"No Rookie": A Review of Never Lost My Way by Ginjah

I absolutely love the fact that we’re kind of moving into this wonderful timeframe in Reggae music where we have so many artists who I think everyone has just become accustomed to referring to as ‘young’ and ‘up and coming’ - Who really aren’t that young and up and coming anymore. They’re more ‘normal aged’ and ‘already here’ and well, now it’s time to show and prove. It’s time to see who’s going to be the proverbial flash in the pan and who’s going to the type of artist that people like me write about for years and years to come. For example, I think it’s become kind of clichéd to refer to an artist such as Dancehall ace, Assassin, as young . . . Because that’s just what we’ve been doing from ever since he first came up as a disciple of Spragga Benz. Meanwhile the man is pushing twenty-eight this year and has a BIG history dating back longer than some of his peers who are years older. Similarly is Aidonia, who’s older than I am (and I’m virtually a geriatric at this point) and while he may still be in the process of distinguishing himself, at twenty-nine years of age and as a Dancehall artist, he has most certainly entered his prime years and has had long enough to become WELL comfortable in it. In terms of Roots Reggae music (which is why we’re here), we have the ‘big three’ of ‘young’ artists in Tarrus Riley, Etana and Queen Ifrica. Both Riley and Ifrica are in their thirties and Etana, while definitely young (either almost twenty-five or just twenty seven) in the traditional sense, her music has become part of the DIRECTION of the overall landscape (I.e. when Etana has a new tune, it is most certainly a big deal) and every time you look up, her musical age progresses further and further. So, instead of looking at this WONDERFUL crop of artists in terms of general age, I think we should just observe the fact it is THEM who are the here and now and ARE (not ‘will) ultimately the faces of the world’s most beautiful music. It is in that same ideology that I approach the artist with whom we deal today, the exceptional Ginjah. The very interesting singer has a musical history going back more than a decade at this point and really, when you look at the ‘up and coming’ (here and nowing) artists in the current landscape of Roots Reggae music, out of all of them, Ginjah is definitely one of the most interesting and also one who has reached the point in his respective career where it is DEFINITELY time to show and prove.

Thankfully he’s been having no problem doing exactly just that and continues to as one of the single most impressive artists I’ve heard in quite some time. I can remember hearing of Ginjah’s name quite some ago as a member of the legendary Beres Hammond’s Harmony House label. He voiced for Hammond (and with him, they have a big tune together by the name of ‘Rise Above’), toured with him and, presumably, just learned and took in so much from the legend that such an experience alone would have almost certainly made Ginjah’s a name to watch. And - Oh yeah, he’s also VERY talented on his own. He has quite the powerful, soulful and outside of Jah Cure and Chezidek, probably the most INTERESTING voice in Reggae today in my estimation and he’s used it over the years to craft some absolute GEMS of songs. Well hopefully now he’s well tuned up and ready to put his best foot forward as Ginjah now brings forth what is hopefully his very first of many album, Never Lost My Way. Having gotten his start at the highest level of the game working with someone like Beres Hammond, one would think that as far as actually doing the work goes, Ginjah would have nowhere to go but down in terms of quality, but he’s managed to put together quite a nice working relationship with the greatest Reggae producer in the world, Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor (who Hammond, himself, also works with), who helms the album for his own No Doubt Records and Flava McGregor Records. Incidentally, the label(s) which has been literally flourishing for quite some time now (thinking about three years really now) also recently released Revelations, an album for Gyptian and altogether, Ginjah joins a very strong cast of ‘characters’ which includes the likes of Sizzla, Luciano, Lutan Fyah, Turbulence, Chuck Fenda, Chezidek and others who’ve had albums produced by McGregor, but, at least to my knowledge, he joins only Gyptian as artists who have had the honour of having Flava produce their debut sets. The album (as you might imagine) is put together, for the most part, with various tunes from Ginjah on Flava’s RIDICULOUSLY lovely riddims, some very familiar and some not so much. I’m very interested to see the impact the album has as Ginjah’s fan base is almost totally full of hardcore heads (like you and I) and although he may not be very well known outside of those circles, within the very devoted crowd Never Lost My Way IMMEDIATELY becomes a big deal. I actually recall from last year the thought was that his debut album would come via VP Records (the news was circulating roughly around the same time as the news of Chuck Fenda’s ultimately wicked Fulfillment album which VP did release), however, I’m hoping that people like you and I will pay this album SO MUCH attention that it will become a big deal in terms of commercial success. The question before that is, however, whether or not the album is a big deal musically - And the answer is an overwhelmingly expected YES. The thing about the album, even going in, is that you KNOW what you’re getting into if you know the setup. Ginjah sings, he just does, Flava builds fantastic riddims, again, he just does - And while certainly those two factors alone aren’t enough for a success, when you dash in the fact that the two have already proven that they work EXCELLENTLY together, the results most certainly do not disappoint.

The album, and Ginjah’s music in general in my opinion, very much seems to be centered on the celebration of the music itself. Of course, Ginjah is a Roots artist, so what you’ll encounter are the typical socially and spiritually conscious efforts on the album, but he is in a very select group of artists in my opinion who’re able to convey a genuine LOVE for the music that they’re doing. If I am correct in my assumption then Ginjah most certainly adores the title track of his debut album Never Lost My Way for No Doubt Records, because it’s the finest tune on the album and perhaps the finest of his entire career to date. The song utilizes Flava’s TIMELESS Rub-A-Dub Riddim and it’s quickly in the process of becoming my absolute favourite tune on that beautiful riddim (perhaps unseating Fantan Mojah’s EPIC drop, ‘The Most High’). For me, this tune is all about dedication - The dedication of oneself to what you’re doing and the commitment of it as well. It is absolutely a STUNNING tune (and you simply have to take it to heart when the singer says, “when mi sing, mi no haffi rich. Ah no money man ah look after dis”). HUGE! Carrying the vibes further is a bit of a hidden weapon I’d say in ‘Time’ which features on Flava’s most recent composition, The Classic Riddim. This one was seemingly intentionally held back from the big batch of tunes on the riddim, as well as the subsequent album as well for the riddim. This tune is, ostensibly, a love song, but it definitely isn’t your stereotypical straight ahead piece and to my ears it kind of expounds on the virtues of PATIENCE, particularly within the parameters of a relationship, but by extension, life itself. It’s definitely another beautiful tune and . . . Good luck finding it somewhere else besides this album. A similar tune is ‘Solidarity’, Ginjah’s cut of Flava’s 2009 Ghetto Riddim. While I certainly have heard this tune before, it too was absent from the riddim’s album (both times it was released) and that’s unfortunate, because it is very strong. The tune is mainly an antiviolence piece, but it speaks on another, more broad, level as well - So it’s one thing to put down the gun, but it’s another to put it down and start living clean INSTEAD which is the point Ginjah seems to be making with the song and wonderfully so.

As I said, I think it’s very likely that Never Lost My Way is going to predominately draw the interest of heavy fans, however, if you’re a newer fan or just a recent deep listener of Ginjah’s the album also offers quite the ‘tour’ of some of his past work. Perhaps the biggest example of such occurrences (besides the opener, of course) is his previous MAJOR hit, ‘Music Alone’. I think it’s so interesting that arguably the two strongest tunes on the album both seem to celebrate music for the sake of the music itself. This particular vibrantly beautiful effort hails and champions the music as a healing element (because it is) and just a TOOL which brings upliftment, just like Ginjah himself. Also certain to draw a bit of special attention is the tune which immediately follows ‘Music Alone’, ‘Get Out Of My Life’. The tune rides a riddim thought certainly destroyed and left for dead by Etana’s MASSIVE tune ‘Free’, but Ginjah definitely pushes a lovely vibes for it as well. The tune isn’t a love song or a jilted lovers song (which is what you’re thinking it is), instead it’s a very powerful (and seemingly personal) social commentary, as the entity Ginjah wants out of his life isn’t some misbehaving significant other, but instead is POVERTY! This song is so well sung and although he doesn’t push h is voice as much as he does on other records, I would say that it is actually one of the better delivered sets on the entire album. And later we get two less familiar love tunes in ‘My Dear Princess’, which has a very nice jazzy type of intro before ascending into one SPARKLING tune; and then ‘One Of A Kind’, which is nearly spectacular and I don’t believe that I’ve EVER heard this song before which is a great thing and it’s one of the stronger selections you’ll find on Never Lost My Way altogether.

Still, the solid majority of the balance of the album is certain to be familiar in one way or another because of the riddim of the actual tune, but in this case, that’s definitely a good thing. *Exhibit A* definitely goes to ‘No Regrets’, which is downright devastating! I’ve never heard this tune and it rides a riddim, the acoustic version of the Drop It (I THINK), which Ginjah’s certainly familiar with (more on that in a minute), so it seems like kind of a bonus (A HUGE BONUS). Call it ‘touching’, ‘halting’, or ‘moving’, it’s all of that and easily one of the biggest tunes on the album as well (the man says “I have no regrets in life” and it’s just pausing!) (also check the probable lyrical biggup to Beres Hammond when he says, “Don’t watch the crowd, they’re always going to be loud”). Ginjah gets to take the full Drop It Riddim out for a spin when he reaches the very strong ‘Welcome To My World’. Again, this is another unconventional love song, although more straight forward than ‘Time’, you get the feeling that Ginjah isn’t merely inviting a special lady to his “world”, but he’s kind of speaking on exactly what that entails and the tune was one of my favourites on that riddim as well (after Beres’ ‘I Surrender’, of course). Check ‘Where Is It’, Ginjah’s cut of the Rock Steady Riddim also. This is a song which has grown in quality to my opinion over the past year or so since when I first heard it and it’s still growing apparently as when I first spun t on this album, it just sounded so FRESH, as if I hadn’t ever heard it or maybe just once or twice, as Ginjah literally goes out searching for the way things were supposed to be (“and anytime you see a ‘meal‘, it‘s a sawmill or a cane mill“) (BIG). ‘Day Dreamer’ is another bit of a blast from the past like ‘Music Alone’, as it comes through over the 83 Riddim (which you know as having backed Queen Ifrica’s MAMMOTH shot ‘Daddy’, amongst others). This tune is, essentially, about procrastination and stagnation. Ginjah (rightly) believes those things ultimately lead to negative acts more times than not and it’s definitely a relatable tune, even if you don’t find yourself doing negative things, perhaps it can serve as a well needed kick in the ass to get you going, as he says, “Lazy is the man who loves to sleep. How you ahgo find food fi eat?”

As Never Lost My Way winds down, we get even more strong selections such as ‘Prayer’, from the Sweet Riddim. This one was one of the very few tunes on that riddim (if I recall correctly), which didn’t make usage of the kind of ‘built in vibes’ it presented most artists with love songs. Instead, Ginjah makes a very powerful statement of praise to His Majesty and one which just may be the strongest tune lyrically on the album. And speaking of praising His Imperial Majesty, the tune ‘Jah Miracle’ [aka ‘Jah Jah Watch Over Me’] is another one doing just that, while riding the HEAVY Nyah drum driven Higher Priest Riddim. This one is definitely a bit more in the way of a traditional chant and it’s very powerful and it also helps to give a bit of colour to the album as well in my opinion. Flava also pulls out what is, in my opinion, his opus riddim, the Triumphant, for Ginjah and he lives up to the LOFTY expectations on the master class creation with a master class of his own with ‘Love Mood’. This song is just GORGEOUS and the very fact that the riddim is here is HUGE! It’s one of my favourite of all time by anyone and Ginjah’s is yet another strong addition to it. And lastly, Never Lost My Way closes up with the acoustic love song, ‘The One’. The tune is a very simple, yet fittingly very nice wrap to an album which finds Ginjah stepping up to the plate and knocking one right out of the park, with yet another tune giving love to the creation of the music itself and in a very interesting manner.

Overall, Never Lost My Way is indeed Ginjah’s time to shine and he definitely doesn’t blow it. Before this album in general and on various singles from other sources as well (especially ‘Desperate In Need’, his recent single for the crisis in Haiti), I’ve just always been impressed with the way the singer carries himself and it’s so refreshing to hear someone sing a song and at least seemingly, see them try to LIVE UP to what the song says. On top of that, as I said, the album comes across, at least to me, very much as a celebration or a display of the power of the music. It’s not very glossy, you won’t find a single combination on the album at all and while there’re certainly tunes which have different vibes (like ‘Jah Miracle’), you really don’t hear anything here which pushes the boundaries of the genre and that’s actually very refreshing in my opinion. Ginjah’s time is very much in the NOW and although, collectively, I think the assumption to call him an ‘up and comer’ will continue, but listening through Never Lost My Way I think it’s hard to make that case. The material here CLEARLY features an artist who has already entered his prime years, it’s just a matter of the rest of the world paying attention. Are you? I am. Very well done.

Rated 4.5/5

No Doubt Records/Flava McGregor Records

2010

Ginjah @ Myspace

{Note: Want this album??? Of course you do. It is currently available exclusively at Flava's website - FlavaMcGregor.com}

What A Beautiful Tune 10.5!

Song here has been killing my senses for two days now. HUGE!

Over Hills And Valleys Too

Okay, last week we dealt with individuals who maybe didn’t reach the levels many people had thought that they would or maybe even they, themselves, had thought that they would - The Underachievers. This week, however, we’re going to look at ten names who’ve managed to reach the masses in the exact opposite way - By going above and beyond most, if not ALL, expectations. These are ten artists who have distinguished themselves far more so than we might’ve thought at any point during their career and have done so, in some cases, to the tune of creating a bonafide legend of themselves. Thus, I submit for your approval, The Ten Biggest Overachievers in Reggae Today.

{note: Again, I tried to remain somewhat current}

{note 2: Artists are ranked according to the size of the gap (or perceived gap) between expectations of what they might’ve been and what they are. #10 means the smallest gap, #1 means the largest}

{note 3: No Soca}

{note 4: See Underachievers list here}

#10. Kiprich

It just may be the case that for most people who even know who may even know the name Kiprich, he is and is forever destined to be a sidekick like character to Elephant Man (particular from Ele’s ridiculous ‘Pon Di River’ video) and they may never regard him as much, if anything more. That is so fucking unfortunate because, as much as I may have (and did) deride him in the past, I have to admit that ‘Kippo’ has come a hell of a lot further than I would have ever anticipated. To his credit are two albums, Outta Road (for VP) and Drama King, both of which saw him doing his thing for the Big Yard camp as a former official member (another big deal). Those albums were full of undeniable HITS like ‘Telephone Ting’ and ‘The Letter’ and many others which he has scored over the years and I think that it’s a pretty big statement to say that I’d be looking forward to his next release! And I would be looking forward to it primarily because of what Kiprich has been up to as of late, as he has, over the course of the past couple of years (although an old spat with Gabriel definitely showed there was a fire there), shockingly become a bit of a war monger himself. Consistently bashing up General B and even Merciless as of late has gained Kiprich an even larger following - Such a very far cry from the days of being Elephant Man’s rather goofy sounding, childish sidekick. Well done Kippo.

#9. Natural Black

As two entrants of the top five on this list will tell you, I give extra credit when you travel. The Guyana born and raised Natural Black has a story which is very well told - Having reached Jamaica by way of his native Guyana with no arrangements on what he was to do, knowing only that he wanted to be a Reggae singer and a successful one. That was fifteen years ago now and while, ostensibly, there doesn’t seem to be much of a big deal having a successful Guyanese Reggae singer in Jamaica, Natural Black’s work DEFINITELY gives him the label of pioneer, because not only did he make the jump, he has been able to succeed and return to his home and succeed there as well. With the tune ‘Far From Reality’, he grabbed up (I THINK) his first number one hit and it also would lead him to having his first of two very strong albums for Greensleeves, named after the tune. Also, the very fact that Black has become one of the most CONSISTENT artists in the game should also be worth something. Consistency is something which often doesn’t draw the most attention, but again, coming from the background that Natural Black has come from, it’s probably his greatest quality on a musical level.

#8. Spice

Spice may be a relatively new artist in the face of many people, however, I must say that my own first memory of the dynamic DJ came almost nine years ago when she reached a Sting stage (2001) and in the midst of having a relatively fun and relatively public (that’s the point anyway) feud with ace DJ, Elephant Man, she . . . Well she burned a hole in Sting and probably got more forwards that night than Ninja Man and Bounty Killer would the next morning for disarming the war head, for absolutely lyrically SPANKING Ele (“him come ah talk bout ‘caprice’, ‘caprizzle’, ‘shizzle ma nizzle’, same time him look up inna four gun nozzle”). Since then, along with becoming one of the (if not THE) most consistent performer to reach Sting’s stage annually, Spice has shown herself to be one of the WICKEDEST lyricists in the game, regardless of gender. She’s also taken aim at Beenie Man, most recently Lisa Hype[r] and others through the years and she’s gone on to work extensively with the incomparable Dave Kelly’s Mad House label, as well as reportedly signing a contract with the biggest label in the industry, VP Records, and we’ll probably see her debut full length album later this year. She’s probably one of the most popular pure Dancehall artists in the world at this point and SHE’S EARNED IT.

#7. Chezidek

Oh funny voiced one. Be honest - The first time you ever heard a tune from Chezidek, did you really expect him to go on to be as big of a deal that he has become? I’ve been championing his cause since I very first heard of the singer (which was about 300 years ago now) and I can honestly say that I didn’t. However, I KNEW that the man had a talent and I was just hopeful that it was one which would ultimately be appreciated by the greater masses just as I did and it wouldn’t be kind of shuffled away because of his very unusual method of ‘delivery’. Yes. Chezidek sings very very strangely, however, for anyone who has ever REALLY paid attention to the singer, you KNOW how strong he can be and is. It seems as now, however, the world knows as well. With album dropping after album dropping for the former Xterminator product and having more bonafide hits than I think most people give him credit for, Chezidek has established himself as one the greatest and most popular and most well respect modern Roots Reggae artists in the game today, period. Funny martian singing voice be damned.

#6. [Baby] Cham

I told you last week that Baby Cham would probably be the only artist whose name appeared as both an underachiever and an overachiever and here he is. The support for him as an underachiever hinges on the fact that he’s probably WICKED on his own and outside the lights of Dave Kelly’s production and he’s essentially deprived the Dancehall listening world of that for years. The case for Cham as an overachiever, on the other hand, well . . . Okay it’s kind of based on the same thing. The very fact that he’s managed to make it as far as he has is a sign of overachieving and it didn’t just start with the wonder years of ‘Ghetto Story’. If you remember way back in . . . whatever year that was, Cham also scored an international hit with ‘Tables Will Turn’, alongside Hip-Hopper Foxy Brown where he was returning the favour as she had previously appeared on a tune with him for his album Wow . . . The Story. He grabbed that up by virtue of being in the right place at the right time as Kelly was doing production for Brown’s Broken Silence album. And of course he was also in the right place to catch up with Alicia Keys years later and sign a major deal and go back and do ‘Conscience’ and ‘Wha Dem Feel Like’ and although there were other producers here and there, he did all of that largely recording for just Madhouse which is amazing! An over achieving underachiever, Baby Cham will probably go down as one of the greatest enigmas the Dancehall has ever seen.

#5. Alborosie

Okay so, you probably know that I’m not the biggest of Alborosie’s fans, but I don’t put his name here simply because I’m in shock and awe that he’s managed to have any semblance of a career, but the levels that he’s reached have certainly been surprising. If you go back to Natural Black’s case and that of the #3 name on this list - At least they’re not TOTALLY out of the stream. What may’ve propelled Alborosie, damn near a decade ago, to just pack up and leave his home in SICILY of all places, to move to Jamaica and decide he wanted to be a Reggae artist and just be generally involved in the music is unknown to me (besides the fact that Reggae is amazingly wonderful in everyway, but that’s accepted and goes without saying), but whatever it is it was probably the greatest thing to ever happen to him because someday it’ll probably make a legend out of him. Albo has such a large and interesting following that it’s kind of hard to just see him fading away into obscurity one day. Instead, what seems more likely is that his releases will be closely followed for the remainder of his career and his fan base will continue to grow. So although I may not get it, the kid from Alborosie is a bonafide STAR in Reggae music - Little kid from Sicily - Wow.

#4. Anthony B

Even though three artists rank on this list higher than does Anthony B, he is DEFINITELY the quintessential overachiever when it comes to Reggae music. When you look at his peers - People like Capleton, Sizzla, Luciano and Buju, they all seem to have something which separates them from the pack of dozens and dozens of Roots Reggae artists in this era (some of whose names adorn this list) and it, whatever it is, is IMMEDIATE. It doesn’t take long to see that Sizzla is a ridiculous lyricist or that Luciano has this incredible voice or that Buju has probably the most star quality Reggae has scene since Bob Marley and is another incredible lyricist and it also doesn’t take long to see the Capleton seems to have his listeners (whoever they are) in the palm of his hand whenever he opens his mouth. Anthony B doesn’t have those things to those degrees, but you cannot just pick his name from out of that category of star artists, because he belongs there. Why? What does he have? Anthony B just may be the hardest working man ON HIS CRAFT that Reggae has seen in the past two decades or so. His will is incredibly strong and it has seemingly been his WILL which has WILLED him into the artist that he is today, which is one belonging to the aforementioned group of stars. And seriously to speak further, Anthony B has established such a longevity in the business that I am SO curious to see how he’s perceived and regarded in the future exactly what type of artist may come up having been clearly influenced by the original fire man.

#3. Pressure Busspipe

Truth be told, Pressure is probably the single most talented artist on this list altogether. He very much fits (in terms of style) into the group I just went into in regards to Anthony B - The VERY talented chanter who can sing occasionally. He also, needless to say, has quite a bit of star quality, every bit as much of some of the more popular names in the game and, much like with Chezidek, I’ve been telling people for years just how good he is. So why in the hell is he on a list of underachievers? Because there was a bridge that was being built between Jamaica Reggae and Reggae from the Virgin Islands and Pressure and Pressure completed the bridge. There were artists before him, there have been artists since who have seemingly had the ability to do just that, but the one who got it done (with a whole heap of help, of course) was Pressure with the MAMMOTH ‘Love & Affection’. Since then he’s definitely remained solid and in doing so has proven himself to be so much more than a one-hit wonder and he’s also managed to do so much more than anyone could have ever thought - Even me back in the day telling everyone how WICKED the The Pressure Is On album was.

#2. Sean Paul

You know I almost didn’t put Sean Paul on this list because I kind of felt that it went without saying. I was going to fully be happy with making him a ‘#1 Emeritus’ type of a thing, but I eventually put him in and did so to make a point. I am a fan of Sean Paul’s. I STILL regard his debut album, Stage One as one of the greatest Dancehall albums ever (and if it had come out just about a year later, it would have already been declared a ‘modern classic’ and I may just do it anyway one day, just because) and his third album, Trinity, was pretty decent and overall, I think the man definitely has talent. I also almost ended up being a feature writer for his website (before my contact ended up finding something else to do with his time) (biggup Ryan). Of course, he isn’t the most talented artist that we have, which is what you might think given the position he occupies, but I give credit to him for occupying said position because it is one which definitely comes with maintenance. The man has worked EXTREMELY hard and still is and really who knows how many fans have been turned on to how many other artists in looking for his music. He has definitely gotten a lot of flack from the hardcore heads and while, ostensibly, I overstand why, it isn’t deserved. The man worked his ass off, credit be to him for it.

#1. Mavado

Mavado. Mavado has a good voice. It isn’t the best, but it’s very good and I still don’t think that we’ve heard it to its absolute range (and we may never). He’s not the best songwriter in the world, he sometimes says things which either make absolutely no sense or are just flat strange (“squeeze di breast just like di trigger of mi gun”). He doesn’t have a great deal of star quality either, he’s kind of awkward in my opinion and it often seems as if he’s kind of shy and uncomfortable with the position he’s attained.

All of that being said, I put him at number one on this list because something REALLY remarkable is going on with Mavado. He comes up as this death-preoccupied singer who has absolutely no versatility whatsoever in terms of what he’s good at. It’s just guns over guns and death over life for him. And then one day he decides to tell us how special he is and the entire world listens to the tune of the biggest hit of his career and the biggest international hit of that year. He’s a singer and one who isn’t exceptionally strong lyrically, like I said, and in the hometown of arguably the greatest lyricist of this era the crowd declares him winner of a clash with that same individual and going on two years later, people still discuss the true winner (it was a draw). The very fact that there can be any argument at all is amazing when he was supposed to be little more than a sacrificial lamb and was a real contender instead (after COMPLETELY spoiling his start and eventually righting the ship, yet more evidence of his overachieving because halfway through the thing and it was looking damn ugly for Mavado) and it is a discussion which shall rage on for as long as people have mouths and fingers.

On top of that, it’s becoming crystal clear as of late that ANYTHING Mavado releases is going to become a hit on some level. It may not take over the globe and have asses shaking worldwide and it may not be single-handedly responsible for the crime rate in some random area spiking, but it will be a HIT. Every single one will be paid a pretty decent amount of attention to and will subsequently go on to success (and while it may be to no direct credit of his own, every tune may just be available digitally as well, especially considering that he’s now no longer under contract).

And he also went on to make piece (regardless of how temporary) with the normally standoffish Kartel and he’s actually become much better in terms of his skills as an artist and his range of subjectry as well. Mavado is definitely a big artist and it’s nothing you would’ve expected when he came up as seemingly just another random and completely average face in the Alliance pack. Random? Absolutely. Average? Absolutely not.

New Ginjah Album!

Review Coming Friday!
(Get it now at FlavaMcGregor.com)

"Growing Up Is Hard To Do": A Review of Instinct Admiral by Admiral T

As someone who has fifteen months and eleven days left in their twenties, I think that I’m in a pretty good position to say that the act of growing up is really damn ridiculous. There is simply too much stuff that has to occur between childhood and adulthood to accomplish it all or to, more importantly, give the appearance to other people that you’ve accomplished it all. And while there’re certainly some good things about the situation (like the little ones) (and the bigger ones) (if I called my wife a ‘big one’ . . . PROBLEMS), all in all, if I could stay a child for my entire life (who could catch a plane by himself), it would be one very tempting proposition. Now, when you take into consideration that, for the most part, I only have to do this ‘growing up’ nonsense in the presence of my Wife and said “little one”, who have their own damn problems (namely, yours truly), that’s one thing, but imagine if I had to do it in front of anyone who would be willing to pick up an album full of my music or watch a video or just listen intently to a song on the radio. I probably would have major problems and that is, essentially, what we ask of our musicians and artists. In Reggae, things are the same, but kind of more direct as the groupings tend to be smaller and more consistent (I.e. a particular artist will begin his/her career recording with a particular producer and much later, they’re still recording with that producer). One example of a very interesting case of artist development at this very moment HAS to be the case of Vybz Kartel. It seems not too long ago when the world was asking when the lightening tongued lyrics genius from out of Portmore would diversify his game beyond the ’3 G’s’ of Dancehall subjectry (Girls, Guns and Ganja) and he’s certainly done that. In the process, however (at least in my opinion) (and maybe only my opinion), he’s also managed to chase away any semblance of FUN in his music also. Also we can look at the case of Assassin, a ’classmate’ of Kartel’s, in terms of time. Assassin, coming up, was a very intelligent and no frills type of DJ and now that he’s streamlined his game a bit, he’s still very much like that, however, what we here today is a version of the DJ who has CLEARLY become much more educated and, in my opinion, is operating on a level which not too many of his peers are even capable of reaching. There’re other cases such as with Ce’Cile, whose music has gone from this very chic and ‘bouncy’ type of Dancehall to a state capable of producing appetizing MILF-like GEMS such as ‘Waiting’ and definitely ‘Home Tonight’; and Busy Signal (more on him later) who has kind of had a hot and cold type of career, but his current HOT is absolutely scolding, having seemingly pruned away any signs of his prior inconsistencies which is truly a mark of growing up . . . Not that I’d know from personal experience or anything.

Someone who might know is the very popular Admiral T. You could very well make the point that the Admiral is one of the most popular Dancehall artists in the world as the wicked DJ from out of Gwada has seen a rise to prominence which was led him to arguably become the most well known and appreciated of the French/Creole speaking Dancehall artists in the world (I guess the only other people in consideration would be the funny talking Lord Kossity and perhaps Krys). And while people like myself may make the point that others such as former protégé and disciple Saïk and the WICKED Tiwony may have outgrown the Admiral in terms of pure skill, I cannot honestly make the argument that either have outshone his star. Truly when it comes to Dancehall, Admiral T is the big man in my opinion. That certainly makes the fact that after locking things up outside of the studio, in terms of his other ventures (which, to my knowledge, includes acting and a clothing line, WOK), Admiral T returns to the masses with his very first release in four years and his third studio album overall, Instinct Admiral. The album comes via the always very dependable Don’s Music from out Martinique and of course Admiral T is one of the only current Dancehall acts in the world with a major deal, so Universal Records of France are also on board to take the release to an even higher level and it is under such sets of circumstances that this album, without a doubt is one of the largest of the year, period, in Reggae music. And for me personally, Admiral T was one of the very first two French/Creole speaking artists that I REALLY began to pay attention to (the other was, of course, Saël), so it is at least partially to his credit that I began to listen to names like the aforementioned Saïk and Tiwony, and also Lady Sweety, SamX, Paille and most recently Kalash. So the album is a big deal for me as well and I’m sure in France it’s already doing big business with just a week or two on and I‘m sure the DEVASTATING performer has already been lighting up stages throughout France already (he easily has one of the best stage shows I‘ve ever seen in my life) (biggup Dominica). So is Instinct Admiral going to live up to everyone’s certainly lofty expectations? Probably. As I’ve built the premise of this review on, it’s definitely going to catch a few people off guard because it sounds quite a bit more MATURE than Admiral T’s previous work which was (like that of some of the people I mentioned) very Dancehall oriented (and it still is), but almost seemed to go out its way to flip a vibes TOO heavy and TOO energetic. The energy is still here, but thankfully, the Admiral has found a way to add quite a few different colours and vibes to the mix and he’s apparently calibrated and developed it to the point where he’s as good with it as he’s ever been with anything else. So although he arguably didn’t have SO FAR to grow his music (we’re not talking about Red Rat here), what he’s done with Instinct Admiral is EXCELLENT material.

Trying to capture the entire MOOD of the album - It’s very strange. The cover kind of sees Admiral T going jungle/superhuman style, with the world either left behind him having been conquered, or the next step on his physical descent. The way I ultimately took is that he’s now in a position where the sky is his only limit and what we hear here is exactly how he wanted it to be. Hopefully that’s the case and it would be to no one’s surprise that the first thing we hear on Admiral T’s big new album Instinct Admiral is the title track which is, essentially, an intro on which you hear very little speaking, but it is absolutely ELECTRIC and it definitely made me want to hear what the hell was next. What was next was the very first vocal track on the album ‘Phenomenal’ and I’ve built this review on the subject matter of Admiral T reaching some type of maturity in his vibes and taking things to the proverbial ‘next level’, but this tune is EXACTLY the type of song which would have been on his first two albums and I LOVE IT! Besides wanting to hear what was the next step in his career, I just missed hearing the Admiral in general and this is DEFINITELY as I remember him, we’ll worry about progression later! Not too later however, as the next tune, one of the early singles from the album ‘Viser La Victoire’ [‘Aiming For Victory’] is exactly the type of mature type of vibes you might’ve expected to hear. The tune features French rappers, La Fouine and Medine. I have a personal problem with Hip-Hop in French - Not being the biggest fan of the genre in any language, when done in French in specific, however, it sounds to . . . I don’t know, it sounds like I’m being scolded! But the tune, from all measurable degrees is very strong and it’s a highlight here and it’s probably also well on its way to becoming a certified hit as well, so you’ll probably enjoy it to say the least. Next in is ‘Enfants Du Pays’ [‘Children of The Country’] which is FIRE! The tune is definitely hype and uptempo, but it also has a social connotation to it as well and although I think it may be destined to kind of fall beneath the radar, I think it’s rather clearly and easily a VERY marketable tune given the proper and MATURE opportunity.

All eyes are certain to be on a few of the tunes here given the fact that, fittingly, Admiral T rolls in with some TRULY big named friends of his to add the proper blend of herbs and spices to Instinct Admiral. Besides the aforementioned La Fouine and Medine, Admiral T also taps Patrick St. Eloi from Kassav to deliver the very familiar sounding ‘Nou’ [‘We’]. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard this tune before somewhere and that’s why it’s stuck with me because it is downright DAZZLING. The riddim here sounds like high-tech beat boxing and it’s addictive and Admiral T and St. Eloi definitely make an interesting duo for one of the strongest pieces on the album (and you’ll undoubtedly see how the Admiral LOCKS IT OFF later on the tune). The very smooth ‘J’ai Besoin D’y Croire’ sounds like a kind of hybrid new and old school R&B tune a bit to my ears and it also features (CUTIE!) Awa Imani. Imani, I believe, would probably be classified more of an R&B/Pop singer rather than Zouk, but she provides an excellent yin to the Admiral’s yang and another very nice tune on Instinct Admiral. Then we get to some of the more ostensibly recognizable names on the album such as both Lieutenant and Young Chang MC who feature on the other early single from the album ‘Gladiator’. This tune, I actually didn’t like very much, surprisingly, outside of bits here and there, but it’s since grown on me. Of course, I would’ve preferred to hear Saïk guest on the tune somewhere, but the increasingly present Lieutenant and Chang (himself with a recent album), do a very nice job. Still, it’s definitely Admiral T stealing the show with the HUGE chorus and then his subsequent verse. I was most happy to see the name Fanny J (even more than the very familiar two artists I’m about to tell you about) on the album out of anyone and she certainly doesn’t disappoint with one of the finest tunes here with Admiral T, ‘Bay Love’. The Zouk diva from out of Guyane even outshines the star here and she has been on a roll as of late and hopefully it pinnacles with a next album from her sometime this year (which is going to be HUGE!). The song has single written all over it and supposedly it’s already mashing up stages in France.

Then there’s the big guns rolling in. The finest tune I hear on Instinct Admiral, unsurprisingly, comes with a very familiar twist as Jamaican Dancehall ace Busy Signal checks in to throw words with the Admiral on the MAD ‘Hands Up’. This is the type of artist we should hear Admiral T alongside every so often and the match of the two talented artists is pretty much an HONOUR to listen to and hopefully we can make such a combination a far less rare occurrence (like, can I now get a Tiwony/Bunji Garlin combination). Speaking of “MAD”, also featuring with Admiral T is the inimitable Machel Montano HD who keeps things youthful (as he refuses to grow up his damn self and we’re grateful for it) (35 years old and still too young to Soca) with the RIPE ’Like It’s Carnival’. I seem to think this tune is older than it actually is, because it sounds so familiar, but regardless of its age, it is WICKED and I expect it to do a major damage at Gwada Carnival and HOPEFULLY I’m somewhere in 2010 to see this one come off live with the two and I may not survive the experience and I won’t give a damn! Oh, and I don’t know who the woman is who features prominently (but goes unacknowledged) on the cool lover’s tune ‘Want You’, but she also does a very nice job and that tune is another which should prove to be quite the marketable piece.

Rounding up the album are very solid solo efforts from Admiral T which are certain to be big tunes as well. The somewhat Zouk-like and vibrant ‘Pitit An Ba Soley’ [‘Child Of The Sun’] is such a tune. I don’t know if I know this riddim from somewhere else or if I’ve just been hearing this tune that much that it sounds so familiar, but it’s worth having the melody in my brain because the tune is very nice and it’s probably my Wife’s favourite on the entire album as well. It is lovely and MATURE. I should also say the same about the very colourful ‘Pi Yo Mét Bayé’, which is another very strong tune and very personal as well. And you’ll also like (if you enjoy the previous two), ‘Pété Chenn La’ [‘Break The Chain’] which flows in that similar way. I’d like to make the point that with the previous two albums, although there were spots like such, there were much more INTENSE tunes which would have been in the stead of tunes like these here and in my opinion, that’s a very powerful statement of the maturity of Admiral T.

As Instinct Admiral winds down it still doesn’t try to beat the listener over the head with vibes and instead makes its point far more tactfully. Both ‘Mwen Tini Ase’ and ‘Dézolé’ have a very nice SWAYING vibes to them, especially on the latter (which almost sounds like a Latin type of vibes at times). They make way for the album’s closer, ‘Mon Idole’! This tune was a breath of fresh air in so many ways, not the least of which is the very fact that it’s the only one-drop on the album and it’s a familiar one as well (I think it’s No Woman No Cry, because I immediately began to sing ‘I Wonder’ by Sizzla when I heard it roll out). Of course it isn’t just straight forward like that, it’s jazzed up quite a bit actually, but it’s a wonderful tune and as I’ve been making this review to remark extensively on Admiral T’s progression and maturity as an artist, it is an absolutely BRILLIANT way to end the album.

Overall, the recommendation for this one is a given in my opinion. It’s one of the world’s most talented artist doing exactly what he does best and on the largest stage that he’s ever done it, so I think that it goes without saying how BIG this album is. I would, however, like to speak more on the subtle appeal of Instinct Admiral. The album is so well done and it, somewhat surprisingly, makes my overall point SO EASY to make because of it. I don’t know if it was directly intentional of Admiral T and the powers that be for the album to make it in such a way, but I feel so happy to NOT be able to recommend this one as fully to new fans of the artist as his other work and while this one is certain to receive quite a bit of attention from the casual crowd, to you, I’d say look at the first two albums first. On Instinct Admiral Admiral T shows that he’s managed to grow up in the studio as well and in doing so he delivers his most MATURE set to date as well his BEST. Very well done.

Rated 4.75/5

Don's Music/Universal

2010

Admiral T

Video Drop 6: Zouk Look

So yeah. You'll forgive me if this is horrible, I literally put it together in like a half an hour. I wasn't even going to post today. And of course, I'm neither an expert on Video analysis, nor Zouk, so if it's horrible and you feel the need to let me know - Flame on! I'm also going to start a new piece here is 'Pick of The Post' which is. . . exactly what you think it is.

Kénédy - Entre Toi Et Moi [DeeJaySlamBB]

Okay so, of course we have to check in on my absolute favourite Zouky in the entire world, the divine and heavenly angelic Kénédy from out of Gwada who makes a return with the latest single from her new album, the title track. NOW! Of course the video, in and of itself is very cool, she’s now had two successive (at least, but her very first (to my knowledge) ‘Mon Oasis’, was also outstanding) very cool videos (the other was ‘Cours Toujours’) for the album and I’m hoping and assuming it’s doing very well. This one is, of course, keyed on the relationship subjectry and the colours are very nice and yadda yadda yadda. The real highlight you’ll pay attention to, however, is the fact that Kénédy on the bed is sexy as hell! OH MY! I get the imager and the nice colours (even the kind of orangeish looking monotone view, which was nice), but she is SPECTACULAR! She’s always been 'cute', in my opinion, but nevermore. Kénédy you are an amazing looking human being.

Video Rated: Who Cares?

Video/Song Link: 5/5

Lorenz - Notre Histoire (featuring Thayna) [DeeJaySlamBB]

Yeah, I’m still of the mind that it’s kind of creepy for guys to be singing Zouk and I‘m not stretching that opinion for young Lorenz here, but you’ll notice the reason why this video is here IMMEDIATELY! The reason, of course, goes to the honour of my second favourite Zouky, the also divine Thayna! I haven’t paid too much attention to Lorenz, I know he had an album out a little while back, but I didn’t vibe it too much, but what you have here is an obviously very young and pretty delightful piece (wouldn’t it just be hilarious if Lorenz was like 35?) and it’s very youthful. Even the dancers, when they come in, seem like they’re doing something from the 1980’s when it was the coolest thing to have a bike and a pretty girl to put her ass on the back of it (the good ole days). So I have no complaints here whatsoever. You’ll also probably notice a cameo from Kaysha (who I can actually listen to) and probably a whole heap of other people I don’t recognize (like Shana).

Video Rated: 4/5

Video/Song Link: 4/5

{note: If you’re absolutely blown away by this tune and just NEED more Lorenz in your life, then be sure to search for ‘Lorenz’ and not ‘Lorenzo’, another Zouk-like singer who looks like a skinnier version of Peter Ram}

Marysa - Avec Toi [Opus Music Production]

I was actually about to slap a review on Marysa’s SEXY new album, the fittingly titled Sensual not too long ago, but was ultimately ‘talked out of it’ by . . . About a billion others needing to be dealt with. I don’t know very much at all about Marysa (but if we have another daughter anytime soon, that name will be in consideration yeah), but her album and this song are very sexy and very mature as well. This one takes a bit to get going and it never hits full gear (which is a little frustrating), but it’s very nice. The video is a bit too ‘showy’ perhaps, but still a very nice showcase for the artist and she looks damn good and the video is also somewhat clever if I do say so myself, and I just did.

Video Rated: 3.75/5

Video/Song Link: 4.75/5

{note: Check out her album, ridiculous tune on there called ‘Nha Amor’ alongside Fanny}

Kim - Je Peux Dead [IMMAX]

Speaking of reviews! I was also about to do a review for Premiers Pas, the debut album for the young Kim who has definitely been catching attentions worldwide as of late. The French born singer brings here, a video for I think the first single from the album, ‘Je Peux Dead’ and it is very good. I always say that you can just streamline down a lot of the MESS in videos, meaning the special effects and such and still have a nice video (see the next entry on this list), but sometimes the MESS is good stuff and Kim works it too near perfection here in my opinion. I love the colours and I love just the general MOOD of the vibes for the song (as well as what I’ve heard on the album as well). Kim is probably going to be a pretty big damn deal and she LOOKS GOOD (and I know you’re thinking that she’s a child, but my research has her at TWENTY years of age). And she also is apparently a black belt in Judo, so take your Zouk, Sankaku style.

Video Rated: 5/5

Video/Song Link: 4.5/5

Stevy Mahy - Beautiful [Pasquale Pagano] **Pick of The Post**

And finally is a song which, by my any definition of the genre that I comprehend, isn’t actually Zouk, however, it is sang by a Gwada and it’s slow as hell, so everyone is going to call it Zouk, including me. Meet Stevy Mahy. This woman is absolutely mesmerizing! I had heard this tune for a minute before ever really seeing the video and by time I had came across the video, I was already intrigued and obviously familiar enough to have recognized it and I am SO happy that it comes in the package that is Stevy Mahy. This thing is just so simple, so straight forward and so unintentionally sexy (I do kind of get the feeling that Mahy just may be a nudist, don’t you???) that it just becomes CAPTIVATING and does immediately. Attempt at sound actual analysis ahead - I think the statement being made is that you can kind of strip away all of the flare and the unnecessary trinkets and still be BEAUTIFUL and sexy and just loving and this video is all of that and to be frank - Alongside Bunji’s ‘Brave’, it ranks as the strongest video I’ve seen in 2010. Yeah!

Video Rated: 7/5

Video/Song Link: 12/5

What A Beautiful Tune 10!

Didn't think I was going to do this, this week did you??? Well I wasn't, but I decided what the hell. Not a really busy week this week, so I might even shrink it, but I'm doing it dammit! Of course, if you have any suggestions for next week, or any week thereafter, link me at AchisReggae@hotmail.com and. . . yep!

Okay yeah. First this week we touch bases with Remmy (last seen doggy-paddling off the shores of Dominica) who offers one of my one favourite selections since I've started this thing, the WICKED 'Rasta Is Love' from former artist of the month on this blog, Jah Marnyah from out of Montserrat. Wicked wicked up and coming artist (and I actually spotted an interview with the artist on youtube) and a wicked wicked tune, so biggup Remmy and, as usual, wash your hands my friend. Wash your hands.

Next, we're going to the BVI, courtesy of the USVI and I & I. Biggup Jah Callax from out of St. Thomas (I think Callax is from St. Thomas) for this excellent selection from the seemingly VANISHED Sistah Joyce from Virgin Gorda (I THINK), 'Pot A Ital'. I haven't heard this record in a minute, but I absolutely used to love it from the HYPOCRISY album (she has two albums and it's a damn shame you can't get either digitally, because they're both really really good. So biggup Sistah Joyce, wherever you may be this morning (COME BACK! WE MISS YOU!).

And finally, for the very first time in history, I'm going to actually go back into the archives of recommendation (that's why I always say to suggest more than one, for slow weeks like this one) and get this EXCELLENT one from Kendread from out of Suriname (pretty sure he lives in The Netherlands now), 'Your Love'. The recommendation from superstar Michiel (also from The Netherlands) and is yet another outstanding contribution from him, biggup yourself Michiel. And I'll have to listen to a little bit more Kendread, he kind of has a little bit of Everton Blender in his voice yeah!

Me??? Well because it's that time of year (and because I just typed "BVI" on here not too long ago), I'm going to coolify the place and drop some nice thing from the BVI's finest Soca export in my opinion, the delightful Jalena who is taking her ass 'Down The Road'. And yes, you do feel like dancing and no, I will not dance with you. Maybe next week.