'Like Clockwork': A Most Interesting Preview of "Cornerstone" by Lloyd Brown

So! I’m pretty sure that the month of November has some type of social and cultural relevance for various reasons for people all around the world. For us, amongst other things, it’s . . . Well it isn’t much of anything besides a few dates, here and there. OH! There is that album from that British guy.

Each and every November, for the last 236 years, UK Reggae Legend Mr. Lloyd Brown has released an album and the most wonderful of practices now continues for 2010, as Brown and co. at Riddimworks Productions, in association with something called JMG Inc, are soon to deliver his latest certain masterpiece, ”Cornerstone”. Earlier this year, we (and by “we” I mean, “me”) speculated on what Brown may title the new album and, while certainly we were nowhere near accurate (although I’m having a very difficult time, still, imagining why he wouldn’t fancy ”Consider Silver Brownies”), ”Cornerstone” is definitely a nice title for a new album from Lloyd Brown. The album follows a stretch of four or five releases which I consider to makeup the latest stage of Brown’s career - 2006’s ”Said & Done”, 2007’s master class "Silver” (which is my personal favourite LB album ever), the ‘different’ ”Brownie Points“ album of 2008 and most recently, of course, there was ”For Your Consideration” just last year.

Interestingly enough, all of those albums (ALL of them), were released by the once mighty Cousins Records who have now apparently moved on (GONE). Besides the occasional digital release, I haven’t noticed the label doing much of anything (and I haven’t seen said “occasional digital release” in quite some time either) and now Lloyd Brown has obviously taken matters into his own hands and is releasing ”Cornerstone” on his own terms . . . in November.

I still don’t know what is going to be on ”Cornerstone”, however, I do now have an indication of who is going to be on the album alongside Brown. MOST interestingly is the fact that there is apparently a single song which features BOTH legendary UK chatter, Macka B, the mystical and wonderful UK based St. Lucian singer, Nereus Joseph who destroyed everything in site last year with his HUGE album, ”Real Rebels Can’t Die” AND (as if that weren’t enough) (and it were) both General Levy and Top Cat, two very solid UK veterans. I don’t know much about said tune, but I think it’s very safe to say that the quartet isn’t linking up to voice a remake of the classic ‘Yo Mama’s On Crack Rock’.

Not my Mama indeed

Also on board is some guy named Rodney P., another fellow (actually that could be a girl) by the name of Kjah, Hunt (don’t ask), Baby Boom (still don’t) and there’s the very interesting Hip-Hopper, Krytykal: The’ Problem who is clearly WICKED because he has both a colon AND an apostrophe in his name.

Also on board is the delightful Adele Harley who my readers will be most familiar with because we recently covered her solid debut album, ”Come Into My Life”, for Mafia & Fluxy.

And, speaking of producers, while Mafia & Fluxy aren't on the album (at least I don't think they are) I was happy to see that the lineup of maestros included the name Necessary Mayhem and Curtis ‘Da Grynch’ Lynch Jr. I don’t know which tune (or which riddim) the very strong label did for Lloyd Brown, but I do so much like the kind of combining of the two generations of UK Reggae - Lloyd Brown being a part of the ‘cornerstone’ and Lynch and co. definitely being the new kids in town. Also working here is Rootdown Records, which almost certainly ensures that ‘She Nah Easy’, Lloyd Brown’s healthy cut of the dazzling Ska-ish Kokoo Riddim, will be featured on the album. Lloyd Campbell of the venerable US based Lover’s Rock powerhouse, Joe Fraser Records, also does production on ”Cornerstone” as does, at least presumably, Lloyd Brown himself.

Yes. Now we know your secrets Mr. Brown . . . well, some of them

So with the album apparently good and finished, titled and covered. The only thing left is to have a listen to “Cornerstone” from Mr. Lloyd Brown, which you will join me in doing . . . in November. It isn’t like you have anything better to do.

'Shooting Star': A Review of the Ifficial Riddim by Various Artists

Streaks - both good and bad - Are things most often and generally associated with the world of sports. Be it a footballer who’s scored in x-amount of consecutive games or a basketball player who has missed so many consecutive free throws, I think that we’ve come to think of ’streaks’, ’runs’ or ’rolls’ mainly in the sporting sense. I, however, do believe in and maintain that that there is such a thing as ’musical momentum’, which is essentially another way of saying streaks in the musical world. In Reggae specifically momentum is a thing which, I feel, can manifest itself in a variety of different ways. For an artist, one could make the argument that their entire careers are little more than the combination of many different streaks and seeking some type of ultimate consistency is merely a matter of having far more good stretches in your career than bad. For example, the career of one [Baby] Cham is the streak of all streaks in regards to Dancehall. He goes from making ‘good’ and sometimes ‘exceptional’ music to . . . Not making much of anything at all and he’s ALWAYS done that, for his entire career - From the top of the charts and international success to a missing persons report. In terms of Roots Reggae music, things are only slightly different because that subgenre has seemingly made room for itself (and done so on a global level) and isn’t necessarily this ‘do or die’ battlefield that Dancehall tends to be in the most proverbial of senses (of course). Here we are inclined to see more consistency for artists, but staleness as well. We can currently look at someone like Chezidek who is probably enjoying not only the greatest level of popularity in his entire career, but also one of the greatest stretches of quality as well (and isn’t it so nice how the two combine at the very same time)?). On the opposite end of that same spectrum exists someone like a Turbulence whose supreme talent level almost ensures that any time he isn’t scoring hit after hit (and he isn’t and hasn’t been for quite some time), he’s experiencing quite the downturn. Now, if we take that phenomenon and apply it to an actual label then ‘all bets are off’ because a label has the ability to fuel these such stretches for artists and eliminate them as well and with that being said, I think I’ve managed to find a label on an absolute ROLL in the form of Itation Records.

If the Higher Meditation, the Show Love, the World Go Round and the Clearly (which no one ever sent to me. Ever) (wink wink) Riddims were any indications (and they are, in fact, the only indicators) of quality then Itation has been absolutely blazing from since I first heard of their name just a few years back. All were quality productions and would lead to very strong riddim albums showing, if nothing else, that the label clearly had an ear for top notch material and definitely had the wherewithal to put that material in the proper form and shine the proper light on it as well. Furthermore, when they weren’t doing riddim albums, Itation was busying themselves with a couple of album releases - Delly Ranx’ most unexpected ”Good Profile” and the exceptional ”Vizionary” album from VI Roots Reggae master, Ras Batch (who actually built the Higher Meditation Riddim, if I recall correctly) - Both of which managed to place them in an even higher standing in my opinion, despite the fact that I wasn’t and still am not a very big fan of Delly‘s. It is largely because of their highly dependable output, in such a brief time Itation Records has quickly managed to join others such as the powerhouse that is Lustre Kings Productions and Zion High Productions, as some of my favourite Stateside based Reggae producers going right now. And, although my loyalty (read: BIAS) ultimately does ride with LKP, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see Itation reach a point where it becomes highly debatable that they are THE number one label in the States, if we haven’t, already, reached that point. So, with all of that, you know that my eyes are going to jump in their general direction the next time Itation brought forth a project and said time has now arisen as the big and bad Ifficial Riddim has just been released. This HEAVY riddim was reportedly built by the same WICKED Tune In Crew from out of France who also crafted the World Go Round and Clearly Riddims (and also the same Tune In Crew who has worked extensively with Achis Reggae favourite, Sudanese born singer Dynamq) and it is a lovely composition. The riddim is this kind of ‘LARGE’ vibed one-drop riddim which, ostensibly, lends itself very easily to the vocalists. And speaking of those vocalists (although brief) (more on that in just a minute), for the most part Itation Records shows, once again, that when it comes to lining up big names and proper and fitting names to a project, they have very little in the way of equals. They also give a pretty nice mix of artists as well, ensuring that the project will nicely catch attention like mine and then give listeners a name or two to think of tuning in to in the future (hopefully on further Itation Riddims). It is also well worth mentioning that, like their previous work largely, the Ifficial Riddim ends up in due course producing songs which may have a genuine lasting appeal. For me, I look back at tunes such as Pressure (more on him a minute) alongside Norris Man on ‘When Your Time Is Up’ from the Show Love Riddim, Lutan Fyah’s ‘Trodding Alone’ from the same riddim and Sizzla’s ‘Goodness’ and Pressure’s dazzling ‘Ganja Make The World Go Round’ on the World Go Round Riddim which all have a significant enduring connection for me and stick out as moments on Itation Records riddims (and not to even mention Batch’s album - An album full of memorable moments) - And I found myself having that same feeling in regards to three or four songs on the Ifficial Riddim. By its end, the riddim proves to be yet another STRONG addition to the ever growing family . . . At least for as long as it lasts.

Okay, I’ll get the vast majority of what I do not like here out of the way right now - The riddim only has NINE vocal tracks. Coming after its older siblings who, at the least, had thirteen in the case of the World Go Round, I was pretty surprised and somewhat disappointed in just seeing that. What I most certainly wasn’t disappointed in was the opening tune on the Ifficial Riddim album from Itation Records, ‘Jah’ by Monsoon. I mentioned that there were “three or four songs” on the riddim which I felt could lay a lasting impression on its listeners and this is definitely one of them with the big ‘calling’ nature of the song it shows itself to be not only well educational, but damn entertaining as well. Monsoon’s is a name which is largely new to me, for the most part, particularly on this level, but I am now well interested to hear more from him, indeed. Next up is another of said three big tunes, ‘Watch Over My Soul’ from VI Reggae ace, Pressure Busspipe. I built this review on the premise of great streaks and clearly, in terms of Itation riddims, Pressure has been on a bit of a hot streak within a hot streak. He’s also, subsequently, become one of the genre’s most consistent and dependable lyricists in the meantime and what he delivers on this effort is nearly exceptional.

“For every seed I sow
For every that my locks grow
Most High watch over my soul
And restoreth my soul
For everything that I don’t know
Shine your light, let it be shone
Most High watch over my soul”

Finally of the opening lot is an artist with whom I am largely familiar based on his pieces on Itation riddims, Rocker T. His tune on the Ifficial Riddim, ‘No Surprise’ is another pretty nice song for the artist, although I’ tell you to, because of Rocker’s kind of ‘varied’ delivery on the tune, deal with it a bit before passing judgment, good or bad.

As with one or two of Itation’s previous riddims, I noticed that I had actually run into the Ifficial Riddim prior to the riddim album because the aforementioned Delly Ranx actually lined up a big tune on it for his debut album for Itation Records last year, ”Good Profile”, by the name of ’Rasta Nah Bow’. Just as it was there (I think it was the second best tune on that album), it is a real highlight here as well. In fact, it may even sound a bit better because I haven’t spun in it some time, but even if you’ve never heard it before, I’m sure it’ll be amongst the favourites of most on the riddim. The same could be said for ‘Your Love’ which comes from an artist who made his own debut earlier this year, Bescenta (on the increasingly solid ”Genuine“). He’s another name that has been enjoying a very nice stretch in his career and this tune, a lover’s piece, does nothing but help in that instance to my opinion. Also doing well enough is young veteran, Teflon, with ‘Know Your Own’. This tune doesn’t make such a HUGE impact in my opinion, but what I’ve began to notice in Teflon’s case is the exact opposite of what I previously thought - The more he does Roots type of music, the better he becomes at it and it isn’t necessarily a great idea for him to bring the fire EVERY TIME out. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Fiyah Binghi and because of that he becomes THE new artist that I take away from the Ifficial Riddim. His song, ’All My Life’ is surprisingly strong repatriation anthem which pretty much caught me off guard. Apparently Binghi is an artist from out of the Boston area in the States and I would REALLY be interested in hearing more from him in the future because this tune is well impressive.

The on song here that I don’t too much enjoy is ‘Backyard’ from Kali Blaxx. Blaxx, maybe for the rest of his career, is going to have a difficult time with the herbalist type of tune because of the EPIC ‘One Smoke’. Pretty much anything that he does is going to elicit a ‘he can do better’ type of a reaction from the masses.

From that extreme we go to the complete opposite with Reggae legend (I think “legend” is an appropriate title for him now) Anthony B who delivers what is the Ifficial Riddim’s biggest moment in my opinion, the closer ‘Outta Road’.

“You know si too much black hearse and black casket
Too much gangster, actors and actress
Man a bun di devil work weh dem ah practise
Nowadays, yute ah get dem bredda tun target”

The tune is an antiviolence/social commentary piece and it is just BIG. I’m already thinking that such a tune is probably ‘destined’ to go beneath the radars of most, but for everyone so inclined to take it as seriously as it is, for you (and me) is one of Anthony B’s best tunes in more than awhile. There’s also a clean version of the Ifficial Riddim included and it, once again, follows Itation’s ‘different’ exercise of just kind of randomly placing the instrumental track somewhere in the midst of the album and not as the last tune - I’m not complaining - It’s lovely wherever they put it.

Overall, this is very interesting. On one hand, Itation Records has set the bar SO HIGH with their other releases that the very fact that there’re nine tunes here kind of hinders the Ifficial Riddim to some extent, in terms of living up to those expectations. On the other, it is a beautiful riddim, there is big material here and I’m suspecting that the response amongst casual fans will be very strong and amongst some of the hardcore heads as well. So, while I’m not quite prepared to giving it the rousing endorsement which I’ve come to in the instances that “new Itation Riddim” makes it onto my players, what I will say is that the likelihood that anyone who has enjoyed the label’s output to date DISLIKES the Ifficial Riddim is officially at 0% as once again the Itation shows credible evidence for the existence of musical momen . . . You know what? I think I should forget all of that “streak” shit - Maybe that they just know what they’re doing. Well done.

Rated: 3.5/5
Itation Records/Zojak Worldwide
2010
Digital


Itation Records
Itation Records @ Myspace

Completely Random Thoughts Vol. 19: The Thank Yous

Yeah. So, I had a reader a few weeks back make a suggestion which I thought was pretty interesting - He thought that it would be a pretty cool idea if someone were to just begin a site which compiled liner notes of various Reggae albums. Of course that was one of the most wonderful ideas that I’d ever heard and while I probably couldn’t do that and maintain writing for this site (and United Reggae) (and that other site, whenever he links me back) (and taking over the world in general) to the degree which I currently do, I definitely took said idea and stuck it in the back of my mind (and I should definitely mention Daniel from VIReggae.com, because he does, in fact, do just that with the albums that he posts). And when I do such a thing it opens my mind for various ideas and I think I caught hold of a most interesting thought.

.Thank Yous.

Do you actually read these things when they’re attached to an album’s liner notes? In Reggae (at least by my immediate and most incomplete of research) it’s not every time that they are included (it isn’t even half the time) and when they are, it’s . . . Yeah, it’s just kind of there - Unless your name is in it, I can’t say that paying attention to the ’Thank You’ section is very crucial to your listening experience. However, if you do REALLY pay attention to that section, you will certainly find some most interesting material. While the very foundation of the section is kind of built upon being corny and sappy as hell (I.e. “I’d like to thank _____ for giving me the strength”), it is also somewhat revealing at times and what you also find out is that - Some people are just better than others at saying “THANK YOU” . . . or are they??? Let’s examine!

First of all, given the fact that I have somewhere in the neighbourhood of forty or so Sizzla albums, that’s where I started and lo and behold, Sizzla isn’t very fond of writing the section, despite the fact that he is an absolute genius with the word. So, it wasn’t too hard to see that he made his grandest effort to say thanks on an album which he, himself, produced, 2004’s underrated ”Life”.

"My heart is so filled with joy and there is no better way to share it but as with thee.

It is truly a blessing when sons and daughter of all nations can come together to give thanks to the MOST HIGH HAILE I KING SELASSIE I JAH RASTAFARI. Without JAH nothing is possible. He has blessed me at the beginning of this album and he is continually here with me.

Special thanks to my parents who have guided me throughout most of my life and it is because of them that I can accomplish my dreams. Also to my wife and children who have watched me work day and night. Seeing them grow motivates me more to work harder, I love you all.

To all the musicians, engineers and producers who have worked with me throughout the years. I say much thanks to you all. This album is very special to me. I have put my heart and soul into writing this songs, truly this album is really the beginning of another era for me.

To my fans who have been on the journey with me from day one and who are still here JAH knows I am really grateful. I say thanks to you all, you have truly inspired me to go on, no matter the crisis of the time - let’s keep da fire burning. For those who are pursuing their goals, remember, quitting is never an option, a quitter is never a leader but a follower.

You can be anything you want to be. Just make sure to find out who you really are and not what someone else wants you to be. Then set your goals and work towards them. When things get rough say a prayer and continue on your journey and you PREVAIL. In everything you do remember always put the MOST HIGH FIRST. Remember we are the pillars of the EARTH, love is honour and respect is the foundation.

We are the sons and daughters of HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY HAILE SELASSIE I and with the unified strength of us as a people, a nation and as one human family we will survive and strive.

For the people of the Earth thanks a lot . . . blessings flow.

JAH BLESS YOU

SIZZLA"

Sappy, like I said. Sizzla would later go downright biblical on 2006’s ”Ain’t Gonna See Us Fall” album.

"HOLY EMANUEL I JOHN MARCUS I JAH RASTAFARI DELIVER ME FROM MINE ENEMIES. I MOST HIGH GOD. DEFEND ME FROM THEM THAT RISE UP AGAINST ME. DELIVER ME FROM THE WORKERS OF INIQUITY. AND SAVE ME FROM THE BLOODY MEN. FOR. LO. THEY LIE IN WAIT FOR MY SOUL: THE MIGHT GATHERED AGAINST ME: NOT FOR MY TRANSGRESSION NOR FOR MY SIN. O LORD.

THEY RUN AND PREPARE THEMSELVES WITHOUT MY FAULT: AWAKE TO HELP ME, AND BEHOLD.

THOU THEREFORE, O LORD GOD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, AWAKE TO VISIT ALL THE HEATHEN: BE NOT MERCIFUL TO ANY WICKED TRANSGRESSORS. SELAH HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY HAILE SELASSIE I, TEACHETH MY VOICE TO CHANT FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SO THAT A BOW OF STEEL IS BROKEN BY WORDS AS YOU STRENGTHENED DAVID TO CONQUER SAUL STRENGTHEN MY HAND OVER MY ENEMIES.

YOU ARE MY ROCK, MY SHIELD AND BUCKLER; THE LIGHT OF THE INVERSE IS JAH IN HIS HOLY HABITATION.

I WILL SING OF THEY POWER: YEAH SING ALOUD OF THY MERCY IN THE MORNING: THOU HAST BEEN MY DEFENSE AND REFUGE IN THE DAY OF MY TROUBLE KALONGI, KALONJI* FOR-IVER

DEFINITION: VICTORY"

Sizzla's also fond of thanking Mamma

Some of the better Thank You sections that I found happen to come from pretty new albums. Romain Virgo’s for instance are not only pretty well done and concise, but the way they’re set up on the page is pretty nice as well.

"A popular Jamaican proverb states that “No man is an Island, no man stands alone”. Therefore I would like to use this medium to express my deepest of gratitude, to all the persons who made this album possible.

Firstly I must acknowledge the Creator for blessing me with the talent and resources to make this album a success. Special thanks to the Producers, Donovan Germain from Penthouse Productions, Darwin Brown and Omar Brown from Vikings Production, Shane Brown from Juke Boxx Productions and lastly Dayan Foster from Pete Music.

Special thanks also to all the Musicians who assisted in making the tracks.

At last but by no means least a big thank you to all family, friends, supporters, friends of the media and well wishers, who continued to support Romain Virgo because your encouragements were very vital in my success. Thank you all!!!"

Then there was Duane Stephenson from his recent ”Black Gold” album. Most interestingly, Stephenson mentions Tarrus Riley (who isn’t on the album), obviously and unsurprisingly the two have become very good friends.

"IT’S BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE THE JOURNEY TO AND FROM AUGUST TOWN AND IT’S BEEN SUCH A WONDERFUL AND ENLIGHTING ONE. I HAVE COME SO FAR AND BEEN TO SO MANY PLACES, SOME I NEVER EVEN KNOW EXSISTED UNTIL NOW BUT THIS JOURNEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE ALONE SO FRO THIS REASON I WILL BEGIN TO THAKN THE MANY WHO HELPED ALONG THE WAY. FIRST I MUST THANK THE LORD GOD CREATOR OF ALL, MY MOTHER PATRICIA RUTHERFORD STEPHENSON AND FATHER NORMAN STEPHENSON FOR THEIR LOVE AND GUIDANCE OVER THE YEARS, MR. WARD MILLS AND SANDRA CLUNE FOR ALWAYS BEING APART OF MY EDUCATION, MISS KATHY LEVY, RONNIE NASRALLA AND THE MANY MEMBERS OF STAFF AND TEACHERS AT THE LITTLE PEOPLE AND TEEN PLAYERS CLUB, MY BROTHERS FROM TO-ISIS ROBERT MORGAN, RICHARD MORGAN, R. WILLIAMS, K. WEBB, D. SINCLAIR AND R. LEWIS, NANCY DAVIS OF MOTREVIL AGENCY, THE STAF AND CREW AT GRAFTON MUSIC AND TUFF GONG STUDIOS, MY BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER TARRUS RILEY FOR HIS SUPPORT, THAMAR WILLIAMS FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME, RAS SHILOH, QUEEN IFRICA, GRAMPS MORGAN, MUTABARUKA FOR THEIR PRESENCE ON THE ALBUM, S. LEWIS, M. SOLOMON, B. SOLOMON, M. BRADFORD FOR LENDING THEIR PENS, ALL THE MUSICIANS FOR THEIR TALENTS, ALL MY MANY FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS FOR THE SUPPORT, THE VP RECORDS FAMILY AND ALL DISC-JOCKS, SELECTOR’S AND MEDIA PERSONNELS LAST AND GREATEST MY FRIEND, ADVISER PRODUCER AND CORNER STONE OF ALL MY ALBUMS MR. DEAN FRASER THANKS TO YOU ALL AND GOD’S RICHES

BLESSINGS . . . DUANE STEPHENSON."

After those I remembered one of my favourites from the past. Pressure Busspipe from his debut album, ”The Pressure Is On”. He almost certainly remembered EVERYONE.

"Greetings in the name of His Own Divine Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I 1st.

“The task is great. It demands wise judgment and statesmanship of the highest order. It requires unceasing labor and dedication of fundamental principles and objectives, and a determination to overcome all obstacles, however large. He who suffers conquers, and in the final resort, wins the Crown of Victory.

Emperor Haile Selassie 1st.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

• My parents Carol Peterson-Brown & Irvin D. Brown for your constant guidance, demonstration of love and the strong foundation you’ve given me throughout my life. Thank you for being there. “Love You MAMA”
• My many many friends and family members, who taught me both great and small things.
• My son Delyno, Jakeem and Angela for giving me that extra spark in my life.
• My manager “Tony Blacks” who inspired me to pursue my maximum potential which has carried me thus far.
• My producers Dean Pond & Eno for working diligently and professionally with me to produce this masterpiece.
• Glenn Washington for showing I nuff love and respect. Blessed love.
• Cheikh Ahmed Fall for shining the light for the world to see that I can achieve my goals.
• My housing community massive: Ghettos, Housing, 215, Round De Fiels, Savan, Kirwin Terrace, Bovoni, Smith Bay, Star Lion Family, Black Juice Records, Lava House, Calquohoun, Kennedy, De Chabert, Princess, Williams Delight, Fish Market, Golden Grove Soldiers, Pine Peace, Forward To Your Roots Restaurant, Wild Fire Management, & Star Fish Market, Blessed Love.
• All Virgin Island disc jockeys, Pappy Pops, Red Lion, Wardadli, Avalanch, King Animosity, Zion Roots, After Dark, Mountain Lion, Adonai, and all the radio stations throughout the world for playing my music.
• Nough respect goes out to Midnight Band, I Gape Production and Bamboo Station.

In remembrance of my aunt Diana Robles and my falling brethren: Lion Riza Blade and Jah Jah."

And of course we can’t ignore the Dancehall. One of the most memorable crop of Thank Yous came from group TOK on their own debut album, ”My Crew, My Dawgs” from 2001 (I just about teared up when I saw that this album came out NINE FUCKING YEARS AGO) (SHIT AM I THAT OLD!). They say your standard stuff, but in really nice detail and they also offer THE line of this entire post, the final one, to former members - Hilarious.

"Collectively TOK would like to thank everybody that has made this possible. Firstly Richard “Shams” Browne aka Slash manager/producer/bass player/DJ, Tony ‘CD’ Kelly and the LOY crew, J.T. Rummy and the 303 crew, Danny Browne and the Main Street Crew, Shaggy & the Big Yard crew, Salaam Remi, Dave Kelly and the Madhouse gang, Jeremy Harding, Donovan Germaine, Michelle Lin our project manager and the VP Records Crew. Big up Sly & Robbie (for being the first to actually produce TOK). Earl and the Cactus massive, Steven Greig, all the disc jockeys that have been promoting and playing TOK from the state, especially those from RJR, Fame, Irie Jam, Hot 97, WLIB. Big up also CVM, TVJ, X News, Observer, Gleaner massive, David Rodigan for keeping us blazing in England, Lennox Barnes from Meoshe for keeping us in the hottest gear, our favorite promoters White Lightning (LA), Lecturer (CT) and Bugsy Bam Bam (a kill we fi kill yuh ; ), Ras Kassa and Kevin Lee- big time video directors and all the sound systems. Last but not least all of the gangsta dem who bus dem gun for TOK instead of at othes, especially common man dem for watching our heads all those late nights at Main Street Studios. Oh yeah and thanks to Marcus Vaughn, King, Kevin, Adam and anyone else who was in TOK but left, thanks a lot the money split’s a lot better now."

Beenie Man also had a nice section on his last studio album, ”Undisputed”.

"THANK YOU FROM BEENIE MAN TO MOTHER LILETH, MY BROTHER ROHAN “BLUE” SMITH, MY CHILDREN DIESHA-GAYE, ASHLEY, CRYSTAL, MOSES JUNIOR, MY SHOCKING VIBES FAMILY, JEAN GRANT, STEPHANIE TAYLOR, TRUDY ROSS, DIONNE WATT, ANDRE SUTHERLAND, ALEXIS ZAIDIE, ORAL GYLES, JODI DIXON, JANET BROWN, GEORGE PENDERGARST, ANN-MARIE LOPEZ, RALSTON “KEVIN” MCKENZIE, DEXTON MCKENZIE, PATRICK ROBERTS, CLYDE MCKENZIE, TANTO METRO & DEVONTE, KIRK DAVIS, SILVER CAT, JOHN HYPE, MR. BALANCE, TWIGGI, ADMIRAL BAILEY, PATCHY, SHAD DU, MONEY GAD, NESBETH, X-ALE, BRILLIANT, FLAWLESS, KITTY PAW, SHOTTA, LAPPA LENG, Q, MY BDAND RUFF KUTT KREW, TREVOR BONNICK, NIGEL STAFF, DONOVAN BELNAVIS, PAUL GREEN, RICARDO DAVIS, PATRICK CLARKE, ANDREW THOMAS, MY NEW LABEL MAFIA HOUSE PRODUCTIONS, D’ANGEL & DON MAFIA.

MY U.S. MANAGEMENT TEAM EMPIRE ARTIST MANAGEMENT, PATRICK MOXEY, TRAVIS MCFETRIDGE, MY LEGAL TEAM JAY QUATRINI, RUPERT SPRAWSON, THE AGENCY GROUP, PETER SCHWARTZ, DANGAZONE CREW, ALL FEATURED ARTISTS ON THIS ALBUM, AKON, BROOKE VALENTINE, VOLTIO, RANDY, LADY SAW, ALL PRODUCERS ON THIS ALBUM, TONY KELLY, DON CORLEON, TROYTON RAMI, SCOTT STORCH, DJ GIANN, FIRE LINKS, MARLON ‘PYRANA’ COOKE, GAVIN BLAIR, JOHN JOHN, SUPA DUPS, FREE WILLY, THE ENTIRE VIRGIN RECORDS STAFF, JERMAINE DUPRIM JASON FLOM, JEFF KEMPLER, PHIL WILD, LEE TRINK, SEAN MOSHER-SMITH, KATE MCGREGOR GLENN DELGADO, RODNEY SHEALEY, JULIETTE JONES, CORD HIMELSTEIN, AMANI DUNCAN, LAWRENCE GROTTS, ALEXANDRA KUSHEL, DJ ENVY, TIKKE CHANEY, DOMINIC PANDISCIA, MATT BUDD, TANIQUA DUTTON, MELISSA VICTOR, NATHAN SHEARD, ERICK VAN TUYL, BRIAN POSTELLE, LIONEL RIDENOUR, JENNIFER MCDANIELS, ANDREA KLINE, DONNA GRYN, JASON MCFADDEN, HILARY SHAEV, RONETTE BOWIE, MICHELLE RYANG, LAUREL DANN, AARON CAD, LARS MURRAY, SCHERIE MURRAY, LILIANA VARELA, NOREAGA, Lil X, JONATHAN MANNON, APARTMENT ONE, LIZA LOWINGER, SPENCER BAGLEY, ED HARDY AND ADIDAS.

MOST IMPORTANTLY THIS ALBUM IS DEDICATED TO MY FANS AROUND THE WORLD WHO H AVE FOLLOWED ME THROUGH THE YEARS AND TO ALL OF THE NEW FANS I WILL ENCOUNTER. THANK YOU."

As did Kartel on his album, ”Up 2 Di Time”. It wasn’t lengthy at all, but he covered all the bases I believe.

"Big Up God, Di boss;

Big Up my Mother, Father, Sisters & Javani My Brother who are my inspiration; Big Up my son Jaheim who is my life & Shorty who is my wife; Don Corleon is #1 in production

Coolface, Diggy, Bishop, di whole Vendetta Alliance; Trevor “Baby G” James, “Lenky” Marsden, Butler my Manager, Firelinks, Cellblock & Singa Blinga a.k.a. “Don’t Play”, Roach, Super Lez, D.J. Wayne from Irie FM, Digital Cris, Arif Cooper, Big Eye Liquid, Sunshine & di whole Radio Thingy. Last but not least di fans in the stands - I love you till di End of Time.

Thanks

Vybz Kartel"

Also keeping it short and to the point was Buju Banton on last year’s ”Rasta Got Soul” album.

"GIVE THANKS TO THE MOST HIGH GOD, MY MOTHER, MY FATHER, MY CHILDREN. SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL THE MUSICIANS WHO CONTRIBUTED THEIR TALENTS.

JAH BLESS. -BB"

Also sticking relatively short was Prince Theo on ”Set The Captives Free” (and for everyone who gets tired of me mentioning this album apparently Ernie B has it RIGHT NOW basically for absolutely free).

"First of all I give thanks to our creator, using I as his instrument to spread the message of love and to share the gift of music with the world. For with you almighty Father all things are possible and without you there’s nothing that can be done. Thank’s to the family mum and dad (Cecile Peart, Headly Bailey), my 7 sisters, Isharnie, Kayon and my son Ajaye, trinity records, the Burkhalter family, Anuksha, Mark Wonder, M.Moore, Jil and Stuff, Sipho, Tuba , Fire Lion, Asher, Boris, Pat, Thom, Kadian, Taffari, Barry O’Hare, Rohan Dwyer, the Graf family, Rene, Mike Pacaud, Giddeon souljers, African soul, Jah children, all bredrens from Bath and fans all over the world.

“I always thank to the Father for his blessing - both musically and spiritually . . .”

May JAH bless you all, til Shilo . . . Prince Theo"

Soca? Soca you say???

The coolest round of Thank Yous that I found on an immediately available Soca album were from Bunji Garlin’s debut album, ”The Chronicles”. However, they were hand written and I couldn’t decipher that shit.

Still, with all of that being said. It is crystal clear who the KING of Reggae Thank Yous is because Junior Kelly rules the category with an IRON FIST. First of all, there’s his opus, ”Love So Nice”.

"Give thanks for the inspiration from the Almighty Jah Rastafari. His name is terrible and dreadful amongst men. Give thanks for the inspiration from Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Ken Booth, Israel Vibration, Dennis Brown, Luciano, Burning Spear and the Abbyssians.

Give thanks to Mama and Daddy for their undying love for each other. Their love has inspired my undying love for life and Reggae music. Give thanks for Eva Barrett and to my brother Derrick for not giving up on himself and for supporting the music, to my children Niky, Shades, Deidre, Jamal, Iesha and Carol - remember to study your books and respect your elders.

What must I say about friends? True friends do not have ulterior motives, an extra buck to gain; true friends do not ride on anothers gravy train. They speak the truth and do not lie. True friends are few and foes are many. True friends do not leave you stranded when you do not have a penny. True friends I have, at least I thinks so. I will call their names without further adieu: Shane Brown, an engineer who cannot be tamed, Mattic and Ranco, just the same because they have been around since I was dust, so if I can’t trust them now, who can I trust? Give thanks for Rohan, Carol, Nikko, Wayne, Igina, Jah Mikes, Fathead, Soya and Fisha. Give thanks to Dingie, Frankie, Marie, Rasta Keith and the rest of Front Page. These Liner notes would not mean a thing, it would lose its entire luster and it would lose all its sting if I did not mention this magnificent source of strength, Ms. Wainwright. Give thanks.

Rastafari."

Then, most curiously, take a careful look at the sections appearing on the ”Smile” and ”Tough Life” albums, respectively.

"First and foremost, I would like to give Thanks & praises to the most high , His Imperial Majesty King Haile Selassie I without whom this album would not be possible. He has humbly blessed me with this abundance of talent and lyrics.

Some elders warned me that there would be stumbling blocks in my way and that the road would be rocky, but they never said how rocky or how many stumbling blocks there would be. Thankfully, I have been able to overcome them all and the manifestation of this album is a testament to overcoming one of the major stumbling blocks. I would not have been able to do this without the help of my family and true friends, Dusty Bug Out, Otis C, Cootan, Fleshy, to name a few, who stood by me when the chips were low and gave me the vibes and the inspiration to write these songs and believe in myself and my artistic abilities.

My brother, Jim, for steering me along this path. I am sorry you were not here to see it and for us to do it together. I know we would be jumping over those stumbling blocks much quicker and easier. Mama and daddy, for the love, strength, understanding and encouragement you have given me over the years. You are my tower of strength.

My children, Nicki, Shades, Ayeshia, Jamal and Deidre, all of this is for you. You are my driving force, you give me the strength to get up, no matter how hard it may be to face today, and you strive for success. So please work hard and study your books so that you may have the choices I never had.

To producers, engineers, musicians and backing vocalists who worked on all the tracks on this album. Continue to believe in the music.

VP records for continuing to support and believe in Junior Kelly, and your efforts in the success of my career.

Remember promotion is the key and if you believe in it, together we can make it happen!!!

The fans and disc jockeys who continue to listen and play Junior Kelly I am eternally grateful. Continue to keep it real. there is a message in the music and I will always to try to prepare the correctly prescribed dosage of musical healing. As one co-worker would say “you got to be true to yourself”.

I hope you will all love this one and just “Smile”.

Blessed love,

Junior Kelly"

"The title of this album is a true testament of my life and the many stumbling blocks I have encountered along the way but thanks to the almighty, my family, friends and the fans, they never allowed me to give up. This album will take you through the many moods of Junior Kelly and his life’s struggles as a rastaman trying to make it in an industry that is so corrupt where everyone is always trying to exploit you and your talent. Again, I would not have been able to do this without the help of my family and true friends, Dusty, Bug Out, Fleshy, to name a few, who always stand by me when the chips are low and continue to give me the vibes and the inspiration to write these songs and believe in myself and my artistic abilities.

My brother Jim, continue to be my guiding light always steering me to be the best that I can be. I miss you.

Mama and daddy, for the love, strength, understanding and encouragement you have given me over the years. You are my tower of strength.

My children, Nicki, Shades, Ayeshia, Jamal, Deidre and Axum, all of this is for you. You are my driving force, you give me the strength to get up, no matter how hard it may be to face today, and strive for success. So please work hard and study your books so that you may have choices I never had.

To producers, engineers, musicians and backing vocalists who worked on all the tracks on this album. Continue to believe in the music.

Downsound Records and Joe, management, for believing in me, together we will make it happen.

VP Records for continuing to support and believe in Junior Kelly, and your efforts in the success of my career. Remember promotion is the key and if you believe in it, we must achieve!!!

The fans and disc jockeys,who continue to listen and play Junior Kelly I am eternally grateful. Continue to keep it real. there is a message in the music and I will always to try to prepare the correctly prescribed dosage of musical healing. As one co-worker would say “you got to be true to yourself”.

I hope you will all love this one and just “Smile”.

Blessed love,

Junior Kelly"

And finally, it comes down to what reigns supreme as THE Thank You section of 2010. Junior Kelly’s most twisting and somewhat brilliant, ”Red Pond”.

"Greetings one and all:

Special thanks to those who would even care to read the maze which is the thoughts of a humble Reggae artiste from a little rock situated in the Caribbean called Jamaica.

So my fans, brothers and sisters please be seated, arms and legs inside at all times and be prepared to be blown away by a roller coaster ride called faith, hope, love, hate, corruption, betrayal, triumph, strength and before I run out of paper, let me stop there.

I have been abused, disrespected, but did I take it, NO!!!

I have been laughed at and ridiculed but did I vent my anger in public, NO!!!

If the course is to be stayed, the Captain must never be afraid. He must take the blame like a good leader should and share the spoils but not the pain, because if the course is to be stayed, sacrifices have to be made, but as an artiste and I am sure a lot of other artistes can relate, that being a dad and an artiste is the ultimate high wire juggling act. So, as a Captain, the ultimate sacrifice is the thing we have always been short of, and as kind as we are we will never have enough to share, and that is TIME.

So to all the people I have helped, the children I have fathered, the people I have met, all the lives I have changed, all the hearts I have broken, all the smiles I have made happen, all the people who have comforted me, the people I have comforted, all the people who have been kind to me in this village called Reggae, and all the people who have been a perpetual thorn in my side with their only wish to have me pinned to a corner at the edge of a blade, spending so much time to destroy individuals, they have turned it into a career. So to all who have loved me, I thank you for your care and kindness, it has kept me going over the years. TO all who have hated me for whatever reason, I am sorry it must have been a misunderstanding. It my apology is not enough, please grow up and move on, don’t take every move someone makes and every breath someone takes personally.

I am here to win and I am sure the feeling is mutual, but I am a man of principles, I have boundaries, I love the world and my greatest wish is that the world loves me back!!!

RED POND, the album is out, please help me to make it what is supposed to be, a symbol of Hope, Freedom, Love and Strength!!!

Blessed Love

Junior Kelly"

So, maybe the next time you pick up a new album, you'll pay special attention to what is certainly one of the least attention grabbing sections of it - The 'Thank You' section.

{note: I typed all of these by hand and although I certainly made some of my own typos, the typos that I noticed, I intentionally left them in}
{note 2: In no way, shape or form am I making fun of any of this material}

The Vault Reviews: "Unchangeable" by Danny I

“So Achis - What are you listening to?” That is probably the most consistently asked question that I encounter through doing this here musical-like thing and I’m almost sure it’s so for most heavy music fans, regardless of genre. The asker of said question, at least presumably, is doing the same thing I’m indirectly doing each and every Sunday when I ask you wonderful girls and boys for ‘beautiful tune’ submissions - Looking for something to add to his/her/my own musical rotation. So, when I answer this question (and you’ll notice that this word also comes up when I ask it), I try to do so in the most obscure way possible. For example, if you ask me what I’m listening to at this very moment, there’s a Sean Paul tune that I’ve been playing quite often and there’s an old full album from the late and great Hugh Mundell that has also been doing a major damage around these parts as well - So I’m going to respond, most likely by mentioning the Mundell album. Anyway, over the years I’ve well noticed that, in such cases, mentioning certain artists definitely has caused a lot of reaction and some time will go by and the person asking the question will eventually come back to the conversation, having done their research, and want to learn more about these particular names. One such artist has definitely been Ras Attitude. Although I don’t have these moments much anymore (because Attitude has subsequently . . . Exploded), I can remember personally telling so many people about this incredibly talented artist from out of St. Croix who wasn’t registering on the same levels of popularity of people like Midnite and even Pressure and NiyoRah at the time (more on him later), but definitely was one of the big time up and comers. Oddly enough, both Pressure and NiyoRah also had their moments when they elicited such a strong reaction (as did the whole of the Star Lion Family for that matter, especially Ickarus after his album dropped). The point here, if you haven’t noticed, is that when you get into more of the Virgin Islands Reggae scene, it still has somewhat of a captivatingly mysterious feel to it in the sense of trying and really wanting to learn more and more. And even when you detach it from the particulars of listening to an artist or some artists specifically and say, ‘I’ve been listening to a lot of Reggae from the Virgin Islands’; very consistently people will want to learn more.

So, if I’ve managed to explain that to any level of clear and even remotely perceptible rationale (unlikely), then this next part will make very good sense. ‘Behind the scenes’ of this often wonderfully mysterious music exists a level of mystery even within that and there belongs such a powerful, yet criminally underknown artist as St. Croix singer, Danny I. The fact that I know barely a damn thing about Danny I almost makes it even more interesting that I’ve been listening to and thoroughly enjoying his music for years at this point and the next time he brings something (whatever it may be), if I’m still on the planet, I’m still going to be interested. Why? Why would I be so interested in this artist who most people don’t even know? Well besides the fact that it’s just what I do - There’s also the ‘teeny tiny’ detail that Danny I just so happens to be the creator of one of the greatest songs I have EVER heard in my entire life. That tune could be found (good luck with that) on his virtually vanished debut album, ”Jah Fury” from around the turn of the century - ‘Lion As A Ruler’. . . Should you ever require the site of a large grown man crying like a small child, all you need to do is to play this song in my presence and it is a wrap! This song was SO BEAUTIFUL and so MOVING that all of these years later, playing it for the sake of this very review and I still need to take moments hear and there and I’m tearing up and smiling all the while! The balance of that album was also pretty good and Danny I, although largely inactive, did appear on various compilations through the years (perhaps most notably on Bambú Station’s excellent ”Talkin’ Roots Vol. 2”) (and of course he was also on the brilliance that was ”Joyful Noise” but that was later), but for the most part, while Reggae music from out the Virgin Islands was proverbially ‘blowing up’ worldwide Danny I wasn’t reaping the rewards as were so many of his compatriots and brethren. That was, of course, until late in 2007 when, VERY surprisingly, the dominant label of the subgenre, I Grade Records jumped up and released Danny I’s sophomore album, ”Unchangeable”. I can recall being literally SHOCKED to see that this album was actually coming through I Grade and I was still somewhat surprised that the singer was releasing any album for that matter as although, as I said, he was still fairly active, I just wasn’t seeing planets and stars aligning for him to be releasing an album at that time. Thankfully, however, Danny I and Laurent ‘Tippy’ Alfred and co. at the label didn’t let my thoughts damper neither the occasion nor the initial idea. And what they did with the ”Unchangeable” album ended up not only being a strong album (that was almost certain), but one which certainly helped to give Danny I a much much needed boost in terms of not necessarily popularity (although that surely is a part of it and it goes without saying in my opinion), but just being able to give people something uniquely his with which to associate the name. So, while Danny I definitely remains one of the (if not THE) most talented lesser known artists on the Virgin Islands’ Reggae scene, there now exists a READILY AVAILABLE piece of music that can be, at the very least, referred to by people like you and me in conversation. Fortunately the album proved to be more than just a conversation piece by its end and was actually a better complete body of work than ”Jah Fury”.

In terms of his actual sound, the easiest and clearest comparison to make is with [Ras] Army. The very well known Army is, at least in part, well regarded for his very smooth and mellow vocal style, which is very similar to Danny I’s (and the two used to sing in a group together to my knowledge and are good friends). On top of that, as is shown throughout both of his albums, Danny I is an EXCEPTIONAL lyricist, so you are going to well want to pay attention here as he tackles many diverse subjects. You can begin to tune in on the very first tune on Danny I’s album, ”Unchangeable” from I Grade Records, ’In Order To Live Up’. This tune I can remember taking a little while to grow on me because with its very minimalist sound (but LOVELY so), it doesn’t leap out at you sonically. However, it changes into this gorgeous multi-dimensional piece when you take in the message of what Danny I is saying - That in order to truly live up we must do so within the comfort of His Majesty. The tune is definitely one for the keenest of listeners, but such fans will, like me, think it golden. Next in is a similarly described tune, but one which has more of an audio PUNCH to it, ‘Bow Dem Face’. This one is primarily about people who are living wrong and KNOW that they are living wrong and must, literally and figuratively I suppose, bow their heads in shame in the presence of The King. At this point in the album a very unique quality of Danny I’s begins to show itself and it’s one which definitely appears in much of his output. Instead of doing the kind of condemning type of ‘fire bun’ type of Reggae (and you know who my favourite artist is, so obviously I have no problem with that), he tends to kind of ‘report’ on what others are doing, which is so simple that it’s strange to a degree. It’s definitely something which you have to listen for, but in doing so, again, it’s very unique. Lastly of the opening batch (biggup Batch) is the album’s title and finest tune altogether.

“Well it was an elder that once told me that life was unchangeable
And even though it was made up of changes
These changes never change
That’s what the elder said”

“He said, that life was just a state of mind
Within a state of mind
Within an endless space of time
You’ve got to try get yours
Try get mine
We’ve got help each other by
Or you won’t make it in life
Or I won’t make it in life”

This song is and has been for the better part of the last three years since I first heard it, absolutely STERLING! It misses no point, it comes through sounding like a song that spent YEARS in the ‘developmental stages’ and it also comes courtesy of the old Studio 340 boys, Dean Pond and Eno Stafford. HUGE HUGE tune!

Of course I could be wrong, but I think that the two combinations on ”Unchangeable” are likely the first two I ever heard Danny I featured on. I Grade brings in two of the biggest as well with which the singer works, NiyoRah and Vaughn Benjamin from Midnite. The former features on the very slow and somewhat melancholy ‘Old Time Something’ latter guests on the later tune ‘New Jerusalem’ which . . . Sounds like a Vaughn Benjamin tune. Surprisingly, while the first has always been one of my favourites on the album, I’m rather drawn to the very strange ‘New Jerusalem’, which goes in so many different directions in terms of its sound, alone, that it risks exhausting the listener, but my well overactive brain definitely enjoys the most educational and fascinating ride.

I know I harped on the fact that Danny I’s style is one which has much more of a ‘report’ type of style to it and much less of a condemning type of vibes, but for a moment when he does go in the more traditional direction, the results are quite dramatic. Take the high stepping ‘Redda Fyah’ for instance. This tune STILL doesn’t go as far as it could’ve (and as far as we’re used to), but it does mark a bit of a shift in the actual style of Danny I and features him doing more straight deejaying as well, which is impressive on the choruses. The SMOOTH tune which follows it, ‘Gone Away’ also has some of that same type of edge, but it is more of a twisting type of nature. This tune also happens to be one of the best written on the whole of ”Unchangeable”

“You park your *life* in your garage
And you get chased by entourage
Dat deh mek you think seh that you’re large
But you live in a mirage”

It has ALWAYS been the usage of the word “life” in this instance which has gripped my thoughts because it’s such a STRONG and inventive way to say that certain people place too much importance into material items, without actually coming out and saying it simply and it’s just amazing writing to my opinion. Another of my favourites is definitely the jazzy love song, ‘Driving Force’. This one definitely isn’t your ‘standard’ love song as it never really goes into the ‘oh baby baby I love you’ type of vibes but instead, what it does is speak to the Woman being the anchor typing of figure to life, which is a well refreshing take. ‘In This Jungle’ is a tune whose vibes, alone, make me SMILE! Every time I hear this song it just lightens the mood and I definitely would love the opportunity to see if performed live someday, but just on form, it’s well powerful. One could very well make the case that the later tune, ‘Seek Zion’ is the second best tune on the whole of the album because it is that strong to my ears. The tune is, very cleverly, about self-improvement and self-betterment to my idea. Danny I uses these HUGE and EPIC type of connections such as, “seek Zion and they shall stumble at your feet”, but I think that what he means is that - Upon seeking His Majesty your life will go ‘up’, metaphorically speaking. It is a very DEEP and meditative tune and with vibes like this, I’m sure it is serving as the backdrop of much powerful thoughts (such as the very large one you’re currently involved in).

While the first half of ”Unchangeable” showcases much of the top material here, the second half and latter stages of the album is also very very interesting and more than adequate on its own merits. Besides ‘Seek Zion’ and ‘New Jerusalem’, another big big tune is ‘See Dem A Come’. This one is also very interesting because I noticed immediately that it rides the very same riddim as one of my favourite Midnite tunes, ‘Again A Lion’, from the ”Rule The Time” album. And speaking of interesting, of course, later comes in ‘Recuerdo De Ayer’, which is completely in Spanish (and I believe Danny I has Puerto Rican heritage) (biggup Malika Madremana), thus making me dust off and dig out University Spanish. The best two tunes of the final lot are clearly right in the middle of it, ‘Bow To The Scepter’ and ‘Weak At The Foundation’. The first of the two sounds like some sort of tune from a gangster movie and, again, it features very interesting lyricism as Danny I speaks of those who refuse to “bow to the scepter” as those who fight against righteousness and fight against His Imperial Majesty. ‘Weak At The Foundation’ is even stronger and, as far as the message it kind of builds on the previous tune - Speaking to those who don’t necessarily have their affairs in order.

“To the father, who neglects his role as such in this world
To the mother, who neglects her child for the love of a man
To the child, who has all of these burdens to bare
Can we blame them before we blame ourselves?”

This mighty selection rather easily becomes one of the undeniable highlights of the album and does so very quickly. ‘Pay’in Full’ is the only soft spot on the album to my opinion. The tune sounds EXACTLY like something from Vaughn Benjamin’s vault and while I’ve just gotten use to such cryptology from Benjamin (mind you, I said “gotten use to” and not “like”), I haven’t in Danny I’s case and hopefully I never will. And lastly, ”Unchangeable” comes to its end with the very fitting ‘Grateful For Life’, which is a tune for Eddie Beazer, a producer for Danny I, who actually produced this very song who had transitioned. The tune has one of the most remarkable sounds on the entire album, so despite the fact that it isn’t very much of a lyrical piece, it is downright dazzling and sonically speaking, maybe the single greatest moment on the whole of the album.

Overall, Danny I very much remains a very nice mystery to most listeners, a very short three years on from this release and you know what? I don’t think that it’s necessarily a bad thing in his case. Not that I’m sure he wouldn’t be all in favour of an even higher profile (I’m sure it would certainly do wonders for the food on his table), but as a musician and a singer he seems rather content to kind of pop up ‘here and there’ and I can think of a few different VI artists who kind of fit into a similar standing (like Sistah Joyce). In the case of Danny I, however, the most wonderful piece of information which encapsulates what he does is the fact that it is almost guaranteed that, whenever he is called upon, he will DELIVER. That was the case on ”Jah Fury”, wherever that album may now exist in the annals Reggae music history and it is even more so the case on ”Unchangeable” - A very strong album which put a face on one of the VI’s most special hidden talents - Danny I.

Rated: 4.35/5
I Grade Records
2007
CD & Digital


Danny I @ Myspace