reach the riddim in order with ‘Tonight’, ‘Wi Nuh Wear’, ‘Catalog’ and ‘Gweh’. To my ears, Singing Sweet (another favourite of McGregor’s) does the best of the lot with a ripping Terror Fabulous not too far behind. They all do definitely handle the riddim as you would imagine artists with their experience level might and impress in certain aspects.

'Mash Up The Place Yah' by Capleton

And FINALLY (after 2312 words) - Speaking of an impressive veteran, tearing up the Catalog is Capleton who offers the greatest bit of fire he’s had in some time with ’Mash Up Da Place Yah’.

“ Who start di show weh name Stars In Action?
I am di Champion for Champions In Actions
Always ah give di people dem satisfaction
Mek sure di ghetto youth dem get dem fraction
Cocoa Tea call mi fi lock dung Ram Jam
Mi explode di place inna Island Explosion
Anyweh a St. Mary Mi Come From!
Beer bokkle fling when mi no perform a Portland”

The tune just speaks on Capleton’s profound ability to destroy anything standing on any stage anywhere and it is an EXPERIENCE of a tune (not the smallest of which is the actual EXPLOSION you hear at the beginning of the tune) and it is the single greatest EXPERIENCE on the whole of the Catalog Riddim. And Di Genius does serve up a clean version of the riddim and this was in the days before he began talking over his instrumentals. The pure foundation of this thing is GOLD! IT IS BEAUTIFUL with that knocking style that is one of several signature signals of authentic Dancehall.

Overall, this one clears up everything and takes a big recommendation from me and does so in one of the simplest forms possible. The album for the Catalog Riddim features very good to exceptional DANCEHALL MUSIC. That is all. I can see a few older heads enjoying it, but the album is largely recommended for fans of what was to be heard in the late 90’s/early 2000’s as it clearly has more of a lean to the ‘new school’. What I’m waiting for is one of these riddims to REALLY just take over EVERYTHING and start a similar to trend to what Stephen McGregor did a few years back when almost everyone wanted to check in with these big EVIL sounding creations (side note: Pay a careful attention to the cover of this one. Very clever) and although that didn’t happen in this case, he, again, may just be the one to do such a thing if it is to happen at all. Still, well on its own merits the Catalog Riddim proves not only to be one of the best Dancehall riddims of the year, but it also births THE best Dancehall Riddim Album of 2010. Period.

Rated: 4.70/5
Di Genius Productions
2010
Digital

Stephen McGregor @ Myspace