The Best Reggae Albums of 2009 [10 - 2]

The Even Better of The Best.

{HONOURABLE MENTIONS GO TO: Fulfillment by Chuck Fenda, Motherless Child by Teflon, Movin' Ahead by Lorenzo, Herbs Man by Ras Zacharri & Let Dem Talk by The Itals}

#10. Viv La Vi by Tiwony [Blackwarell]

‘The Rising‘. Had I done this list as recently as a month or so ago, Tiwony’s sophomore solo album may not have made the list at all as while it hadn’t necessarily fallen out of my favour, it had fallen out of my players and done so considerably. However, that was until I retook notice of a WONDERFUL video of Tiwony performing a tune from the album, ‘Mouille Le Maillot’, alongside his adorable daughter and since then the album (to consistently hear that tune, if for no other reason) has been amongst my favourite and most spun. That’s definitely a great thing and I feel for people who have largely ignored it, because they’ve done so to their own peril. Viv La Vi is one of the most COMPLETE releases of the year. It’s probably even more consistently well done than a few pieces which are going to outrank it. Tiwony is simply one of the most talented faces we have in the game and this project should’ve been his breakout in my opinion and while I don’t believe it was very popular (I think the only thing missing was a combination with a BIG Jamaican artist (biggup Ras Zacharri again), I think in terms of its actual quality, it was just that. When Tiwony reaches with a release, Reggae heads would do best to pay attention because when at his absolute best, he’s able to do WONDERFUL things like this.

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#9. Justice by Lutan Fyah [Philadub Records]

‘For Me’. It’s interesting that, in retrospect, quite a bit of the minor criticisms here and there that Justice would receive centered around one of the reasons why I liked it so much and do so more today than I did about six months ago when it came through. It was pointed out basically how straight forward and ‘melodically-challenged‘ that the album was and while certainly that was true because the album was largely recorded a couple of years back when Lutan Fyah had yet to develop that dimension of his game to the point where it is today (and he’s still not VERY melodically gifted by any means, but he’s better at it now to my opinion), but what he had developed and done more so than just about ANYONE was the RIDICULOUS lyrical acuity he possesses which, much like the voice of the individual at #15 can ‘rescue’ just about anything he does at any given turn. Should you find yourself not actually being entertained by this album, I challenge you to just take a step back and on ANY song, merely take a listen to what is being said. If you do that, then you’ll absolutely have no doubt at all as to why Justice was one of the year’s finest.

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#8. I-Meditation by Ras Attitude [Universal Balance]

‘The Shining’. For all intent and purposes, through the now thirteen albums which have appeared on this list thus far (including this one) Ras Attitude’s I-Meditation, in my opinion, is the first which is UNDENIABLY a great album. If you don’t find some wonderful in this beautiful release, well then I just can’t help you. From beginning to end, this album was absolutely flawless: Not a misstep to be found and each and every time I hear it, I find newer and more interesting reasons to love it.

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#7. Love Life by Black Dillinger [IM Music]

‘One Big Nation’. There’s something SO wonderful when you hear an artist who you’ve had SO MUCH hope for reach their potential and do so in a big way. Such is the feeling I get when the discussion turns to the sophomore release of South Africa budding superstar, Black Dillinger. Out of all the albums on this list with the exception of #1 and the next album you’ll see (for obvious reasons, in both cases), Love Life has not so curiously managed to find its way onto my players and remain there consistently ever since I got my hands on it. I’m going to go ahead and assume that a year from now when I’m working on this list again, I’ll probably be able to say the same thing again. It is TRULY a beautiful thing and I’m not even sure that “love” is the right word, but it’s damn close.

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#6. Ghetto Youth-Ology by Sizzla [Greensleeves Records]

‘Mover & Shaker’. What a surprise! I LOVE a Sizzla album! Unbelievable! Maybe not so shocking is the fact that Ghetto Youth-Ology is pretty easily the biggest gainer on the entire list. I definitely enjoyed it when I first heard it, but I would have put it in a case of being most likely in the top fifteen or so after some of the more high powered releases arrived (such as the two which immediately preceded it here), but upon further reflection - Ghetto Youth-Ology on the total is just a couple of levels or so away from being VINTAGE Sizzla Kalonji. With all of my partialities well intact, had THAT Sizzla arrived, it would’ve been an unquestioned #1 and you see how highly I rate it when he merely APPROACHES that. And now I just have to hope that I don’t change my mind before I post this and rate it even higher.

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#5. Contagious by Tarrus Riley [VP Records]

‘Still . . . DAMN!’ I’ve read so many ‘decorated’ reviews (I’m trying to say “reviews from people who write about Reggae often) about this album and it hasn’t really seemed to have resonated with the critics the same way that the Parables album did. Also, amongst the fans, it also hasn’t had that type of nearly LANDMARK success and response (although it has birthed more than its fair share of hits), but I think they’re all crazy! Contagious is CLEARLY better than its elder sibling to my ears from beginning to end in my opinion and that’s saying so much, considering how wonderfully immaculate Parables would grow to become. Still, I do have to wonder why it seems as if it hasn’t had that same type of impact. However, if it remains like so, I really won’t mind. Let it stand as an ‘illness’ that only I caught. AMAZING. (“never before, has the world seen a KING like HIM!”).

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#4. Helta Skelta by Mad Cobra [DJR Records]

‘The One’. You won’t find Sean Paul here. You won’t find T.O.K, Mavado and you DEFINITELY won’t find that thing Kartel released. You’ll find albums from Pressure and Sizzla and others who definitely use it, but you won’t find any other PURE Dancehall release on this entire list outside of Mad Cobra’s EPIC Helta Skelta album. In what was definitely one of the shittiest years in recent memory in regards to the Dancehall album, Mad Cobra was CLEARLY the head of the very small pack and he may have even outdone the last GREAT Dancehall album (Kartel’s The Teacha’s Back). Cobra is definitely one of my favourites and I’m damn partial, so forgive me, but this BRUTAL album, at least for me, went and outlined and demonstrated everything a hardcore Dancehall album is supposed to be. Not to mention the fact that it’s done by one of the art form’s greatest champions who’d been promising such a release for a few years prior. Well he was right and Dancehall heads worldwide needed to look no further than here for GENIUS in 2009.

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#3. Montego Bay by Queen Ifrica [VP Records]

‘On The Rise’. If you didnt like this one, you need medical help. Queen Ifrica’s debut on the big time, Montego Bay was the best high profile release of 2009, no question about it. Not only that, but in terms of comparison, had it released last year, I would have also marked it better than even Etana’s debut masterpiece, The Strong One. In that class of artist helmed to take over and ascend to the heights of Roots Reggae, Queen Ifrica certainly isn’t the most marketable and she may not be the one whose style IMMEDIATELY grabs the imagination of the public, but amongst them ALL, not a single one possesses the tangible talent she does. She is TRULY divine and to date, Montego Bay stands as the greatest representation of that talent. . . But I think she can do even better.

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#2. Real Rebels Can’t Die by Nereus Joseph [Sirius Records]

‘The Trendsetter’. I’ve been telling any and every one and thing that I could find with functioning ears just how BEAUTIFUL this project was for the better part of the year. On top of that, I’ve been flatly declaring Nereus Joseph’s highly unexpected Real Rebels Can’t Die for the same amount of time as well. Why? Perhaps because no one combined such a quiet confidence and CLASS with such a wonderful refinement. This album sounded like it was vibed over years and years by people a helluva lot more well known than Nereus Joseph and ‘Sirius Records’. But we have to give credit where it’s due and doing so Real Rebels Can’t Die was such a powerful album from the UK based Joseph that it forced me to trace his solid history as well and hopefully I wasn’t the only one. Although I haven’t heard many (anyone) as vocal about its quality as I have, definitely everyone who I’ve played it for have found (with very little prodding from me) (although I do love to prod) it to be the same. So with qualities and praises like that, you would think there would have to be something REALLY special to outrank it and take top honours.

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The Best Reggae Albums of 2009 [20 - 11]

After what was an outstanding year for Reggae albums in terms of quality, the business at hand is to now decipher the best from the BEST. With many TOP NOTCH projects popping up from all across the board, it was incredibly difficult to keep an eye on who was doing what and just how good their “what” was. You also had big releases from some of the more usual channels and even in those there were surprises of sorts also. So, if you REALLY kept up in 2009, you had a REALLY great time listening to the greatest music in the world. Thus, I submit for your approval, the second half of The Best Contemporary Reggae Albums of 2009.

{note: Only albums released December 31, 2008 and before January 1, 2010 qualify, if you see an album which doesn’t meet those standards, do let me know please, I have half a billion albums in mind which can go in its place}

{note 2: No compilations or reissues}

{note 3: Dancehall yes. Soca no (list for that coming later) (hopefully)}

{note 4: #’s 10-2 will be posted tomorrow and #1 will be posted Friday and will receive ‘Modern Classic’ like attention}

#20. Tell It Like It Is by Stevie Face [Boot Camp Records/Zojak Worldwide]

Da Man. Lover’s Rock has never been my favourite subgenre of Reggae (I leave that to Selector Ras Fury, so big him up), but there’re definitely certain artists, like Beres Hammond, Glen Washington and Fiona who can make music so SWEET and do so consistently that you take it out of the realm of being a fan of that particular type of music and make it more of a case being MUSIC FAN, period. Well you can now add Stevie Face’s name to that rather short list, because my appreciation of his wonderful Tell It Like It Is hasn’t diminished at all and it’s probably grown on a few levels and I cannot wait for the next one (I WORRY OVER YOUUUUUUUUU!).

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#19. Rise Up by Anthony B [Greensleeves Records]

Maximum Respect. Here’s another release (like Congo’s) that’s likely to fall through the cracks and be forgotten on ‘best of’ lists like such, but that’s really a damn shame. ANYTIME Anthony B can link up with Frenchie (of Maximum Sound), the results are potentially HUGE and even they aren’t quite, the pair still give more than OKAY vibes and definitely Rise Up was more than just okay. The album will also, in my opinion, stand as the artist’s highlight of the year as 2009 certainly wasn’t one of his finest in terms of quality. HOWEVER, one need only go back to the beginning of the year and grab up this album, lest they think Anthony B’s time has passed. It hasn’t.

#18. Modern Revolution by Sojah [Irie Vibrations]

The Future. I really wanted to make sure that I got this one SOMEWHERE on the list. Although I most likely did overrate it to a degree, Sojah’s Modern Revolution is still a very strong project and it’s one which would seem to have quite a bit of longevity. It won’t be everlasting like quite a few albums on this list (actually most of them, in retrospect), but it will travel with ‘Sojah’ - Delus & Konshens and their futures are HUGE. It says a lot about young Dancehall (for the most part) artists who can pull off something like this and who knows what else they have in store for the future. If they top this release (EVER), we’ll know we’re dealing with something special.

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#17. Ghetto Skyline by Daweh Congo [Goldheart Music]

Forgotten Man. Released way back in January, if I recall correctly (with respect to King Hopeton), the inimitable Daweh Congo’s BIG Ghetto Skyline was the first significant album of 2009 and at the time it was very well regarded, however, in retrospect, like much of Congo’s work, unfortunately, the album has faded away to some degree. That’s terrible in my opinion as it shows that even when the man SHINES (and he shined ALL OVER this album), that it’s a tough go to make an impression on the people. Well I cannot possibly speak for “the people” and I wouldn’t want to, but Ghetto Skyline for me personally was a SERIOUS release which still retains quite a bit of its initial strength.

#16. For Your Consideration by Lloyd Brown [Riddimworks/Cousins Records]

Mr. Lloyd Brown. In the pretty short amount of time which has passed since I first got a hold of Lloyd Brown’s For Your Consideration, I think I have an even greater appreciation of it. When I first reviewed it, I was definitely a fan (I was already a fan at that point, certainly), but I don’t know that I was REALLY digging into it as I find myself doing these days (which is shocking with the way I write, I know). The album is actually quite complex and double and triple tiered to my ears and not as straight forward as I originally may have thought, of course you might not know that unless you have a bit of time to dig in, but what you’ll be digging into is one of the best Reggae albums of 2009.

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#15. The Universal Cure by Jah Cure [SoBe Entertainment/Danger Zone]

Sticky. Jah Cure’s The Universal Cure has certainly fallen out of favour with my tastes in the months since its release. I actually went as far to envision this list going twenty deep without it and . . . Well that would just be incorrect wouldn’t it? It is to the Cure’s credit, however (and to the credit of whoever taught him to sing like that), that he makes it this high. The album was certainly not bad by any means, but following his release from an extended stay in prison, the Cure’s music had gotten so much attention that much of The Universal Cure was very familiar by its release and such a situation, with very few exceptions, doesn’t portend longevity when it comes to appreciation. However, even skimming through or the sake of this brief recap, I am ultimately reminded of what is the prime truth when it comes to Jah Cure: I could listen to this man sing all day.

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#14. 2 Sides of My Heart Vol. 1 by Gramps Morgan [Dada Son Entertainment]

Surprise, Surprise. At the beginning of 2009, I honestly was experiencing a growth in my appreciation of the venerable Morgan Heritage camp and it was kind of weird. As a long time ‘hater’ of the group (in the most benign sense of the word) of the group’s music, certain things were just starting to click with me. Well, such clicking reach critical mass when, in August, Gramps Morgan released his solo debut, the stirring 2 Sides of My Heart. When the Morgans reunite as a unit to release their supposed MAMMOTH opus, I may or may not actually be a fan of the release, but you can go ahead and colour me a HEAVY fan of Gramps’ as this mature set proved, you simply have to pay attention to his output as a solo artist and I will, ‘always and forever’ (LOVE THAT SONG!)

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#13. Rasta Got Soul by Buju Banton [Gargamel]

The incredible and amazing. This one is very VERY interesting in its standing on this list mainly because when you detach yourself from it, you’re able to see its flaws better (which is strange, normally I’m able to do that when I’m listening to it) (duh), but when you listen to it, Buju Banton’s Rasta Got Soul can be downright overwhelming. Perhaps not quite as COMPLETE as I initially suspected, STILL the album is mighty powerful and in that respect - sheer STRENGTH - The only album on this list which would clearly rank alongside it is in the top three.

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#12. Coming Back For You by Pressure Busspipe [Rymshot Productions/Zojak Worldwide]

The Silk Ones. This release, above probably ALL others you’ll find on this half of the list is a SHINING example of just how strong of a year 2009 has been. When I initially began to craft for this list, Pressure’s BEAUTIFUL Coming Back For You was a top ten album (with the one album which ranks ahead of it on this half, still ranking ahead of it, although between these two exists probably the slimmest of margins you’ll find on this list outside of the top three) and it is certainly that strong. Coming off two previous albums, one of which was DIVINE and the other of which was a big, high profile release, everything seemed to be putting SUPREME pressure on Pressure to succeed on his third long player. He did more than succeed, Coming Back For You was magic.

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#11. French Connection by Perfect [Tiger Records]

Wildfire. I’m still working on this one. Perfect’s at times brilliant idiosyncrasies and peculiarities were on full display on French Connection from Tiger Records and the results were the imaginably unimaginable. Going in every direction you can think of (and probably even a few others that you can’t), the album reinforced Perfect’s as a top notch artist following a stretch of less than stellar outings. French Connection was indeed stellar and definitely expect its quality level to continue growing.

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"To Hell With First Impressions": A Review of Motherland by Jah Pearl and Bouddha Sticks

I write a lot about what is essentially my generally rather sharp ‘Reggae intuition’ in regards to knowing how to ‘pick em’. Certainly it’s something which comes with nothing more than having years and years of experience in picking bad ones which gives me and pretty much any longtime fan of generally any art form the ability to ‘smell’ one coming (consider it a sixth sense). But like most scents (did you catch that one), some can be good and some can be bad and situations like such can definitely occur. For example, who knows exactly how many times I’ve bypassed a GOOD or maybe even a potentially GREAT album because, for one reason or another, it didn’t reach me as being such a quality project. With my tastes maturing (as I say all the time) and in just the case itself, I often find it damn tempting to just go back and file through stuff I’ve never heard and I would most likely NEVER have wanted to hear either. And while I haven’t found much in the way of older gems, the way I appropriate this skill, relevant to NEW material, has been an absolute success in my opinion. Were I to look at some of the finest material I’ve come across within the past two or three years, it has certainly come through some of the most ‘out of the ordinary’ channels. Now how can I say just how many of these similar projects I ignored (and continue to ignore) from that 1999-2005 time period, which would impress me to no end these days? So, when I find such a release or such an artist which typically wouldn’t have gotten much of a reaction from me, I get downright PROUD! So although I definitely stumbled upon stronger artists and stronger releases in 2009, and far stranger in both cases, I can rather confidently say that in the entire year, I never found something as ‘remote’ as what we have here in the case of Jah Pearl & Bouddha Sticks. What makes them and their release so remote? Well, where do I start? Let’s start with the fact that it’s so beautiful in this day and age that you can waltz over to your favourite online retailer and find an album which interests you and hear 30 seconds of every song and do so immediately. There’s that and there’s also the fact that all of these artists and their wonderful record labels go through quite a bit of trouble to attract attention for their projects. So they spend a lot of money on photographers and graphic designers and artists to try and ensure that their material stands out (which is why so many Dancehall and Soca albums, particularly compilations, have become fond of using beautiful women on their covers) (biggup Ce’Cile). And, of course, if they labels are really on-point they’ll also flood the various online channels with information and video material on their releases, so you can rather easily access quite a bit of details on a piece before making your decision. In ALL of those cases, I didn’t like what was coming from Motherland for awhile and I was just going to pass on it. In that regard, I was about as WRONG as I’ve been on any release in a long time.

When I listened to said half-minute clips of every song on the album, I was unimpressed by. . . Well, by every song on the album. The cover? It looked kind of odd for awhile because I didn’t blow it up, so if you look at the cover to this album, it almost looks like two different bodies leading into one head, which is kind of creepy. And then I started to research on ‘Jah Pearl & Bouddha Sticks’ (because I had heard of neither and thought that ‘Bouddha Sticks’ might actually be one person because of the aforementioned cover) and from the outset, with my mind already sort of made up, I wasn’t very impressed on what I found (either that or I didn’t feel like translating the French in my head) and the various other material that I found on the act was largely pretty mundane also. So what brings us here today? That last part I mentioned about the VIDEO is what caught my eye. Apparently they’ve released a video as the first single for the album and that video, shot in Jamaica (where part of the album was also recorded apparently as well), is OKAY, but the video I found featured Jah Pearl and Bouddha Sticks, his band, just beating the hell out of some random club somewhere in some random European country on some random weekend in January last year and the proverbial gerbil on the wheel began running in my brain again. I went back and did a little more research and suddenly ‘Bouddha Sticks (interesting name and all)’ weren’t just some band, they were in fact, one of the more active and respected in all of Europe (which is saying A LOT) and Jah Pearl wasn’t just ‘some guy from France’ who had gotten bit by the Reggae bug and decided become a musician, but instead he was an individual with a very VAST history (including being having heritage of Madinina) which wonderfully led him not only into Reggae music in full, but also this Motherland, which I believe is his debut album. I had another listen to the clips and although I was still wasn’t blown away by any stretch of the word, it was MUCH better than I had originally thought and I also realized that I really don’t give a damn how the cover looked, after all, you cannot listen to it and really it isn’t HORRIBLE anyway! So after a few weeks, we decided to give the album a shot and what I got was an album which simply cannot be experienced in one or even two listens. In fact, I’m fully expecting to have a stronger appreciation for it by the time I reach the end of this review than I do now. What I found very interesting with this piece in particular is the fact that on each and every tune, despite the fact that I don’t like them all, what I see is a DIRECTION. I may not like how they went about getting wherever they were going (or I may not have thought that they got there at all actually), but I can see the intent and after listening to dozens of untalented and even talented artists who seem to have no point and kind of aimlessly go about their business, it’s always refreshing to run into an unknown who just seems to ’get it’ like Jah Pearl and Bouddha Sticks throughout Motherland.

In terms of his sound, Jah Pearl definitely is an interesting case. He has a few different vibes at his disposal, including a very confident chanting style, there’s a kind of a trepid singing voice, there’s a DJ style and a few others as well. And it all (for the most part, works for him) and I should add that like Lyricson, Pearl is another Frenchie artist who delivers for the most part in English. And you can sample Jah Pearl along with Bouddha Sticks displaying his English skills on their new album Motherland, which begins with the very jovial ‘Mountain Top’. Okay I’m of two minds on this tune: The first thought is that it certainly isn’t one of my favourites on the album in terms of total quality, but on the other hand it just SOUNDS GOOD. The Pearl opens up by going all Jacob Miller, tenement yard style, on the people and the very nice and ‘happy’ vibes just keep going. The tunes isn’t particularly strong lyrically, but again, like I said I see the point as Jah Pearl paints the literal picture of the ‘mountain top’ being a place of social and spiritual refuge . . . Okay maybe it is one of my favourites between you and I. Next in is the first of four combinations, ‘Burning Fire (tune number 7,932 with that title)’ which features respected veteran Anthony John (who himself has a new album, Creation which I hope to get to someday). This one, ostensibly, was one of my favourites before I even really got into it. It well follows the opener, despite the title, in that the vibes are just so laid back and easy, but again, should you get into the tune with any type of depth, you get far more of a solid appreciation of the tune (and never mind the fact that Pearl WICKEDLY delivers the line of the tune when he says, “Dem so wicked and deceiving, dem nah go like dis yah tune. But mi bun dem inna di morning and again before noon”) calling for a cleansing fire for the wicked. Lastly in the opening lot is the jazzified ‘I Roar’ (which I think should be ‘I Rome’). This tune is another like the first (and I mean it this time), where it may not be the strongest tune from a lyrical aspect, but it just sounds so nice and who knows, I’ve been wrong before about the lyrics. All in all a VERY nice start.

As I mentioned Jah Pearl and Bouddha Sticks bring a few friends to voice with them on Motherland and one of them, Spectacular (who I believe is now officially named ‘Burning Spectacular‘, or something like that) was yet another reason why, initially, I wasn’t too high on this release, but he also goes on to prove me wrong. His guest spot comes on the very stirring ‘Who We Are’. Spectacular is his typically over-animated self, but this one is a BIG stepping tune, so he fits right in (in fact Pearl even raises his levels as well, so you know what type of HYPE to expect (over that one-drop which is ANGRY)). Big tune. Martian voiced Chezidek also chimes in with the even stronger ‘Rising’ which is definitely one of the biggest tunes on the album and the same is going to be said of the final combination Motherland has to offer, ‘Poverty’ which features none other than LKP veteran Mabrakat. The tune is fairly standard in terms of the approach and well simple to follow, but it has a kind of ‘hitch’ to the vibes which marks the lion’s share of its sonic appeal in my opinion and that’s not to call it a gimmick at all, it’s a very nice song (and I LOVE when Mabrakat kicks in. Madness). Although he goes on in English for the most part, Jah Pearl offers up two tunes in his native tongue with ‘C’est Pour Ceux’ and the WICKED ‘La Route Pour Zion’. The former, I THINK, is the album’s official single (and that riddim is a beautiful thing as is the downright Zouk-ish backing singer, whoever she may be), but the latter is MIGHTY as Pearl goes into a nearly full on DJ style at times and in the process he manages to deliver one of the, if not THE, best chorus on the entire album. Still, all of that being said, my absolute favourite moment on the album comes during what must’ve been one of the most personal for Pearl, ‘Homeless’. Apparently he was actually homeless for a period of his life and he chooses to grasp a piece of that situation and emotion and pushes it into a song. I can find better tunes on a few different levels on Motherland, but none which has this same type of ‘healthy’ range of vibes. It’s extremely well done and when you break it down and get into it, it’s a very relatable tune and one I’m sure is going to help a lot of people struggling across the planet and not just with homelessness definitely. HUGE TUNE. I also REALLY liked the title track and it’s a song which is pretty much everything that I thought it would be after I had gotten the album. This thing is absolutely sprawling, I could spend an entire week exploring it. But the main thing I come away with is that it’s essentially a tune about the ENVIRONMENT. It’s not about (just) Afrika, although that, in the most terrestrial of situations, is explored, but it’s about protecting and DEFINING the protection of the planet, but like I said you REALLY have to pay attention on that one. Also check the obligatory herbalist tune ‘Likkle Bredda’, which has a very heavy and swinging vibes to it and (speaking of HEAVY) the excellent ‘Tell Dem’. That tune is clearly near the class of the album and a genuine standout here. The only tune I DEFINITELY do not like on Motherland from Jah Pearl & Bouddha Sticks (you have no idea how many times I’ve typed ‘Jah Sticks & Bouddha Pearl’ in this review) (NONE) is the lover’s tune, ‘Baby Girl’. It isn’t horrible, I’m not offended and my wife didn’t vomit when she heard it (and that riddim is truly nice), but it just doesn’t do much, such tunes rarely do, but it’s not particularly SWEET either. The album comes to its conclusion with another of its best tunes, the very inspirational ‘Now’. We’ll forgive them for the autotune and this tune is just so simple and it’s also the only time on the album (I THINK), where Jah Pearl refers to him as his alter ego ‘Royal Bamboo’ (I’m not even going to say anything) (NOTHING) (NOT A WORD). And if you haven’t figured it out by now, I really like the tune and it’s definitely a more than just fitting end to this more than just adequate project.

Overall, while Motherland surely isn’t just an overwhelmingly amazing and SHOCKING album, I do have to admit that I was completely WRONG in the way I had sized it up initially and not just ‘wrong’ but wrong on so many levels. Even the cover looks a little better now (although if they want to redo and add a random Ce’Cile or something like such, I won’t complain) to me and it’s really just a solid project throughout. I’d also like to reiterate the fact of just how expansive this one is. It has quite a few tunes which I could really dig into as a critic and probably would enjoy more because of it. All in all, there is the case of this list of perhaps MYTHICAL proportions of albums that I’ve sized up wrong and missed out on. Well, you can take Motherland by Jah Pearl & Bouddha Sticks and strike it from the list because I did the right thing here and so should you and pick it up. Well done.

Rated 4.10/5

Gibraltar Music

2009

Bouddha Sticks & Myspace

New Artist of The Month: Meet Jah Marnyah!

Jah Marnyah

Meet Jah Marnyah! Were I to say ’”Montserrat”, what comes to mind? I would imagine that it would be one of two things. The first being ’volcano’, if you’ve been to the island or have a knowledge of it and the other thing might be ‘Arrow’, as in ‘The Mighty Arrow‘. Certainly in all things musical, the legendary Calypsonian’s is the first name to come to mind (and if you don‘t know who he is, then simply sing the first Soca tune that comes to your mind and he‘ll be its creator), but perhaps things are changing on the scene in the ‘Emerald Isle‘. There have been a few Reggae artists of quality from the island also, most notably Ijah Menelik (who I believe is the Arrow’s nephew), but I believe the absolute strongest Reggae talent Montserrat has ever produced has just emerged in the form of Jah Marnyah and in 2010 I think we’re going to get to know the chanter quite well.

Having linked with the apparently quite capable Faya Wurks Records in the UK (which is also where Marnyah is based I believe), the artist, who has been around for a few years, is now taking his career into the next stage, most recently with two big singles for the label, ‘Never Stray’ and ‘Sweat Of[f] Your Brow’, both of which can be purchased through etailers worldwide.

‘Never Stray’ is very nice and really shows off the skillset of this wonderful artist, but the more recent ‘Sweat’ is nearly HUGE to my ears as has been quite a bit of Marnyah’s output that I’ve come across. He has a style which is somewhat reminiscent of another ‘Jah M’, Jah Mason. While Marnyah may not (isn’t) quite as ‘moody’ as the Mason, he is arguably just as talented, which is DEFINITELY a big thing to have at your disposal. Jah Marnyah is a truly BIG talent and to my ears he’s one who may already be developed as well.

Prior to linking with Faya Wurks, he also had a few big ‘works’ out also, including what is apparently his first big single and video, the very nice ‘Stormy Weathers’ (also available for purchase) and ‘Where is The Love’, over the BIG Golden Riddim from 2009.

And I could really keep going with outstanding releases from this fine young artist, such as what is apparently an older song that is currently in the process of BLOWING MY MIND, ‘The Anointed One’.

So definitely keep an eye on Jah Marnyah (who looks A LOT like Lexxus), moving into the new year. Representing Montserrat (as well as another big artist by the name of Ras Iyahkayah), he's one of a few artists who I think are poised to have a truly MASSIVE 2010 and hopefully we can get a big album from the artist this year as well.

Jah Marnyah @ Myspace

{note: Jah Marnyah is the new artist of the month for December. The feature will (hopefully) return at the end of January, as usual}

Video Drop 3: The Freestylers

{Note: 'Freestyle' in the figurative sense, of course, not the traditional sense}

{Note 2: leave me alone about it!}

Papa San - Sunsplash 1989

The King. This is only the SECOND best such display I could find from the legendary Papa San (of course, I’m going to do this again in the not too distant future, so I’ll get the other for next time) and if I really tried, I could probably fill this post with nothing but his output. The one in question here is from Sunsplash a very long twenty-one years ago and is FULL ON exemplary of exactly why San is regarded as such a legend in this art. For much of this ‘demonstration’, the crowd doesn’t react very much, but I would tell you do to ‘mark’ their lack of response is to imagine just about anyone now doing such a thing. How long do you think it would go before the boos started raining down? And it could probably be anyone, no matter how gifted, such a thing just wouldn’t work and I don’t think it’s a matter of changing of the times, I think it’s a matter of not talking, because you want to hear what is said. And if you look very closely, you’ll see certain groups of the crowd (especially in the front) reacting CONSISTENTLY throughout this DOMINANTLY DEVASTATING display of ridiculous talents and as soon as the music comes back through, the crowd erupts. In that regard, Papa San had and most likely still has no equal.

Entertainment: 5/5

Skill Shown: 87/5

Tiwony - Babtoopal

MADNESS! Tiwony is an artist who is not known for doing such a thing , but based on his style, you could assume that he might just be dominant in such a session and he absolutely SHINES in this thing for Frenchie sound Babtoopal. The Gwada star goes at a few nice pieces including that old crazy ass riddim Red Rat used to use (which is the first you’ll hear him on), the Istanbul (which backs a version of his hit ‘Oupatebizwentousa’) and a few others. The intensity is WAY up more than once and Tiwony is of course well on point throughout on this BIG BIG session.

Entertainment: 4.5/5

Skill Shown: 4.9/5

Buju Banton, Elephant Man & Tigga - Rap City

Certainly one that’s high and heavy on the star power, but definitely not power at its absolute strongest is this session from Rap City (which I’m pretty sure still comes on) from BET. Over the years, they’ve had Reggae artists on, here and there (I think Beenie has been on more than once and Sean Paul and others), but in terms of pure ENTERTAINMENT, this is the one which takes the crown in my opinion. Of course the big deal here is the fact that Tigga (the host of the show) is the only one who REALLY freestyles to any extent and he arguably does more than just hold his own in that respect. Still, of the three, Buju takes top prize, especially when things get all Diwali-ish on the people and he draws for ‘Tra-La-La’ and Ele responds with ‘Elephant Message’, but like I said, who cares. This is damn fun to watch.

Entertainment: 5/5

Skill Shown: 3.5/5

Capleton - Chris Goldfinger UK

Speaking of fun to watch (and star power), this next session comes from the very eager Capleton for Chris Goldfinger’s radio show. Watching Capleton do stuff like this is always interesting because, despite the fact that he goes in on a few different tunes, he ALWAYS seems to have a point to make and is actually more than a bit upset when he doesn’t get to make it. This thing here is POWERFUL example of just how talented the Prophet can be in a very natural (for a musician) setting. The first tune here, on the Drop Leaf here is magic (and I don’t recognize it). Still, the highlight definitely comes later when Capleton wreaks havoc on the Showtime Riddim (“know say man a garbage! FOLLOW BEHIND MAN LIKE BAGGAGE!”) to the delight of the nameless lad standing next to him (seemingly an engineer or such) whose facial expressions reveal him as becoming increasingly impressed by this very loud individual standing next to him on the mic, who he seemingly was previously oblivious to.

Entertainment: 5/5

Skill Shown: 5/5

Queen Omega - Party Time

If I say “Trinidad” and I say “Freestyle”, certainly the first individual who would come to most minds would be Bunji Garlin, but Bunji certainly isn’t alone in those respects as evident by this GEM from Queen Omega for Frenchie station, PartyTime.fr. What really (should) come through here is just a very nice dosage of BRILLIANCE which the Queen has as she effortlessly blends a few of her bigger pieces such as the relatively recent ‘Local’, ‘All I Want Is Weed (old school)’ and of course, ‘Warning’. At times, she could have ratcheted up the intensity a bit, but what she has that will make up the gap for her, unlike every other person on this list, is a truly refined singing voice, which she uses in fair amounts of variations here. All in all, like everything musically she has ever done, it’s a clear winner.

Entertainment: 4/5

Skill Shown: 4.25/5

Vybz Kartel, Mr. Peppa & Co. - RealVibez.net [Vendetta]

This STILL infinitely entertaining session introduced quite a few people to maybe a few very solid and potentially special artists a few years back. Of course, the class of the group was far younger and far less jaded Kartel who, in terms of pure skill, probably lapped his peers involved here (and all these years later, that’s probably still true despite some improvement). Still, in terms of highlights, Kartel shares the honours with Bay-C from T.O.K who goes into the ‘Where I’m From’ and another tune I don’t remember which certainly are big, as well as the now mythical Regan who shows off that SERIOUS talent now under the direction of Hip-Hopper Rick Ross (as ‘Magazeen‘) with his effort from Don Corleon’s once mighty Good 2 Go Riddim, ‘Bran’. Still, you can’t help put be entranced when Kartel draws for early hits like ‘Good Inna Clothes’ , ’Highest Grade (which later became the big hit ’Sen On’)’ and definitely ‘Wosen’. Desperado was also there, as was Calico (who I was once very high on) and a largely still undeveloped version of the now WICKED Mr. Peppa, so should you reunite this crew (good luck finding Desperado), I would most certainly be interested (and because it was under Corleon’s ‘direction’, perhaps we could replace Calico and Desperado, with Pressure & Munga Honourable) (I’m just saying).

Entertainment: 5/5

Skill Shown (in full): 4/5

Saïk

Saïk is a damn monster! When I began this post I was speaking of Papa San who has certainly defined the art of fast style quick chatting displays, well there’re two individuals who have consistently taken up that art form at the top level and made it a large chunk of their own and it leads to some downright dazzling displays. One is, of course, Aidonia and the next time I do this, he’ll certainly feature prominently, the other is the Prince of Creole Dancehall, Saïk from out of Gwada. I could very well add to this bunch the name of Admiral T, but in my opinion, with Saïk’s skillset, he’s already passed his mentor. Certainly a thing teenage-ish Saïk impressed the hell out of Beenie Man (who also impresses in the first video), but what you see there isn’t even a quarter of where he’s developed to. The second video (which may actually be prior to the first) (but I doubt it) is a far more accurate display as the youth runs a session with other artists (I GUESS), but blows them out of water they were never even in (and the casually passes the mic as if someone actually wanted to follow that stuff) (good luck). On the final video here, Saïk (who looks A LOT like someone who owes me A LOT of money), is downright disturbing. Perhaps it’s because the final piece is built on the strength of material which highlighted his debut album, Face á la Réalité, such as ‘Oblijé Nou Bun’, ‘On Sèl Doktrin' and ‘Plis Ki Pèn De Mô’, or maybe it’s just like I said: The man is a damn monster.

Entertainment: 5/5

Skill Shown: 6/5

Check It Vol. 4: Cleaning Up 2009

Bounty Killer - Raise Hell On Hell Boy EP [Payday Music]

First up this week is a piece which I’m pretty sure I did on the last ‘Coming Soon’ post, but it’s recently been released now and is sure to be attracting quite a bit of attention. The one main unifying ‘trend’ of these five tunes is, of course, that they’re all aimed at former Bounty Killer disciple Vybz Kartel. More importantly, however, upon further scrutiny, is the fact that Raise Hell On Hell Boy, at least in my opinion, represents the best sounding version of the Killer that listeners may have heard in years. It’s nearly vintage, old angry ass carnage causing Killer and I LOVE IT! Here’s hoping he can throw eight or ten more with it and deliver his first studio album in eight years, sometime in 2010.

Best Tune: ‘Chatta Box’

Sizzla - Precious Gift EP [VP Records]

Another big name in the EP business this week (although of a certainly more satisfying kind) is Sizzla Kalonji who follows in a recent streak of artists (including Alborosie, Queen Ifrica and himself) as names pushing albums for VP/Greensleeves who are afforded these wonderful pre-album digital EP releases like so. Precious Gift is standing in a few weeks ahead Sizzla’s latest Greensleeeves’ creation Crucial Times, which is the first big album of the year and if you, like me, find it pretty hard waiting, then definitely pick up this three piece appetizer.

Best Tune: ‘Crucial Time’

Blazin’ Tracks - Gear 1 [Truckback Records]

Nice little compilation here from one of my relatively new favourite labels, Truckback Records (and if you like Dancehall, they’re one of your favourites also). Up until now, to my knowledge, Truckback has only been doing single releases, (very) nice EP’s for certain artists and riddim albums (like the WICKED Gearbox Riddim), so Blazin’ Tracks, a fairly broad and general compilation is definitely something new from them. Thankfully it’s a good something new as well. The title features not only royalty from Reggae and Dancehall such as Sizzla Kalonji, Lady Saw and Buju Banton, and also the occasional twist and turn like ‘Hustlin’ a combination featuring Erup and Anthony B and none other than BUNJI GARLIN who stars on the EPIC ‘Wease and Cry’.

Best Tune: ‘The Race’ by Assassin

Solo Banton - Walk Like Rasta [Reality Shock Records]

This one kind of bothered me because I SO much wanted to like it and it was OKAY, but it didn’t really go anywhere, and it’s nineteen tracks long. Solo Banton is an artist who, I couldn’t really tell you where or when I first heard of him, but he’s definitely been stored in the memory banks for awhile now, so when I saw he had an album forthcoming, I was definitely interested and it just so happens that Walk Like Rasta is not only “an album”, but it is the very first from the UK DJ/chanter. He has a very nice and old school type of sound (at times, he sounds like Junior Demus) and, as far as I know, the Banton is a veteran of the industry (just not as an artist), so you can definitely feel his overall experience levels with what he’s doing, he definitely has a nice sense of things and he can flow to a degree. The problem is that, at least on this album, he CLEARLY doesn’t push himself as much as he can. Despite what you’ll hear here, I would venture to say that Solo Banton is quite the inventive artist, but on tunes like ‘Herb Story’ (which plunders the melody of [Baby] Cham’s story of the ghetto variety) and Roots Rock Reggae (which is unfortunately every bit the cliché you would think it might be because of its title), like I said, things (which are interesting), just fail to materialize ultimately.

Best Tune: ‘Walk Like Rasta’

Zahair - Jah Instrument [Free Willy Records/Zojak Worldwide]

If the name Zahair doesn’t quite ring a bell with you, that’s fine. When I first saw this release I actually had to go and check up on the artist before I figured out who he was. If you happen to frequent the output of a label which goes by the name of ‘Free Willy’, then Zahair’s name is one which you might just realize. The very interesting singer has been voicing for the label for quite awhile and now, those sessions have actualized themselves in the form of Jah Instrument, his (to my knowledge) debut album. Zahair is a very ‘bubbly’ type of singer (not quite a chanter in my opinion (at least not usually), but definitely not just your everyday balladeer style of artist) and I’m slowly but surely coming to the realization that he’s also quite the writer as he tackles several VERY popular Reggae topics, but it never sounds quite clichéd or stale in anyway. And of course, working with Free Willy, Zahair is afforded some WONDERFUL old school vibed backdrops also. I’m still working with this one a bit, but maybe you can expect a review at some point this month.

Best Tune: ‘Nothing Comes Easy’

Wake Up: The People Dem Sound [Wake Up Sound]

And lastly this week is another compilation (this one of the mixtape variety). I believe ‘Wake Up’ is actually a sound (DHU) from out of France and what they’ve assembled here is quite impressive. So much so is it attention grabbing and impressive that, despite the fact that there’re a combined SEVEN tunes from two of my least favourite artists, I still had to mention this one. Making up for those two (nope, I’m not even going to tell you who they are) are the likes of Lady Saw, Prince Malachi, Lyricson and a whole heap of talented Frenchies also. (like King Daddy Yod)

Best Tune: ‘Love Another One’ by Lady Saw