"Path To Success" by Torch [Bad-Hasai Muzyk - 2026]
First up is an impressive EP from an impressive artist; both, currently, receiving an impressive amount of attention as Torch touches with "Path To Success". Torch always seems like he has something going on. It may not be "front page news" but he's always got his hands into something and I was so happy to see the early response to "Path To Success" because it appears that he may've leveled up to some degree with this one. Actually listening to it, I can see what the hype has been about. The first thing that likely jumps out at you is the artillery, in terms of guests, that Torch brings in. In just seven tunes here, Torch works alongside Junior Kelly, Gentleman and Turbulence; so, OBVIOUSLY, someone thought a lot of this project and put a great deal of effort (and money) into making it happen. All three guests turn in fine performances but, to my opinion, Junior Kelly (more on him in a second) stands the tallest as he joins on 'Perseverance', which is the single best thing that I hear on all of "Path To Success". Also check fine solo efforts, 'Don't Give Up' and 'Same Energy' (which is simply outstanding). There's some VERY impressive material on this one and I'm glad that the masses appear to agree.
The Resilience Riddim [Reggae Unite Records - 2025]
Biggup Reggae Unite Records who're back with their ambitious latest project, the Resilience Riddim. Two things about this one caught my attention even before I'd even heard anything from it: The first was the fact that included amongst the five vocal selections was one called 'Ask For' by none other than the ALWAYS welcomed (but damn near reclusive) Montserratian chanter Jah Marnyah. Anytime you attach Marnyah's name to a release, you got me! The other thing that was noteworthy was the fact that, accompanying the Resilience Riddim, was a simultaneously released dub version of the project, courtesy of Sound Guyz & Selekta Zalem. There is some BEAUTIFUL music on this combined set which is well worth a look and listen. Joining Jah Marnyah in handling the vocals are the likes of WELL ESTEEMED veteran, Prezident Brown, Teflon Young King (who is probably almost forty by now), the very young Jah Frozen and others. The Resilience Riddim is a very nice one that reached in late 2025 and figures to be on my players for a bit and should be the same for you as well.
"Rasta Should Be Deeper" by Junior Kelly [Cleopatra Records - 2025]
Kind of an odd one here but I remember seeing that Junior Kelly has a forthcoming remake of a big older tune of his by the name of 'Rasta Should Be Deeper' and I had no idea why and I also had no idea that it would be, essentially, the first single and title track off of a forthcoming album by the same name featuring several of Kelly's biggest tunes remade for someone named Cleopatra Records (had no idea who they were but they've apparently released this album on a BEAUTIFULLY packaged CD as well if you're still interested in physical media) (and you are). The remake/cover circuit in Reggae has never sat well with me. A few years ago, Luciano release such a set that turned out pretty bad. Back in da day, Bushman sang an album full of old Peter Tosh tunes and I was never a fan of Sanchez' CONSTANT singing of other people's songs with a Reggae washing. HOWEVER, perhaps (probably) due to the fact that I had no expectations AT ALL... "Rasta Should Be Deeper" was better than I was expecting... at least on the Reggae side. Along with redoing some of his own material such as the title track, 'Baby Can We Meet' and, of course 'Love So Nice'. Kelly also does some covers from other artists such as Bob's 'Could You Be Loved', 'Red Red Wine' from UB40 and Eddy Grant's 'Electric Avenue'. Now those??? They're pretty awkward at times but I'm still relatively happy with the Reggae side of "Rasta Should Be Deeper" (and biggup Eddy Grant).
"Tippy I Meets Nonpalidece: Hecho En Jamaica DuB" by Nonpalidece [Impronta Music - 2026]
Nonpalidece from out of Argentina teams up with the brilliant Tippy I of I Grade Records and the Zion I Kings to make one GORGEOUS piece of music (actually seven pieces) on "Hecho En Jamaica DuB". I won't make this too complicated: If you're looking for some really nice background (and I'm someone who plays music in my house when no one [HUMAN] is here because I think that the plants enjoy it) music, here's your perfect choice. If you want something just to relax to, here's your perfect choice. You want just some NICE sound?? HERE YOU GO! "Hecho En Jamaica DuB" is ABSOLUTELY LOVELY! Along with the instrumentals and production, you'll also recognize some of the vocalists as the likes of Lutan Fyah, Micah Shemaiah, Mykal Rose, Alborosie and others are featured as are the great Bongo Herman & the immortal Sly Dunbar.
"Better Days" by Chuck Fenda [5th Element Records - 2004]
I'll spare you the details (at least for now) but Chuck Fenda has been back on my radars as of late courtesy of one Jah Garvey (something coming soon) and, STILL, in my opinion Fenda's finest piece of work and the one I most often go back to is his BEAUTIFUL 5th Element produced set, "Better Days" (I hesitate to call it his debut album but I actually think it is). "Better Days" was absolutely loaded and it represented a version of Chuck Fenda who was well within his ascendancy so it was STACKED with big tunes. The biggest draw would have been 'I Swear' ["GIVE I STRENGTH, OH JAH, SO I CAN GO THROUGH! NEVER PRAISED NO ONE LIKE I PRAISED YOU!"] but there was the title track, there was 'The Prayer', 'Jah Sight', 'Mama', 'Serious Times' (which also had a nice run, if I recall correctly), 'Haffi Win' and the MAMMOTH 'Better Days'. Some of this album, I'll admit, hasn't aged necessarily the best (there's a song, 'Show Love' with Luciano, which isn't very good at all, listening to it now) but its heavy class remains just that. CLASS.
Watching. Though the music has changed to an infinite degree -- in some ways for the better, in many for the worse -- I do have to confess that some of the precious things that have remained the same, at least for me, are easily still some of the most exciting aspects of being a music fan today. Though things have become very different in this digital age and, at least in regards to Reggae music, they never were to the degree as they were within other genres, as you may be able to tell from looking around here, I STILL very much find myself getting REALLY excited when looking forward to a big, new album. So, for someone like me, if I take a look at the current state of releases in the music, early 2023 is looking positively delicious! If I recall correctly, the major attraction in the early months from 2022 was a release by the name of "Rebelution" from veteran big-voiced singer, Natty King, and though it would go on to be a very solid year (highlighted by sets from the likes of Kabaka Pyramid and Koffee), 2023 seems poised to be something potentially quite special. Already we've had a couple of bona fide STARS release full albums in Popcaan's "Great Is He" and Jah Cure with "Undeniable". Along with that, the legendary Freddie McGregor, Glen Washington have also put out work as have Charly Black (with "No Excuses", an actual Dancehall collection, for the most part), Alex from TOK and Zamunda, whose "Jah Love Surround Me" [although apparently paired down now] is quite nice (will probably tell you more about that one pretty soon); and still to come, already scheduled are first quarter/third albums from the likes of Anthony B, Queen Omega (ON THE SAME DAMN DAY! WHAT! BOOM!), Chezidek, Anthony Cruz and Tiwony and, beyond that, expect works from Sizzla Kalonji (I think the first single from his new album may've just dropped recently) and MAYBE even the return of the long shelf-missing Capleton, Beenie Man (both of which I do believe) and Bounty Killer (no way in hell). All of those have either already manifested or are nearly sure to or are at least strong on the rumour side of things and.... who knows what else is to come from who this year to join them. I'm predicting that at the end of the year, we'll look back and see 2023 as a banner one for Reggae album releases in recent years and that we will also see some outstanding surprises developing this year as well (like Reemah!) (.....I mean.... even Dezarie just recorded a new single) (I'd also REALLY like to hear from someone like Ras Attitude and Jah Mason and NIyoRah..... and and I cannot wait to see exactly how it all plays out, particularly given this very strong beginning. In fact, one could already say that some of those surprises have already began popping up.
I'd point to "Look To The East", the debut album from Junior Campbell, for Love Injection as well as "Kingdom Call", another debut release, this one for Indra, via Reality Shock Records as a pair of VERY healthy surprises which have already come to fruition in the first seven weeks or so of 2023 and a couple of weeks or so ago, something else caught eye as well and got me really excited - even more excited than I would have thought had you told me about it prior to that. Veteran Chuck Fenda has been, for quite some time, someone who I've been sure to give attention to when it came to his album releases. Going back to the days of Fifth Element ["I SWEEEEEEEAR! THAT I WILL NEVER SWITCH! I WILL SWEEEEEEEAR! I KEEP ON GIVING YOU SONGS LIKE THIS!"], the once dubbed 'Poor People's Defender' (may still be, just haven't heard that moniker used in quite some time now) (he was also 'The Living Fire' once upon a time) has remained extremely potent, now into his fifties and, again, I was extremely interested -- and more than I thought I might be -- when I saw that he had new work soon to be released to the masses.
2016
Said project would be his first in quite some time. It was late 2016 when his most recent drop, the slightly more than solid "Concrete Jungle" reached (the title track on that one, alongside Morgan Heritage, was BOOM! Also check 'The Experiment', as well as the two closers, 'God Nah Sleep' and 'Oh Mercyfull Father'... there was just some really nice material on "Concrete Jungle", looking back), so perhaps that gap of six and a half years or so had something to do with it or maybe I was just damn confident that a new Fenda album had the potential to be, like virtually all of his work, very respectable and maybe even something stronger. "Eternal Fire" becomes the artist's seventh sixth studio release to date (had one live album as well) (biggup 2B1) and, having worked previously with the likes of the aforementioned Fifth Element for his debut, 2004's "Better Days" ["Life hard out deh. Seh life rough out deh. Di youth dem seh nah food nuh run out deh. Man ah cry out deh, people ah die out deh. Di youth dem seh it dutty and it dry out deh"], Kemar 'Flava' McGregor (never would have expected he would have turned out the way he did in his heyday. I thought that man was destined to be one of the greatest producers of all time) on "Fulfillment" and John John, who helmed "Jah Element", "Eternal Fire" sees Chuck Fenda linking with young veteran, Fire Wayne and his Echo One Production imprint. The chanter has recorded several times for the label over the years and were Chuck Fenda going to release an album in 2023, Echo One would, at least on paper, seem one of the most likely sources. Writing this review (as they generally do, which is part of the reason I write them this way) has really given me the opportunity to go back and just ENJOY so much of Fenda's previous output. While I can DEFINITELY say that "Living Fire" hasn't aged very well at all, "Jah Elements" is probably a little better than we gave it for being at the time; "Fulfillment", which was always strong, is still as formidable today as it was when it released in 2009 and "Better Days" is fantastic and it always has been. I also find myself now wondering if Fenda has received his credit in terms of being a writer. Just flashing through some of the older pieces and I'm damn impressed by small cuts of what I'm hearing all these years later. He doesn't really jump out at you as being terribly unique in any way, initially, but Fenda always provides different perspectives on tried topics and really just has an interesting way in delivering his messages which, for an overthinker like myself, is always a good thing (even if takes me a few years to realize it). All of that surely had something to do with my heightened anticipation level for "Eternal Fire" and, think about it: Even if you'd call yourself a casual fan of Chuck Fenda's - doesn't "A NEW CHUCK FENDA ALBUM" just sound so nice?! Damn. I can actually recall hearing about this one sometime maybe last summer for the first time. I knew the title, there was a single and there was even a release date in September 2022 (which supposedly coincided with the birthday of his new wife) and though, clearly, it's taken a bit longer to manifest, we now have gotten our [digital] paws on it. Fortunately, not only does "Eternal Fire" live up to my expectations, it also brings to light a very interesting other quality the Fenda possesses. Come my friend, let's discuss!
Chuck Fenda's music, when he's near his best, is very ENTERTAINING! While not a quality often attributed to the genre, certain individuals like Fenda who specialize in Roots Reggae really make some very appealing and VISUAL vibes; this is the case for ESPECIALLY Capleton and others such as Tiwony and Queen Omega. Chuck Fenda's music is compelling, it's dramatic, powerful; he has this thunderous voice which immediately grabs your attention when he turns it up. and we get doses of all of that throughout his brand new album, "Eternal Fire". Getting things started is 'Chuck's Prayer', which is basically an intro where Fenda gives thanks for all things including the inspiration for the work which is to follow. It also utilizes a very cool and streamlined cut of the Satta Massagana Riddim (... which, apparently, I am incapable of hearing without singing 'One Away' by Sizzla in my head). The first full tune on "Eternal Fire" is the song for which it is named. This piece takes on the EOP's Capture Land Riddim (itself a take of the old Promised Land Riddim) and does especially. Certain things and actions cannot be quickly and neatly dealt with. They require a far more LASTING type of cleansing is the heart behind this one and he's correct: Certain nastiness ["Unuh better gimme back mi country or else it ahgo steep. Who sell out di airport, who sell out di beach. Who ah pressure poor people, mek no food nah eat. A who rape di likkle girl and bun her inna di street. Who turn dem youth yah inna gunman and dem gal dem inna freak. Round yah nah easy, man ah drop like leaf. Bloody city, bloody town, mi si pure bloody street. A dis Marcus Garvey did preach"] just is reserved for a special type of punishment. I LOVED the lyrical ode to Capleton (and one, more veiled, may've actually been to the great Vaughn Benjamin) [You find an old tune called 'Negus I Rastafari' and let me know what you think) and just the entire track is a big one and clear winner for the album. The well travelled 'Call On Me' is next featuring Fenda alongside looooooooong time partner (musically speaking) the golden voiced Cherine Anderson. I was actually quite surprised when research revealed that this tune hadn't yet found its way to a previous Chuck Fenda album, but were you living under a giant rock about a dozen years or so ago and missed it, enjoy 'Call On Me'. It's definitely a large detour from the track preceding it here, however, 'Call On Me', for what it was (a romantic song), was excellent and though it certainly lost some of its luster (though it may be old enough now to have replaced "luster" with nostalgia) over the years, it's still one of the biggest selections here and.... likely on any other [compilation] release that you will find it on. Because it fits, I will skip ahead just a bit and also mention previous single, '[Something] So Real', which features another very nice vocalist in Krisique. It doesn't quite reach the levels of 'Call On Me', in my opinion, but it is another decent romantic/lover's track neatly done and an asset for this release. Next is the all kinds of fascinating 'Song For Mama'. I use the phrases "obligatory mama song" and "obligatory ganja song" to describe not only that particular offering but to, essentially, say that such creations are STAPLES in Roots music. You'll hardly ever find an album with at least one of them and though the former is what 'Song For Mama' is, it is your 'standard' song for mama. Learning about Chuck Fenda's story, you come to find out that he was raised by his grandparents and he never knew either of his parents very much at all. So his 'song for mama' comes with a bit of a twist as he doesn't (and couldn't) take that standard route of presenting his mother as this angelic/all righteous figure; instead Chuck Fenda is extended the proverbial olive branch to his mom; he's offering her forgiveness.
"A weh mi ahgo seh to mi likkle daughter
Everyday she ask 'daddy where's ya mama?'
My whole life was a disaster
Mi nah know no mama nor no father
But my grandparents was there-
To show mi so much love and they care
This, no child shoulda ever bear
My people - I'm hoping that you hear
Even though I don't know you mama, I wish I coulda see you mama
I wanna hold you and hug you
And tell you how much I love
I FORGIVE YOU MAMA!
FOR LEAVING ME MAMA!
I just wanna hold you and hug you
And still tell you that I love you"
He goes on to elabourate on just how much of a negative impact not having his parents in his life had on his life and how many things he missed out on, especially as a youth. It's kind of a heartbreaking piece but, just like I said, it is an extremely unique perspective on a topic which Reggae knows very well, just probably never quite like this. Next is that "obligatory ganja tune", 'Mi Love Marijuana'. With big tunes behind him such as 'All About The Weed' and 'Gwaan Plant' (which was a decent sized hit, in retrospect) Fenda is definitely no rookie on the subject and you can well call 'Mi Love Marijuana' one of his strongest drops of its kind. It's a bit more laidback, but also quite melodic and just a nice and easy listen on "Eternal Fire". You will have an extremely difficult time shaking this chorus out of your head - TRUST ME.
The middle portion of "Eternal Fire" REALLY begins to heat up and, to my opinion, provides it with some of its most memorable material altogether. A really good example of this would be the 'aggressively free', 'Ready Fi Guh Warn Dem'. I'm not even going to sit here and attempt to break this one down to any degree (it has a few different directions that it goes in) and I'm not going to overrate its value either, but when I told you that Chuck Fenda made an entertaining brand of Roots Reggae, ideally I had in mind music such as 'Ready Fi Guh Warn Dem'. Though it doesn't necessarily what I would say would be the artist at his best -- though it is strong -- listening to Fenda attack this one in several different ways is just fun to listen to. It just is. Even stronger is previous EOP produced single, 'Gideon Hot' from a few years back, which is a master class.
"Dem stand up inna di way but, alla now, mi nuh si dem
Hide, dem ah hide - people mi couldn't be dem
Anyting di people waan, yow, a dat mi ah gi dem
Drop di one yah straight ova mi then
My ting no deh a gun nor under gal dress
A di poor and di needy mi come fi address
People deh inna crisis, people inna stress
HOW SOME BOY AH FIGHT OVA GAL WID DEM SILICONE BREAST?
Ratsafari, HIM a di highest
Lion Of Judah, no boy can test
Red, Green & Gold, wrapped round mi chest
Who ah pray fi wi si wi fall, di whole a dem get left
Di gideon hot, di gideon hot
Ah chat dem ah chat cah dem have mouth fi chat
Di gideon hot, di gideon hot
DEM SEH WEH DI FYAH GONE, TELL DEM SEH MI EVAHOT
Di gideon hot, di gideon hot
Come outta di way and mek mi tun it up a notch
Di gideon hot, di gideon hot
Drop di one yah like an attaclapse
A just sweat and tears and pain
You haffi work hard inna life and gain
Wi no frighten fi career, wi no hype over fame
Wi nah stop call on Fadda God name
MI A ONE LION WEH NO BOY CAN TAME
My energy; No devil heart can drain
Tell dem every day nah go be di same
Fi left di whole a dem ah go right dung inna di lane"
Along with that scathing lyrical performance, you take a close and careful ear to that riddim behind 'Gideon Hot' [Phoenix Riddim]. As things progress it, ever so slightly, begins to bloom and really nice and subtle sounds come into play that were not there at the head (almost sounds like a horn I'm hearing). It's just an outstanding and PASSIONATE piece and one which well livens up this set. Chuck Fenda's 'Gun John Crow' was the title track of another EOP riddim, this one from 2021 (just caught myself from actually typing the name of the riddim) (wouldn't want to insult your intelligence) (WICKED tune from Amlak Red Square on that riddim - 'Ain't Right'), and it was another very strong selection. Dealing with those who.... are just nasty, no good and disgusting wastes of flesh, Fenda (in a not too dissimilar method to the title track) outlines some of the pure viciousness that exists in the world ["This couldn't be a blessing. It must be a curse. 'fore things get better, take a turn fi di worse. People all ah pray and get gunshot inna church"] and what should happen to those who carry it out. The vaguely familiar 'Yard Mon Ina Foreign' is the sole misstep that you will find during the middle of "Eternal Fire" and it isn't a giant one and, to be fair, I do enjoy it more having heard it now a dozen or so times, but it will require work. The approach here is fragmented and it lacks really any cohesion of any type (I think it's the second verse which I would just call SLOPPY. There's nothing really going on there and it literally just STOPS at one point and the chorus comes in) and I would presume that not much planning went into and it was the result of a vibe. Sometimes they work, here, it did not.
On the other side of that would be 'Dreadful', which certainly isn't the most 'manicured' piece that you will hear. It's a bit all over the place as well, but in this case, it actually works quite well (and that is true despite the fact that the riddim on that one isn't anything special) (it's very minimal. You hardly notice it, really). 'Dreadful' is broad. It goes in a few different ways (one of the longest songs on the album, only shorter than THE longest, 'So Real', by a couple of seconds) but the prevailing one, at least for me, deals with PRIDE and respecting and HONOURING one's background ["Mi ah walk wid Marcus Garvey print pon mi chest. Martin Luther King's words never go to rest"]. I am very interested in seeing what, if any, response to 'Dreadul' there will be by the masses, I could definitely see opinions well varied in its case. The single finest moment on "Eternal Fire" also comes in here as I found myself slowly, but surely, entirely captivated by the HEAVY 'Ah Nuh Mistake' [grrrrr!]. This track is another which finds Fenda appropriating the necessary amount of fire to those who are not living right but this time he takes things even higher lyrically and does so backed by a GORGEOUS riddim from Echo One. 'Ah Nuh Mistake' also has an ATTITUDE about it. Though not the most intrusive tune you'll find on "Eternal Fire", there is a certain level of.... almost quiet confidence present here that cannot be overlooked: It's almost as if Chuck Fenda is speaking from the future and saying that if you continue to do the things you are doing, THIS is what happens to you. I know it 100% because I'm seeing it right now! What results is not to be missed and one of the single best tunes that I've heard from him in some time. 'Walk By Faith' came from Grammazone a couple of a years back and enjoyed a pretty good run in its day, actually. I had forgotten about it but when I saw the tracklist for "Eternal Fire", wonderfully and almost immediately, it came back to mind. I'm probably not the only one who will have had that experience so maybe its presence here will give 'Walk By Faith' another well deserved run out because it was excellent. For me it was about seeking comfort. If you're going through any type of bad moments or traumatic experiences in life, turning your focus to a higher source can help ease your burden - a message conveyed beautifully here.
Oddly, "Eternal Fire" reaches its conclusion with two more romantic styled cuts, 'Dance For Me Baby' and 'Just Ah Lil Bit'. Neither one of these do much of anything for me at all, but I will give the former just a bit of credit as 'Dance For Me' was Chuck Fenda's take on Digital One Production's Reggae Genesis Riddim from last year, which was golden, so you can enjoy it that (though, CLEARLY, I am not the target audience for this type of a song) (and the Reggae Genesis was a strange riddim because, for as lovely as it most certainly was, it didn't feature many good songs for some reason. Most of them were just kind of average if I recall correctly). 'Just Ah Lil Bit' doesn't have the riddim behind it going for it. It is my least favourite song on the entire album and I would have preferred that they didn't include it at all, but that's just me.
Overall, the ending and maybe one subpar other piece don't manage to drag down "Eternal Fire" very much at all in my opinion by its end and, instead, what we have here is a largely SOLID effort and, as I said (or at least I think I did), I don't think anyone will be disappointed with what they hear here. Going back to another earlier point that I'd like to underline a bit. If you're looking for a more exciting type of current Roots project, definitely "Eternal Fire" is something you'd be interested in. If you listen to the title track, it is the type of song you should expect (both in terms of sound and approach) to hear throughout the album named after it as well. Also, if you haven't been paying great attention, it's pretty much just the type of release that Chuck Fenda does. "ETERNAL FIRE" IS A CHUCK FENDA ALBUM (duh!), true and through. What is to come in 2023 may just be (hopefully it is) spectacular, "Eternal Fire" is not a spectacular album, but it is very strong and a welcomed early year surprised from one of the genre's most proven of soldiers.
First up this week (and by "first up", I really mean second, because I just did the last listed entry on this post) is the reason I'm doing one of these today as my initial thought was to just do a post featuring the excellent Discern Riddim from PBR Music Productions, alone. THIS THING IS NICE! It's is beautiful! Along with just being a big riddim, in general, something very interesting happens in regards to the songs on the Discern. The tracklist is front-loaded with the biggest names featured here, Mykal Rose, Lutan Fyah, Turbulence, Chuck Fenda, Anthony B and Teflon and.... pretty much all of them do very well. Of particular notes are definitely Lutan Fyah who THRILL with 'Stay Deh' and 'Pump Blood', respectively.
"Di dutty water inna di gully, dat inna yuh bloodstream
Pumping to a heart, that slimy, wicked swamp fiend
Vampires waan fi taste yuh flesh, a mussi cantine
Mi gotta spear yah weh sharper than di proper pants seam
Nuffi will seh dem love, but it's only a scheme
SMILE LIKE A HUMAN, MORE LIKE MACHINE
Grudge yuh fi yah car, yah house, yah land even ya queen
How man can so mean? A laser beam
Fi dem heart a ongle fi pump blood
Dem no got no conscience and dem no show no love
Fi dem heart a ongle fi pump blood
With a mind fulla hatred, driven by grudge
Fi dem heart a ongle fi pump blood
Smile inna yuh face a while yuh drown inna di flood
Fi dem heart a ongle fi pump blood
Dem no mind man shoot ya like bug
Dem si yah career ah rise and go a di Obeah an fi stuck it
Laugh and rejoice when another kick di bucket
Tell dem fi avoid I, still dem ah chuck it
Si another yute ah rise, no interrupt it
CAN'T TELL DEM FI FOLLOW DEM HEART
FOR THEY HAVE NONE
Heartless and cold, yeah dem whole body numb
Dem waan blood fi drink, that's why dem waan blood fi run
That's why the Rastaman keep saying 'fire bun' "
I mean.... Turbulence DAZZLES lyrically in a way that.... yeah, it's been a minute But when this man is on top of his game, he has nary an equal in Reggae or any other genre anywhere either! The second half of the Discern Riddim is full of un/under known artists and a few of them such as G-Boss, Classical Eska and definitely the well gifted Nadg, manage to standout from the rest as well. The Discern Riddim is well worth your time; One of the best riddim albums of 2022, without a doubt.
The Midnight Oil Riddim [Full Blown Entertainment & Monk Music]
Given the fact that it only has a quarter the number of tunes spread across only ten and a half minutes or so, you probably won't get as much usage out of the Midnight Oil Riddim as you do from the first entry on this post, but it's likely to go down (at least in my opinion) as one of the finer Soca riddims of the year, for its part. Constructed by [I THINK] Back Ah Yard Records from out of Grenada, the Midnight Oil (I've been writing about Vaughn Benjamin for SO damn long that writing 'midnight' just feels odd) just pulls such a powerful vibes, but does so in a very subtle way. While it isn't necessarily what I'd call 'reserved', it also doesn't leap out at the listener too much, but when you FULLY tune it in, there're so many nice sounds which form one golden track. Handling the vocal duties are Sekon Sta with the decent 'Tech Rum a Lesson', the legendary Machel Montano who links with former Spicemas Road March champion, Runi Jay ["Si mi, I gone! Si mi, I gone!"] for the MAMMOTH 'Mad House' and, taking top honours, Mical Teja alongside the inimitable Boyzie (if you kind of loosely follow Soca music you may not have paid much attention, but Boyzie has been making some of the finest music in the entire genre over the past seven or eight seasons or so) who destroy every thing and every one, living and dead, with their 'Lash Up'.
"Lift My Voice" by M. Pres [Big Bus Records - 2022]
I'm just mentioning this one briefly, because I'm thinking about reviewing it (and if I don't, I will probably mention it again at some point with more detail). But check a nice album from someone who I've never heard of it, M. Pres, "Lift My Voice". [she sounds absolutely delightful]
The New English Riddim [Music Signal Records - 2021]
A big credit, once again, can be given to Turbulence who dropped a big tune on the New English Riddim via one Music Signal Records, the scathing 'One Bobo', which has driven me back in the direction of the rest of the tunes on the track. I don't love this one, actually. It's somewhat Hip-Hoppish and kind of simple to my ears, but that doesn't stop it from pulling out a nice tune or two as, along with 'The Future', Shane-O and Zamunda also come with decent efforts, especially the former.
The Rusty Cann Riddim [Kirkledove Records - 2013]
And then there's the Rusty Cann Riddim.... I don't have much to say in regards to this one as, between its nine vocal tracks, only two or three of them really decent in my opinion. General Degree does well (he always does), so did Power Man and... yep, that's about it. HOWEVER, with that being said this random, nearly decade old riddim from Kirkledove was absolutely FILTHY! It has downright hypnotic KNOCK to it that I cannot stop listening to it and, having now dug it up, it isn't likely leaving my players anytime soon - at least until I find another one just like it. Beautiful actual not ancient Dancehall riddim.
"The Journey: The Very Best Of Sizzla Kalonji" [Greensleeves Records - 2008]
And lastly (I say "and lastly", despite the fact that I'm writing this one first), I wish I had a good explanation as to what it was, exactly, that led me back to a nearly decade and half old greatest hits compilation, but I do not. Instead, what I can tell you is that, should this end up being what leads you back to "The Journey", then what you will find when you get there is an absolute forgotten gem! Along with just being a well put together project (and, in retrospect, given all the work Sizzla did with Greensleeves, back in the day, this was just a very good idea. VP also did it, as did Jet Star (Reggae Max vols 1 & 2 were solid!) (especially the first one), "The Journey" featured some INCREDIBLE music with somewhat of a Greensleeves twist, if you followed along. I don't know what brought me here in the first place, as I said, but I've happily stuck around for the likes of 'Praise Ye Jah', personal favourite 'Rastafari Teach I Everything', 'Show More Love', 'Really & Truly' and a tune I had forgotten all about and had not heard in years, the MAMMOTH [!] 'Africa Prepare'. As I've said in the past, Sizzla is my favourite of all time so I'm always listening to something he's done (and looking forward to his next set, "Rise Up" which reaches in a week and a half or so as of this writing) (have a really good feeling about that one) and these days, it's definitely been "The Journey".
Principles. If I were to tell you that I heard a song which had the words "pickup truck", "old dog" and maybe "shotgun", chances are pretty good that you'd predict that what I was listening to was Country music and you'd probably be correct. Though you're unlikely to find a genre of music which doesn't mention those things in some way or another, they're almost universally known to be extremely prevalent (whether or not it's accurate or outdated (or just flat-out wrong) doesn't even matter and I couldn't tell you) topics of focus in that genre, so that's probably where your mind would go. Similarly, if I told you I heard lyrics which aggressively told me to "JUMP", "WAVE" AND "MISBEHAVE", and there was some type of sweating involved, you would guess Soca. Although probably underrated lyrically in a few ways, those are (well earned) hallmark traits of Soca music.... and I kinda love it. And again, while you won't find any style of music that uses words which does not mention those things, when you glue them all together, it equals Soca. I hesitate to use the word 'foundational' or 'fundamental' at the risk of sounding overly dramatic about jumping, waving and a pickup truck, but they are as ingrained in those genres as anything else that may come out of someone's mouth. In Dancehall music things are also extremely simple. When it comes to topics of Dancehall songs we have the 'Three G's' -- Girls, Guns and Ganja -- and then everything else revolves around them. If I asked you to think of a Dancehall tune which didn't fall into one of those categories, you might struggle quite a bit really (particularly if you think of 'Dancehall' in the genuine sense and not... that stuff they do nowadays) to come up with something which fully ignored them all. It is just the nature of the genre, earned through years and years of output. And while I'm completely less familiar with other styles of music, I'm sure fans of Hip-Hop, Pop, R&B, Rock and everything else could say the same about those (and I'm sitting here thinking that Gospel music may, in fact, be the easiest to recognize). Of course, while it's a wider array of topics than the three G's, Roots Reggae music is also the same. Roots is interesting because, as I've said in the past, you can take ideology and themes which're most often associated with Roots and put it into Dancehall, Soca or some other geographically related sound and people will often either, full on, call that song Roots or say something like 'it has Roots overtones' or 'textures' - things like that. Unlike most others (and I think I know why) (we can go ahead and call that the 'Marley effect'), the message behind Roots Reggae music is so durable that it can transcend genres if put into certain hands. It is truly an artform which is inspired by and held to the ideas which form it - 'message music'.
And we know those messages very well. Like Gospel, the centering theme of Roots Reggae music is a spiritual one, but I have to say that one of the best things about the philosophies behind and surrounding Roots music is just how wonderfully they're made concrete and tangible. How something can go from 'Hail The King' and 'Praise His Imperial Majesty' (which is only meaningful to people who follow that path in life), to something like 'treat your bother and sister better' and 'BE SURE TO THANK PEOPLE WHEN THEY DO SOMETHING FOR YOU' (that's very important and is applicable to everyone) is one of the most beautiful transitions I know of in music. It makes something which is limited to a very small sector of the population --those who either are Rastafari or have similar beliefs -- and opens to pretty much anyone with a good head on their shoulders. We also, directly, see ideas such as, peace, perseverance, respecting our elders, doing better at raising children, respecting nature, being sure to point out corruption, standing up for marginalized people and SELF ESTEEM constantly explored in Roots music. Even if you take that from someone who does not enjoy the sound (those poor, poor souls) or maybe doesn't even know it exists, you're going to find people who would think that such a sound, at worst, would be quite helpful to a lot of people (and I feel the need to mention here, perhaps the greatest EXAMINATION of unity in the history of Reggae music as, in 2014, Vaughn Benjamin dissected the term on his downright brilliant "Beauty For Ashes" album).
Another central theme which is found prevalently in Roots Reggae music is that of unity and bringing people together figuratively and literally (I digress here, but for a genre which is frequently (particularly in the past) criticized for being judgmental, Roots brings up unity SO often that it's hard to believe that such a judgment exists (even though it surely does) because when you pull in so many people, you're sure to have people who come from different backgrounds and lead a wide array of different lives). You could argue that unification of people is THE most important tangible idea of Roots Reggae music because it, alone, can lead into so many of the others as we make a peace amongst ourselves. Because of that, I was very much drawn to this particular project from back in 2018 which not only seemed to, figuratively, lift up the theme of unity, but did so as directly as any project like it has ever done, the Unity Riddim. Delivered by one May.B Unity from out of France for Culture Studio-Maxy Production (with Livity Records distributing) (and Zojak Worldwide handling the digital side), the Unity Riddim would take things up several notches as it LITERALLY brought people (and great minds) amongst each other, as each and every one of its fourteen vocal tracks were combinations.... and they weren't just Random Artist A alongside Random Artist B, the Unity Riddim brought together some serious talents and did so in a way that may've never been done previously in most of those cases. For nerds like You and me, this was some dream matchup type of stuff in a few instances! So many times we judge riddims for the vocal talents that're featured on them and here was no different as, had you separated this (and made twenty-eight different songs instead of fourteen), you still would have had one of the most impressive rosters of artists in recent times, but placing them with one another was incredible to pull off (even more so if you stop and consider what it must've taken, in terms of effort and money, to bring all these individuals to the same place either physically or remotely). Prior to this, May.B Unity and Maxy Productions had done at least a trio of releases in the form of the Danger (2012), Bounce (2013) and Love U (2014) Riddims, respectively. All three releases were at least some form of solid (the Love U and Danger were very good, actually, with the Bounce not being too far behind) and featured colourful lineups of vocal talents. The Unity, however, took things up not only in their ambitions, but the track itself was LOVELY and their finest composition to date in my opinion. It likely wouldn't have taken much (you could've made the 'Vacant Riddim' -- literally no riddim at all -- and likely had some big results, with some of these parings), but fortunately the riddim, as the stage presented, was well crafted for such a large moment (it is exquisite) and absolutely no one disappointed! Let's take a listen.
Although very rarely, such things have been done by others in making certain specifications as far as who voiced a particular riddim or how they went about doing it. In 2019 Achis Reggae favourite, Oneness Records released the sterling Lioness Order Riddim, which only featured female artists (such as another couple of our favourites, Queen Omega and Sara Lugo and even Queen Ifrica) and, just last year, Swick B did the same thing in Soca music with the Queendom Riddim which featured the likes of Alison Hinds, Patrice Roberts and Nadia Batson. And speaking of females, let us deal with the critiques right now - the main one being that there're fourteen vocal tracks on the Destiny with two artists each on both. Twenty-eight artists appear altogether and not a single one of them is a female. That ain't right! We're better than that. Hopefully if such a release is every given a sequel (I would be very surprised if were), that would be remedied (given what the label shows themselves capable here, asking for an Etana/Queen Ifrica combination isn't being greedy) (you'll see what I mean in a second). While I do have a problem with there not being the presence of a woman's voice present on the Unity Riddim, I have no complaints AT ALL with its opener, 'Bless My Life' which, ridiculously (and I mean that in a good way) carried both Chezidek & Warrior King! WHAT! Never have ever said that I would want to hear these two make a song together and I wouldn't think that the call would have been great to make it happen with both being singers of the higher pitch (and you generally see them paired with chanters/DJ's for the contrast), but just because it may not have been in high demand doesn't mean that what resulted was not MAMMOTH - because it was. This one just made me smile as it hits on a topic that I'm always well attracted to: The idea of being thankful for whatever it is that you do have going for you. Many people have very hard lives but NO ONE has NOTHING to be thankful for, if even for the air you breathe (or the air that someone that you love breathes if you don't give a damn about yourself) (that's your business) and that is at the heart of 'Bless My Life' ["Jah bless my life. And it's alright. Mi nah complain, whether sun or rain, you know I'm satisfied"]. These two have a lot more to show gratitude to The Almighty for and so do the rest of us after listening to such a lovely track. A favourite of mine checks in on the next tune up, 'Life', which gives us the incomparable Mark Wonder alongside Jah Rain. If you've spent pretty much any time at all around these parts then you know how highly I rate Wonder, his work is constantly discussed on these pages and, going forward, it will continue to be if I have anything to do with it (.... and I do because I write all this stuff). For his part, Jah Rain is and has been for some time, an artist who I have always found compelling. I listen to his work and I think I hear someone very familiar in a distinctly unfamiliar form. If Vybz Kartel came up as Roots artist, I would think he would sound quite a lot like Rain. The St. Andrew native is brimming with lyrics ["The limit is a state of mind. Dung deh and wise up from di age of nine. Fight against yah brother is a waste of time. Think The Creator blind? But HIM seeth all things, just live in love"] and has a very strange timing with his delivery, reminiscent of the once mighty Portmore lyrics prodigy (should you require more, you may want to check out his 2021 EP, "Guidance & Protection"). This would have been another case where I wasn't dying for a combination between Rain and Mark Wonder but I'm better off for having heard it as the two deliver a GOLDEN piece which says that we are not all doomed and have choices to make within our own destiny.
Along with two or three more contenders, 'World Peace' is in the discussion of being my single favourite song on the Unity Riddim, this time we see a meeting of the minds between the legendary Capleton & the always flaming Elijah Prophet.
"You come and tell mi world peace when a you same one create di war
Yes, my brothers are dying, don't know what dem fighting for
You come and tell mi world peace when a you same one start di war
Yes, my brothers are dying, don't know what they fighting for
Some ah think over with dem
You si dem alla kill all dem owna friend
Well nuttin neva real nor sober wid dem
Ova di cliff, wi nah go ova wid dem
Alright, so why you want fi tek a life?
And you neva mek a life?
Rasta is di Ultimate, di youths dem want a betta life
Si dem now, every man waan fi live di best of life
BUT BABYLON DEM HAVE A PHOBIA FI DI BREATH OF LIFE"
This antiviolence selection features both artists in an outstanding form and, while this is another situation where I was so excited to hear these two together, given their styles, I'm not at all surprised at how strong the eventual tune was. 'World Peace' is fantastic! 'Can't Hide' actually features a pair of talents which're relatively close to one another as big voiced chanters Chuck Fenda & Perfect Giddimani find common ground in hunting down oppressors and creators of corruption anywhere they may hole up. I sat here thinking that I never realized just how similar the two are as, for his part, Perfect (with his unpredictable bursts and singing and.... everything else he does) (and I'm not complaining) is difficult to compare at times. But if you were to chip away a lot of his idiosyncrasies, what remained might sound a lot like (a higher pitched version of-) the far more straight-forward but no less talented Chuck Fenda. Similar artists teaming up on a song doesn't sound like the greatest of ideas as there may be very little contrast to appreciate but.... this is Perfect we're talking about and he has usually has enough diversity to provide contrast with HIMSELF, so Chuck Fenda is no problem at all and they turn in one of the finest tunes on the Unity. And rounding out of the first third of tunes here are Natural Black & Omar Perry, on 'These are the Days'. I mean.... you know.... sure, why not! Though entirely unexpected, I'm not complaining about this one either as these two produce a fairly broad, but beautiful social commentary whose core is all about infusing more necessary love throughout the globe.
The next five songs on the Unity Riddim feature links which are downright shocking and, as I said, the type of stuff I would have only dreamt about prior to it. Obviously, the biggest draw here on paper would be 'Why Sacrifice', a track we mentioned not very long ago (it was actually the last review I wrote, but I don't know when these things get posted or in what order) (I just write them) in taking a look at "Rebellution", the outstanding new album from St. Thomas singer, Natty King. Here, 'The Man from The East' found a balance with one of his idols, the the legendary Luciano. You get these two on a song and you're going to get the attentions of a whole heap of people and I'm one of them! 'Why Sacrifice' was every bit the selection you would have hoped would materialize from such a union and major credit goes to May.B Unity for making something happen that people had been waiting to see for.... probably about a decade and a half at that point. Three of the other four songs in the middle portion of the Unity Riddim are STUNNING combinations on paper, but I'd also want to point out 'Jah Saved Me' which had underrated veteran Pampi Judah & talented Judgment Yard alum, King David ["No haters, no gaters, no traitors, no fakers - dem caan stop mi from mek mi paper. Mama seh 'son go out and earn, a money haffi run. Never you wait fi later. FLY DI SPACESHIP BECAH MI A DI NAVIGATOR. I came to save Israel. I'm the Black Liberator. Black Motivator. Bun out all di hater. Bun out all di spies and then go bun out all di traitor"]. Given what surrounds it, it's easy to get lost on this tune. It doesn't carry the star power as any of its 'neighbours', but this SWEET praiser more than holds its amongst the giants. And then there is the matter of those "giants". Check 'All I See Is War'. I don't know if they've made a song in the past (I doubt it, but I could be wrong) (usually am when I'm think I'm right) (I just spelled that 'right' as 'write') (....damn) but given the sure amount of time they've spent around one another and the amount of riddims and stageshows they've touched all around the world, a musical union of Sizzla Kalonji & Junior Kelly seems like a long overdue natural team-up (even if they have done it before, it was time to do it again). This is a social commentary which is quite expansive with the two looking at a variety of different topics. It also comes off like a vibe. It doesn't seem as if they did a great deal of planning to it and, instead, just went into the studio with a light topic and allowed everything to develop organically. Perhaps that is the reason why I come away from a set like this and the main thing that sticks with me is that, despite its direction, 'All I See Is War' makes me feel good! It probably wasn't the intent and is more of a 'side effect' and maybe I'm just too damn lost in the moment to appreciate the sentiments behind this one, but this song put a very large smile on my face.
Easily one of the biggest combinations on the Unity Riddim, 'My People' then came up: Pulling in Jah Mason and placing him next to Turbulence! HEAVY!
"No more mi nah go stand up and watch
Bangarang ah treat mi people like trash
Everyday our life is like wi been on di war patch
Mau mau warrior, real battle locks
When mi a battlefield, mi nah have time fi relax
NO time fi slumber, mi nah go nap
Wi nah get caught inna dem boobytrap
Mi going, mi going, mi going, mi caan stop
Check dat
My people need justice and quality
WORLD LEADERS, DEM LOSE DEM SANITY
Some ah pree material things a just vanity
And I hate to si my people die
My people need justice and quality
WORLD LEADERS, DEM LOSE DEM SANITY
Some ah pree material things a just vanity
And I hate to si my people die
That's why we'll fight for our equal rights
That's all wi know
Together wi will grow
What is peace without justice?
When poor people dem facing so much things
And di dutty system - wi cannot trust this
And if dem violate Jah Mason ahgo bust dis
Wi no really like di way they roll
The reapers of soul
Divide and control
You know wi belong in Africa-
More food fi di sufferah"
These two absolutely DISMANTLE the Unity Riddim and produce what I'm calling my favourite song on the riddim (although I reserve the right to change my mind at any point before you end up reading this) (.... which is what I just did behind the scenes, but never mind that). Also adding to the big names here is 'Word, Sound & Power', which is where you'll find both Fantan Mojah & Lutan Fyah making their mighty contributions. Unsurprisingly (biggup Lutan Fyah), this one features, arguably, the best wordplay on the riddim (which is saying a lot when you consider the caliber of lyricists present) ["Dem ah preach but dem no practice. Dem no love one another. Dem evil, mi hear seh dem ah swear gainst dem mother"] as the Fyah and Mojah step things up from an already soaring level and do so in a way which isn't 'AGAINST' the riddim. What I mean is that the song plays out in a very easily digestible way and you end up with a large message that is also nice to listen to.
The final combination on the Unity Riddim which sorta/kinda made my eyes pop was definitely 'Don't Shoot' which linked VI superstar Pressure Busspipe with Dominican firebrand, the criminally overlooked Aima Moses. Again [!], never would have thought there would have been a track to unite these two, but I ain't complaining at all about it! It almost seems kind of random planning but Moses did previously appear on both the aforementioned Love U and Danger Riddims, respectively, so he's been on May.B Unity's radar for some time and Pressure's is one everyone's radar. These two perform as high as you would expect them to as they examine those in power who ABUSE that power on a certain group of people in particular.
"Hey, di shooting of Black people, officer you betta stop
You should another unarmed citizen, for what?
And then your laws and legislation support di act
Dutty babylon system only made fi set trap
Protect and serve di people is what you have not
Everytime di ghetto youth touch di road, you keep track
No find no evidence, and still di youth dem pon lock
Overall, what do we do with this one??? Maybe I'm overdoing it a bit were I to call the Unity Riddim one of the best riddim albums I have EVER head, but I'm certainly not going too far by saying it is one of the finest of the past decade or so - it was. Along with the track, itself, being so nice, it supported a whole heap of outstanding vocal performances (which is quality a track must have. You can have a beautifully done piece of music which is so complex or different that artists can't really find a vibe or a melody on it) (or you can also just place it in the care of the wrong type of vocalists and have the same awkward at best results) and then there's the matter of those performers, isn't it. Not only does it bring in many big names (that isn't very rare, really), with the likes of Sizzla, Capleton, Luciano, Junior Kelly and others (Turbulence, Jah Mason , Lutan Fyah, Perfect Giddimani, Pressure Busspipe, Mark Wonder, Chuck Fenda....) (DAMN!), but the Unity Riddim takes that magical next step in fulfilling its name and placing them together. When they do that - it assures that a decade from now, I'll still be referencing this riddim in talking about something else (if I'm still up and ticking). That is the largest chunk of its legacy and, again, a full credit goes to May.B Unity for making it happen and Culture Studio-Maxy Production for getting it going. Roots Reggae music has long prided itself on being a vehicle used to unite people and the genre has rarely seen a more direct and tangible piece of evidence of this than the Unity Riddim. Exceptional.
Been sick [as usual], having a few good days though
The Palestine Riddim [Irie Sounds International - 2016]
First up today is something which has been on our radars for more than a minute as our old friend from Irie Sounds International, the indomitable James Lord, continues what is ultimately (and apparently) going to turn out to be a downright stellar 2016 for his label with the HEAVY Palestine Riddim. Earlier this year ISI dropped the highly regarded latest album release from veteran chanter Warrior King, "The Rootz Warrior" which featured the King's cut of the Palestine Riddim, 'President Yahya Jammeh'. So you may (and you should) be familiar with the track via that song, but it also offers a few more reasons to get acquainted if you haven't already… namely the downright MONSTROUS 'Jah Is In His Kingdom' from the unforgettable Yami Bolo. Hopefully 2017 turns out to be a more active year from the veteran vocalist as, just when you begin to lose hope, at times, he consistently offers reminders like this one (EASILY one of the better songs I've heard this year, altogether… like from anyone), of just how immense his talent still is. Rounding out the class of the Palestine Riddim are also lovely tracks courtesy of the likes of the Bugle, Prezident Brown and a surprising Joshua Hales whose 'Calling' is golden. And, as I alluded to, apparently this isn't the end of the year for Irie Sounds International as the Lead Di Way Riddim is also set for its own release.
Digital
"Stories of Life" by Black Prophet [Kingz Entertainment/Prophetic Music Production]
Biggup our ooooooooooooold friend, the great Jahsh Concurz, for pointing me in the direction of the latest release from esteemed Ghanaian vocalist, Black Prophet, "Stories of Life". This is another piece I've had quite awhile to digest and JC highly recommended it and I have to agree with him. "Stories of Life" features the handiwork of the legendary Dean Fraser and, by extension, contributions from both Tarrus Riley and Duane Stephenson, and it is absolutely stellar throughout. To my opinion (though it changes rather consistently) (biggup Danny I) it pinnacles at 'Elmina Castle' which features Riley [TEARS!] [BOOM!] [DAMN!] but selections such as the delightful 'African Freedom', 'Too Know', definitely 'Jah A We Know', 'I Wish' and others rank as giant standouts. For what it is, and I don't know if it will be regarded as such by the masses, 'Stories of Life' is probably one of the better albums I've heard this year. Thanks JC.
CD + Digital
"I & I Culture" by Utan Green [Wild Pitch Music]
Biggup the wonderful people at Wild Pitch Music for deciding that the world would just be a much better place with another full (and I mean FULL) album from the WELL SEASONED Utan Green. To my knowledge the only album Green has released to date has been the virtually invisible (these days) "Rivers of Reality" (good luck tracking that one down) which is nearly two decades old now and clearly it has long been time for a follow-up (I don't care if the man released an album last year, it was time for a new one anyway) and that is exactly what we have in "I & I Culture". Now, as you would hope, if you haven't had an album in such a long time, despite what we may see from others, you probably have A LOT to say and Utan Green definitely does as "I & I Culture" checks in with a delicious eighteen songs and more than SEVENTY minutes of strong music. The results, besides just being quantiful (not an actual work) are also of significant quality and because of both size and class I can damn confidently say that if you enjoy Reggae music, particularly that of a slightly older sound (although ultimately I would well qualify this one as a modern set), there is SOMETHING on this album that you're going to enjoy. As for me, tunes such as 'Captain' (which you might know), 'Sunshine', 'Ancient Man' ["A di same old Rastaman dem"], 'Man No Dead', 'Rasta Time' and several others, like 'Fighting' revolve around top honours on "I & I Culture"… honours CLEARLY held by the MASSIVE 'Chant'. An outstanding album and one which I may slap a review on in the new year. Elijah Prophet next??? PLEASE!!!
CD [I THINK] + Digital
"Power Surge" by Ward 21 [Germaica Digital]
There will ALWAYS be room on my players the still wildly entertaining Ward 21, no matter how disillusioned and out of touch I may grow with Dancehall music (a genre which, despite my never-ending LOVE of even the most RIDICULOUS and ZANY forms of Soca, routinely makes me feel old as hell these days). So I was well pleased to see that the group had re-linked with Germaica Digital to serve up an effective sequel to the golden bar that was "Still Disturbed" from a couple of years back in "Power Surge". This one doesn't light up as brightly as its predecessor did (which you really need to hear), but pieces like 'OG Kush', 'Pretty Phat Cat' (a preposterously SIGNATURE effort from the Ward) and especially the HEAVY 'Groundz' (biggup Baby Cham) give me what I need when it comes to the Ward, a full decade and a half after their first album and still going strong and completely without behaviour.
Digital
"Concrete Jungle" by Chuck Fenda [Voiceful Records/Zojak Worldwide]
And finally, I was rather happy to see a great deal of early attention paid to "Concrete Jungle", the latest set from Chuck Fenda (I'm tired of using the word 'veteran', but that's what he is as well). By my count this is… the veteran's fourth studio album to date and his latest after 2013's "Jah Element" (there was also a Live set in there) and it should rate fairly well in his catalogue as "Concrete Jungle" is a decent offering throughout and one I'm still, obviously, working on. Albums like this, while I don't think they 'change the game' or 'take things to another' or do any of that crazy bullshit, just really fill a NEED of a high level of consistency in the genre. I don't go looking for Fenda's new album to amaze me or change my life, but when I get it I know that I can press play and walk away and that is the same situation here. Headers include 'Oh Merciful Father', 'If U No With Me' (the best song on this album), definitely the title track, 'That Place' (and a BEAUTIFUL place it is) as well as the obligatory ganja tune, 'This Plant', and its very unique sound. Etana, The Morgans and Sista Sasha all make appearances.
