Video Drop #15

‘Black Woman’ by Richie Spice

First up this week is a pretty big deal (so big I couldn’t find a director credited for the video) as Reggae star, Richie Spice, lines up the official first single for his forthcoming album ”Book Of Job” (coming in March now reportedly), ‘Black Woman’. For whatever reason, I’m typically not much of a fan of Spice’s albums, but the tunes are usually unquestionable and this is no exception and it leads into a WONDERFUL video visually doing what the tune does - Giving ALL welcome and powerful respect to the Afrikan woman. It also doesn’t go too far in any direction, as you wouldn’t imagine that it might and really just focuses on being very simple and doing things in a most natural way. For me, I’d have to say that he highlight (besides the Black Woman in this case and all of her . . . Yep) is the shot of the couple merely sitting down on the steps playing chess, which is just COOL (even though she apparently cheats) (fine by me) (and I mean FINE by me).

Video Rated: 4.5/5
Video - Song Link: 5/5

‘Last Night’ by Pressure [Directed by Conscious]

Despite not having an album in 2010 (and having one in 2009), VI Reggae star, Pressure Busspipe has had one of the most outstanding years of his career in my opinion through BIG singles from a variety of sources (and reportedly he’ll kick off 2011 by touring Europe with Protoje) and in a variety of styles. One of the biggest, undoubtedly, is ‘Last Night’, Pressure’s cut of the WICKED Badda Don Riddim and, rather surprisingly, the song has now lead into a song. I’m not at all too crazy about this video, it’s pretty average and I think I might even call it awkward to some degree (I think that happens a lot when you put artists, not actors, with model types and try to demonstrate some type of closeness or intimacy). But I’m surely not about to sit here and bash it, even a little, and instead I’ll just say that I’m happy that it’s apparently done so much video that either the idea to make a video or the demand for it to be made had grown too strong to ignore.

Video Rated: 2.5/5
Video - Song Link: 2.5/5

‘No Love Inna Dem’ & ’Mind Who You A Dis’ by I-Octane [Directed by Asha]

Seemingly, as I-Octane’s career grows more and more, he becomes more and more photogenic as the videos have begun to pour out a very impressive rate and thankfully for the most part, they’re all quite good. The latest is this double shot for ‘No Love Inna Dem’ and ‘Mind Who You A Dis’ and . . . Yeah, it’s pretty good. I do have to say that I enjoy the segment around the latter more because the former, with all of its ‘visual agitation’, really threatened to give me a headache, but taking it for what it is and with the effects considered, it’s very good. I also like how the two songs are somewhat related. Doing the double certainly is nothing new for Reggae, but too many times you see tunes back-to-back with a next tune with which it has nothing in common besides the specific artist. Here, ostensibly, that isn’t the case, so it isn’t a great stretch and I love what they ended up doing with it as a whole.

Video Rated: 4.75/5
Video - Songs Link: 4.999999/5

‘Blood Ah Splirt’ by Daniel Bless [Directed by Marvi Lewis]

Next up is a piece which, I have to say, I was very surprised to see as very impressive Trini up and comer and Achis Reggae favourite, Daniel Bless delivers what I believe is his very first video for the tune ‘Blood Ah Splirt’. I think this song has been around from quite some time (and I really do like it) and it seems very random to just, all of a sudden, decide to do a video for it, but so be it. I was definitely waiting to see the artist, in any way, take a step forward in his career and this is definitely such a movement by Daniel Bless. As for the video, I think it’s pretty much what I expected (maybe even more in terms of the running plot) as it pretty much shows how someone can be sucked into a life of violence and crime and ridiculously miserable such an existence can really be. Also, I don’t know if it’s merely the quality of the film or an effect, but I REALLY like the colours on this one as well, it’s very pleasing to the eyes. Furthermore, it really displays the tune nicely and, perhaps in the greatest compliment: I think I like the tune even more from having seen its video and hopefully I’m not the only one, as the rest of the you wonderful people can FINALLY begin to see exactly why I’m so high on Daniel Bless.

Video Rated: 4/5
Video - Song Link: 4.5/5

‘Pour Le Meilleur’ by Lylah [Directed by Warren]

Lylah. Lylah. Lylah. I’ll maintain (until it isn’t the case) that I’m nowhere near being any type of expert when it comes to Zouk music, and perhaps that’s why I struggle with coming up with words describing exactly how I feel about Lylah. The former member of Les Deesses is out on her own (and has been for a minute) and her latest offering is this . . . Oddity, ‘Pour Le Meilleur’. The woman can really sing, she probably has some of the best vocals of any relatively young Zouk singer that I’ve encountered thus far and she’s probably better for the eyes than a massive dosage of beta carotene (especially when she loses her clothes and has to rely on her lucky hands for support), but this video is just crazy and I guess she has a new album coming because the tune (which I don’t really like, but it’s decent) is nowhere to be found on her solo album, ”Avec Ou Sans Toi” and is an older tune which has just popped up with a video. I have no problem with that, but I am well expecting chaos and I think she likes it that way.

Video Rated: Huh?
Video - Song Link: What?

‘Have Yourself A Merry Christmas’ by Shelly G & Mark Hall

Despite what you clearly won’t see anywhere around here, it is technically Xmas Day and here is Achis Reggae favourite, Shelly G, to wish you a happy one with ‘Have Yourself A Merry Christmas’ alongside her keyboard player who is features, Mark Hall. Okay, two things here - One the song shows off some very nice vocals from Shelly which she may or may not get to show off too much when she’s doing her Soca or her Reggae (which we love). Secondly . . . Yeah, she’s gorgeous. As I told her myself, “Shelly G you are a good looking human being” and that damn chair she spends most of the video in is lucky to be where it is. The video is pretty simple, she’s sitting around singing the song, but when you look like that, simple for you isn’t simple for most people and we DEFINITELY look forward to a big 2011 from Shelly G and be sure to check out her two new digital albums, "Socadisiac” and ”Just A Text” from Vizion Sounds and the beautiful people at Zojak Worldwide, respectively.

Video Rated: 3/5
Video - Song Link: 3/5