"See It Deh" by Ras Shiloh [Reggae Vibes Productions]
1. 'Endless Joy'
2. 'Righteousness'
3. 'Hail The King'
4. 'Happiness'
5. 'Here I Come'
6. 'Long Live The King'
7. 'Never Be Enough'
8. 'On My Ship'
9. 'People Be Free'
10. 'See It Deh'
11. 'System'
12. 'Tears From My Eyes'
Were the prospects of a new album from Norris Man not enough for you for this week (GREEDY!), then the sweet and divine Reggae powers have something else that you just may be interested in as yet another well GRIZZLED veteran is set to release a new album of his own (and his first featuring original material in several centuries) when Ras Shiloh brings forth "See It Deh"! The album comes via the very nice Reggae Vibes Productions, a label who has, perhaps quietly but effectively, established an excellent reputation of their own with a history stretching back to around of a quarter of a century or so (I first really began to pay attention to RVP when they released the blistering "Unlimited" album by Jah Mason ["MI DUN SI DEM MOVE! MI DUN SI DEM FLEX!"] [BOOM!] and is Shiloh's first of any type from 2020's "Ras Shiloh Remembers Garnet Silk" and first carrying original songs since..... 2007 [!!] when the singer would release a pair of albums "Only King Selassie" & "Coming Home" for Greensleeves & VP Records, respectively ('Coming Home" is a borderline modern classic. It is excellent and "Only King Selassie" isn't very far behind it).
Looking through the tracklist, along with the title track, "See It Deh" has a few familiar tunes that I recognize such as 'Long Love The King', 'Righteousness', relatively recent single, 'On My Ship', and maybe one or two others as well. Listening through some of the clips of this one, I have a really good feeling about what "See It Deh" ultimately turns out to be and I cannot wait to wrap my ears around the finished product.
That wait won't be long at all as Ras Shiloh's "See It Deh" is set to release by Reggae Vibes Productions this Friday, the 26th of July.
Okay so, I've had this idea for awhile but I've always found myself too stuck on a review or between ideas to actually get to working on it, but now is the time. "Signatures" is very simple: It's an album-style (meaning somewhere in the range of 12-16 tracks) list of my absolute favourite songs from a particular artist. The idea originally came from noticing that, despite the fact that he has... I don't even feel like counting now... DOZENS of albums to his credit, no one has ever put together a 'greatest hits' type of compilation for the great Vaughn Benjamin that I know of and it's understandable why, actually. In general, it would probably require tons of work (and quite a bit of money) to put together, given all the various producers/labels he spent his majestic career working alongside but also... how do we register "hits" when it comes to someone like Benjamin. The only charts you're likely to have ever found his work on would have been very specific album sales and it doesn't appear that he's stacked what we typically regard as 'popular' releases, despite just how oddly passionate and LOYAL his fans are and have been from very early on during the days of Midnite. So, it's my thought that compiling such a list would be most interesting if you individualize it. The work he left, unlike almost anyone else, is SO personal. I've had conversations with people about songs that I barely even recall, but they literally changed their entire way of thinking or became THAT moment where that light bulb came on in their head and led them to inheriting the KINGDOM of this wonderful music.
And "Signatures" was born. Here is my own personal list of favourite songs from one of the greatests to ever do it. Signatures Vol. 1: Akae Beka.
{Note: The only basis for songs being on this list is how much I enjoy them. That is all}
{Note 2: Songs are listed in absolutely no particular order, although I will say which is my single favourite, as I typically do. I also intentionally did not write them in the order they appear. I jumped around purposefully}
{Note 3: This was VERY difficult and I may do a second disc at some point, but Vol. 2 of this series will be Lutan Fyah}
1. 'Enter'
......for now and forever. The aptly named 'Enter', in retrospect, was probably one of the songs that made everything begin to 'click' for me when came to Vaughn Benjamin's music. Set as one of the gems from the "Jah Grid" album (which was outstanding and also included the truly MAMMOTH 'Before I Lose My Strength'), 'Enter' just had a VIBE about. There was something.... almost mysterious to it with its very focused sound but Benjamin went ALL OVER THE PLACE atop the I Grade produced riddim. For me, 'Enter' is both an emotional ["If you plan fi live good, open Jah door and enter"] and a knowledge ["Dem ah listen and dem ah search the entire universe fi hear Jah voice echo chamber"] offering with the artist saying that if you choose to accept The Almighty, alllllllll of this is available to you. Symbolically, it said that for me in regards to his music. I did accept it and, looking back, it was one of the greatest decisions I ever made... for now and foreverrrrrr ('Enter', EASILY, has one of THE coolest endings to a song that I have ever heard).
2. 'Just Decided'
Perspectives will have to realign. The first of a pair of ganja tunes on this list (and, now that I think about it, the other is fairly similar in terms of how it's written), I've held 'Just Decided' in increasing standing throughout the years because of a pair of very simple and basic reasons: It is extremely well written (DUH!) and it SOUNDS GREAT! Ignore the first of those for a second (because you know who wrote it) and focus on the latter. 'Just Decided' is DYNAMIC! A quality seldom associated with the music of Benjamin, that Fifth Son Records licked riddim was downright blissful! It hits a plane and just SITS DOWN right there for such a wonderful musical moment. Probably THE most dynamic tune you'll find here and one which has always stuck with me.
3. 'Black Mamba'
True nature. This list is compiled of tunes which are signature moments for me, personally. Because of that and in the name of pure standouts in terms of recognizability, 'Black Mamba' may just be the single biggest 'hit' you'll see here. The Andrew 'Bassie' Campbell produced drop was the loudest of chimes found on "King's Bell" (which released a truly disturbing thirteen years ago) (time does not "fly". It SOARS) and from the very second I laid ears on it, 'Black Mamba' has stuck with me. Another selection finding a powerful blend of deep and penetrating messages with an overall extremely difficult to shake sound, AT ANY GIVEN TIME IF I AM SINGING AN AKAE BEKA SONG IN MY HEAD.... it's probably 'Black Mamba'.
4. 'In Awe'
....IN AWE. I used to be quite fond of using the term "skeletal" to describe some of the music of Vaughn Benjamin. When I did (and still occasionally do) use it, it was in reference to a song where he didn't.... seem to pay much attention to the riddim going on behind him. Maybe there wasn't a great (or ANY AT ALL) connection between the vocals and the music and it, of course, had some type of an impact on the overall sound of the tune. 'In Awe', the title track of an album from the aforementioned Fifth Son Records from a dozen years ago was definitely SKELETAL. It was also pretty much without flaw and, even to this day, a tune which has this certain vibe about it which I find FLOORING. It is an absolutely DEVASTATING track within a certain simplicity and one where the artist explains his observance of The Almighty and also, coincidentally, explains my observance of the song he is singing.
5. 'Grapes Of Wrath'
Magma lava.While not new to my ears (and probably the single oldest tune you'll find here) I have to say that it wasn't until fairly recently -- maybe the last... two or three years or so -- when I REALLY became a fan of a tune which might just have one of the biggest supporting groups of any of Akae Beka's the CLASSIC 'Grapes Of Wrath'. Prevously, my interaction with this tune was as a live tune where it, apparently, was a favourite of Benjamin's to perform and you'll find countless instances of him doing renditions of the tune all over the world during his travels. Given the kind of spontaneous and organic nature of the live performances (and of this specific song, in general), I've come to regard 'Grapes Of Wrath' as, EASILY, one of the greatest freestyles ever. That's only in respect to the rest of Benjamin's work, I most certainly could be wrong, but I don't feel like he spent a lot of time actually writing it and what ERUPTED from him when it was created was a cauldron of genius, leaving no stone unturned and covering an endless story of themes in an exceptionally emotional and fiery way from the chanter.
"Dem lack di counsel of di elder
Lost di reference of di daughta
I man a Rasta, living amongst di people like a waiting disaster
Love dem order
Dem seh dem love di sun, but di sun dry up dem water"
6. 'Sha-tee'
Dilly dally. Buried on an album which wasn't the greatest and has largely gone forgotten -- 2008's "Maschaana" from Natural Vibes -- you will find the TORRENTIAL 'Sha-tee'. You will find a somewhat similar and far more popular tune later on here but, for my opinion, the very clever social commentary with a spiritual core that was 'Sha-tee' will always have a place amongst my favourites as well. Benjamin gives his listeners absolutely nothing in the way of relief (and you deserve none!) in geting his point across and though it may take even more effort than it typically does with his music (and it always does take at least some), the idea behind 'Sha-tee' and the LYRICS are in the stars!
"Jah is the Cab, the taxi driver is the cabbie
Jah is The Ruler over already -
Over twister and tsunami
Over faith and destiny
Over tranquility and without no partiality"
7. 'Same Boat We'
Magnificent edifice. My absolute favourite Akae Beka album ever??? That would require some thought but an album DEFINITELY in the conversation would be the MAMMOTH "Beauty For Ashes" and 'Same Boat We' has become that album's signature offering for me. It's almost difficult for me to slice "Beauty For Ashes" now because it sits so succinctly as a completed unit with Benjamin absolutely DISSECTING the idea of unity... grinding it down to a fine, powdery substance. For its part, in particular, 'Same Boat We' was simple and didn't try to do much with its sound but when you got into its lyrical direction - IT ASCENDED! It grew wings and soared to the heavens. From an incredibly local level, to a continental one, to a one of the highest degree ["MILK WAY GALAXY"], Benjamin would bring everyone EVERYWHERE together and do so in an entirely unforgettable way.
8. 'Hemp Scroll'
Awareness & alertness. 'Hemp Scroll' was kinda mesmerizing. It was. There was a very... 'light' sonic feel to it with the artist adopting an almost robotic delivery and somewhere in the midst of it all, the listener gets LOST and I mean that in the best way possible. All of these years later, 'Hemp Scroll' which featured on the "Free Indeed" set (an album which didn't have a very big release but was delightfully very well regarded in its day if I recall correctly) has only grown in stature, despite starting somewhere amongst the stars. Ever the proponent of the herb, Benjamin (as I alluded to in regards to 'Just Decided') weaves an all-encompassing which climbs so many different mountains. You'll hear ganja tunes and, if you think about, they're either really specific -- as far as maybe covering a single incident than someone went through -- or very broad. 'Just Decided' and 'Hemp Scroll', oddly, were both. They both dealt with a variety of different aspects but did so with incredible detail and both are utter joys to listen to.
9. 'Negus I Rastafari'
Jah deliver I. As the kids say today, 'Negus I Rastafari' was "built different". This tune had a sense of drama and a seriously high level (by comparison to Benjamin's catalogue) of emotion to it which catches you initially. What keeps your interest along with the vibes (as it always does) are the words you hear spoken. 'Negus I Rastafari' is another track that comes off as a vibe. It is very organic and has the feeling that parts of it are spontaneous and came as much from the heart as from one of the most brilliant minds Reggae (or any other kind of) music has ever encountered. A praising tune to the bone, 'Negus I Rastafari' also touches a wider variety of topics during its time ultimately tying them back to the centralizing theme of bringing honour and praise to His Majesty. This is probably my second favourite song Benjamin has ever done and the only selection you'll find from the Rastar collaboration present here and, to my ears, IT IS MAGICAL!
10. 'New Race'
Content & satisfied. Of course the SHATTERING 'New Race' makes this list and, in terms of quality, it probably makes its top half. These days, I sometimes have ISSUES listening to this gem from Higher Bound's "Hail The King"... emotionally, FOR SOME STRANGE REASON, it does things to me! It makes me happy. It makes me melancholy. It energizes me! There is a very subtle but very powerful and downright ABNORMAL quality to "New Race", simply in terms of the sound of it. It is stunning! When you get into the meat of the matter it doesn't dull either as Benjamin takes the listener on a knowledge-crammed journey which centers around, of course, His Imperial Majesty. There's nothing dissimilar there from, literally, dozens (if not hundreds) of other tunes that Benjamin has done throughout the years, but what does separate 'New Race' was this gorgeous marriage of education & elegance ["Sound barrier bursting into new rays of life. Benevolence of Jah, invite"]. On a list of favourites, you will find nothing that hit the notes that 'New Race' does and does EFFORTLESSLY.
11.'Ever Was So'
Come down fast. 'Ever Was So' featured on the double disc opus-ish "Standing Ground" of Fifth Son Records. I won't waste too much of your time here, I'll be brief. 'EVER WAS SO' IS MY FAVOURITE AKAE BEKA SONG EVER. It's also one of the greatest songs of its kind that I have ever heard and do you know what "kind" it is? 'Ever Was So' is a praising tune. It's a song giving praise and honour to His Imperial Majesty. Have you heard a few of those type of songs? Maybe just one or two or so??? If you've listened to a Roots Reggae album, you've probably ran across at least three or four of them and if you're this interested in reading a post like this, you've probably heard HUNDREDS. The argument could be made (and I would be in support of it) that THE ENTIRE GENRE OF ROOTS REGGAE EXISTS (at least in part) TO PRAISE THE KING. Rare has anyone made praise sound like THIS! There's something exquisitely haunting about 'Ever Was So' (like that COOL and subtle backing singing) that likely gives further weight to the impact that it makes - an impact which will stay with me for the rest of my days.
12. 'Royal Tribe'
Excitement like a fever. 'Royal Tribe' makes this list as somewhat of a surprise to me. When I was planning it out and getting a big list together in my mind, I would have never thought that the tune would have been included in the final group but it belongs here and probably even more so than a few of these other tunes that I so love. 'Royal Tribe' was interesting for several reasons but the one standing tallest these days is the way in which it is written (shocking!). The song is one empowering women and speaking on their importance in society and, even more compelling, how women are THE CENTER of human interaction and PROGRESSION. To accomplish this, Benjamin uses the idea of a TRIBE.... and then, LITERALLY, a HIVE in showing just how nature regards its female figures and in how high of an esteem they are held in. It is a BEAUTIFUL selection and one that has stuck with me mightily in the three years since it was part of "Polarities" a, perhaps, underrated collection courtesy of IGR.
13. 'The Gad'
Longtime. Were several people to make a list like this one, I would think that the song from my list that you're most likely to see present several more times would be the infamous 'The Gad'. This tune was.... seemingly Benjamin opening his mind and just POURING out everything he could find at that particular moment. What resulted was a wholly overwhelming musical experience for anyone who has ever dared to undertake the task of deciphering what the artist is saying here. A large source of its lasting (and definitely original) interest generated came in the fact that, even more than most of Akae Beka's music, it was pretty hard to comprehend what is being said on 'The Gad'. Vaughn Benjamin has a tendency to mumble and when you combine mumbling with speed, what you get can be (and was).... puzzling. However, as I said, beneath the obvious sound, 'The Gad' had loads to offer and I would argue THAT has maybe not equaled the attraction to it for what is most immediately heard, but has become a significant reason why more familiar fans, like You and I, continue to return to the now nearly TWENTY YEAR OLD tune.
"It's a matter of human pride, how you treat the I
Who nah go hear ahgo surely die"
The song has a heart that is almost entirely spiritual (DUH) but 'The Gad' goes in a variety of deliciously varied directions. The one that's covered deepest, arguably, is just how people relate and interact with one another. He gets into things like family structure in the midst of it all and it is.... CANDY to the ears of someone like myself. I also have to mention something rarely talked about in regards to 'The Gad' - the riddim carrying it. The golden track was typical IGR produced magic and featured, amongst other beautiful moments, a spot where the masterful Achis Reggae favourite, Tuff Lion, is allowed to place his stamp on the tune as only he could. If by some chance you missed this one, even more than any other selection here, 'The Gad' demands patience. It is a trait that, should you have quite a bit of it, will literally hand you the keys to a very large kingdom.
14. 'Let Babylon Go' featuring Danny I
Searching within. Much like the aforementioned "Beauty For Ashes" set, this compilation would be incomplete without some sort of representation from "Portals" (another album in the conversation for being my absolute favourite from Akae Beka) and that question would be between three tunes. There's 'Ideals of The Emperor', 'Like Rhyme' -- both of whom were terribly difficult to cut out here -- and the track that I would ultimately settle on, the GORGEOUS transitional 'Let Babylon Go' featuring oft Vaughn Benjamin collaborator (if such a person exist) and OBVIOUS FAN, Danny I. I love Danny I's music and I always have (Danny I has an old song called 'Lion As A Rulah' which probably sits amongst the top 40 or so tunes that I have ever heard.... from like ANYONE, EVER) and his presence on 'Let Babylon Go' really gives it a very autobiographical texture as he outlines what, personally, brought him to Rastafari.
"Many years with natty dread - half the time a Rastaman
Cause man would be the first to admit: Man did ah do nuff wrong
Many years of search within, til I found The Higher Man
Til I overstood King David's words, with the Songs of Solomon
And I let babylon go
Outta mi heart
Outta mi soul"
BOOM! For his part, Benjamin's approach is broader in saying that, essentially, Rastafari is the way to overcome a variety of issues in one's life ["In war and in peace..."]. Combined, and with a beautifully nearly ever-present horn in the backdrop, the two produce an EPIC selection and one which has always been a standout for me on an album BRIMMING with such offerings.
15. 'Dem Kinda Heights'
A document. These days the "Be Strong" set has kind of become somewhat of a packaged deal with "In Awe". In my memory the two FSR produced sets share pot of tunes and I find myself generally and largely unsure of which of the two exactly contains big tunes such as 'Dandylion', 'Pscyh Ops', the MAMMOTH 'Music To Honour I King' and others appear on... but I do know that I love some of them. Along with both title tracks, definitely 'Dem Kinda Heights' has gone to garner my 'highest' of respect in the eleven years since its release. Though the song comes through with these giant and downright royal sounding horns (almost as if they are signaling the arrival of some type or royalty) (and you can make your own leaps from there) (as have I), 'Dem Kinda Heights' is somewhat ponderous. It's a grind and it takes a while to get where it is going, but it is also SHARP as a razor. What I've taken from it these days is that it stands as an inspirational piece. Benjamin presents the "Heights" as a variety of different things such as love and even knowledge. Though, as you would expect in his work, it doesn't have that stereotypical FEELING that such a vibed tune would normally come with. As I said, 'Dem Kinda Heights' ain't easy! It requires work and a whole heap of attention on behalf of the listener. Give it that and, as you can see with its presence here, it's good enough to literally become one of the best songs you've ever heard.
Overall, the challenge of doing something like this is infectious. I'm already working on the next installment (will likely be Lutan Fyah) but in this particular case, the unusual nature of the journey I've had to BEGIN my comprehension of this man's amazing work (and I consider myself to STILL be at the beginning of that journey), is reflected here which was my main goal from doing this list. I would expect and HOPE that most people would have drastically different lists as the music of Akae Beka is received in so many ways. These are mine. Agree. Disagree. Flame on (biggup Machel). Do whatever! But when you do think of your own favourites, ENJOY that beautiful trip back through your memory. It is a SWEET time.
Ladies first this week as, headlining a number of big names is the deliciously (and I do mean DELICIOUSLY!) difficult to avoid Khalia who is back, already, with another lovely single, this time for Albion Muzic, 'Addicted'. If you've been following the work of Khalia lately, then you'll know largely what to expect from 'Addicted' as it is just another syrupy sweet piece of modern Lover's Rock which finds the vocalist tackling a classic riddim which sounds like a cut of the Queen of The Minstrel Riddim to a near perfection. Khalia is quickly cornering the market on just.... BEAUTIFUL, SENSUAL (though not necessarily sexual, although she does have her very clever moments) (it's never completely obvious, it takes a little thought) Reggae music and there's nothing wrong with that. Earlier this year she blessed us with "Stay True", her wonderful EP and I wouldn't be surprised at all if its followup (maybe even in full form) is set to follow sometime in the remaining six and a half months of 2024. 'Addicted' is sublime.
'Tear No Man Down' by Perfect Giddimani [ChinaMan Yard]
Next we have a single that definitely had to work on me quite a bit before I really began to tune it in, 'Tear No Man Down', which comes from the always welcome and always most compelling Perfect Giddimani, alongside ChinaMan Yard, who is literally out of China, as part of their Higher Grounds Riddim. Okay, I'll tell you what I heard initially that I didn't particularly care for: The.... pacing of this tune?? I write it as a question because I'm not entirely sure if I'm explaining it correctly (highly unlikely). 'Tear No Man Down' had (and still has) an unusual kinda 'hitch' to its sound to my ears (and maybe (probably) I'm the only one of that opinion but it's something that took a bit of overcoming. What helped in that is an unmistakable CHARM that the tune also carries. You know how you can talk to someone on the phone and you can still kind of HEAR them smiling when they talk? It isn't exactly the same, but there're portions of 'Tear No Man Down' which just gives the vibe that Perfect FELT REALLY GOOD IN SAYING WHAT HE IS SAYING at that given time. It radiates throughout this one and, from personal experience, I can tell you it is a quality that takes a song that I'm rating as "okay" early on and transforms it into... something maybe a little special.
'Dem A Murderah' by Anthony B [Green Lion Crew]
I probably could have put the whole of the outstanding Extra Heavy Riddim for this next one (but TECHNICALLY it hasn't released yet as a full unit) from the increasingly venerable Green Lion Crew but, instead, we're focusing on the track's finest moment (but they're all really good), Anthony B's 'Dem A Murderah', which finds the original fyah man putting the golden track to the sword... I'll probably do a track by track for the Extra Heavy when it releases. It is absolutely lovely!
'Trust H.I.M.' by Lutan Fyah [Truesounds]
A big credit goes to one Truesounds for laying down their very creative Roll Call Riddim for the great Lutan Fyah to provide vocals over and, listening to this one.... MASTERFUL! There is an infectious flute that dominates the vibes here and the Fyah uses it with this style darting back and forth in his delivery with a fittingly fiery lyrical display.
'Yeah, while you're living hail The King cause that's di thing
If you're corrupt, you get di judgment and di fyah that it brings
Dem ah put on a show fi go tek picture
Fi a while now dem skanking but now dem style it up fi wealth but that a babylon thing"
I don't know if Lutan Fyah has a bigger fan than I, PARTICULARLY OF HIS WRITING, over the years and my attraction for his words has not diminished in the slightest. At his absolute peak, the chanter from Spanish Town has VERY FEW equals.
'Nuh Afraid A People' by Pressure Busspipe [Digital One Music]
If you're stocking up a bit of frustration and need to it let out somewhere in this post, I'm sorry, no, you'll find no Soca here, but check this SCALDING tune from Pressure Busspipe and Digital One Music, 'Nuh Fraid A People'. The tune was recently (relatively recently) released as part of DOM's "Trichotomy The Album" which featured a trio of well solid Dancehall tracks (two of them, especially) and it showed a more AGGRESSIVE side of the chanter who also continued to display a level of ultra-heightened skill, regardless of the topic at hand.
The Seasons Riddim [Don Corleon Records]
Perhaps you can figure out why the roughly two decades old Seasons Riddim has come back to my radars and if you can't, I'll gladly let you know whenever I finish my next review (as it now takes me one (or TWO) weeks worth of attention to write something which, not too long ago, literally just took a few hours) (getting old..... no fun!), but I've been enjoying this set which probably should be regarded as a classic these days. The Seasons Riddim, along with the Drop Leaf helped to put its creator, Don Corleon into a different stratosphere and he went from one of the most influential Dancehall producers of his day (and that era would have been a mighty one with the likes of Steven 'Lenky' Marsden and Di Genius also shining at the time) into being the same for the entire genre of Reggae music. Absolutely saturated in hits, these days tunes like 'Love Is' from Jah Cure, Alaine's STUNNING 'No Ordinary Love', 'Thanks & Praise' by Fantan Mojah and DEFINITELY 'Far From Reality' from Natural Black rank as not only genuine hits of the time period but... really some of the finest work from those particular [well decorated] artists entire careers.... and that's what I'm listening to.
'Never See Us Fall' by Marlon Asher & Sizzla Kalonji [VAS Productions]
First up this month is a tune which brings together two [THREE] very big names as Marlon Asher links up with the great Sizzla Kalonji.... on a Don Corleon produced track [!] for a big new tune, 'Never See Us Fall'. At the risk of becoming a 'prisoner of the moment' (what I care), I'm going to go ahead and say that 'Never See Us Fall' is the single best tune I've heard from either artist in a minute. On paper, such a combination is truly ridiculous and when you put a wizard at the helm what you expect becomes giant.... 'Never See Us Fall' is giant.
{Note: Wouldn't be surprised at all if Asher had an album forthcoming this year}
'No Competition' by Daman & Sara Lugo [Soulbeats]
Now look at this one and skip ahead one really quick and then come back.... after seeing who we started with (a combination featuring my favourite artist EVER... produced by, arguably, the greatest producer EVER) and you'll notice that music has been very good to me recently. The great Sara Lugo returns, herself on a combination, this time with an artist I have never come across by the name of Daman (who also produces), for the expectedly delightful 'No Competition'. For me, I took this one as a bit of a 'de-stresser' for life. The thought being that you're not living in a way where you're constantly pitted against someone or something else... EVERYTHING ISN'T OBSTACLE. A beautiful sentiment and one built atop a sweet riddim which has just a hint of old school Dancehall. A fantastic tune.
'Big Fraud' by Reemah [Feel Line Records]
I TOLD YOU! Also on my radars, as it has been for a bit now, is the latest (give me a second, let me confirm that.... yep, it's the latest) from the incomparable, the brilliant Reemah from out of St. Croix, 'Big Fraud'. The song comes via the same Feel Line Records with whom the chanter has been aligned with virtually the entire time since she's risen to prominence and it is of the same MAMMOTH levels that she's displayed.... virtually the entire time she's risen to prominence.
"Wi come to mash and trample every old scheme
Latest on di news is just another smokescreen
PUPPET ON A STRING A WEH DI PEOPLE VOTE IN
Push di dirt unda di table just to keep yuh nose clean
Meanwhile di things you do is contradicting
Di way you play two-sides, oh it sickening!
TO KEEP DI SHEEP POWERLESS, YOU KEEP INSISTING-
A REAL LION HEART WILL NEVA BE NO VICTIM"
The woman is simply on another level from the rest of us. She is evidence of something MORE.
The Wild Crocz Riddim [Swick B]
Probably the nicest piece of new Soca I've come across lately has been the Wild Crocz Riddim which [I THINK] was built by one Swick B from out of St. Vincy. The Wild Crocz is a BOUNCE. It's just all kinds of fun and to maximize the moments some truly big names are brought it. Skinny Fabulous teams up with Jab King, RIDICULOUSLY Problem Child & Lavaman vibe together for 'Doh Bother Me', constant duo Lil Natty & Thunda are joined by the always exciting Muddy ["If you think I ignorant then you hit the nail on the head"], while Keith Currency, Lyrikal and even Patrice Roberts go solo. Every single tune here is at least pretty good and, like I said, the Wild Crocz is VIBES!
"Ganja Man" by Linval Thompson [Irie Ites]
And finally this month, in the place of what is typically some random old set that has gotten my attention as of late is a vintage artist who may just hit vintage levels with his brand new body of work. The legendary Linval Thompson brings forth "Ganja Man" and does so with a pair of some of the most comfortable hands in the entire genre, those of Irie Ites which (presuming this goes up when it's supposed to) (nope! It was a day late) has just been released TODAY and has been dominating a large chunk of my busy morning. Just aboutanyone releasing an album with II is a really big deal but that becomes magnified several times over because it's literally Linval Thompson, more than half a century into his . Early impressions are good with 'What Time Is It' probably leading the way, but solid contenders come in the form of the title track, 'Marcus Garvey Says', 'Ghetto Youth' and one or two others. Thoroughly enjoying what I'm hearing at the moment and... I may just slap a review on this one in the next couple of weeks or so. Let's see. Eek-A-Mouse and Trinity feature.
Come again. As I'm sure I've said in the past, one of the worst things about getting older, specifically as a music fan, is having to powerlessly accept and/or just deal with just how much things have changed. When I was younger I steadfastly wanted to ensure that I wouldn't become some spiteful old creep walking around talking about, "back in my day...", essentially pissing on current music and artists which is why I tend to just refrain from talking about such things except when I'm impressed (biggup Eesah) and keep the negativity in my head. Looking at how Reggae is these days, there're several things which I definitely do miss and not the least of which is my beloved DANCEHALL. The saying is that 'you don't know what you've got till it's gone' and that is SO true and applicable in this instance because I don't know that I would have ever been capable of processing just how precious something that I considered to be so BASIC was. Who knew that we'd all wake up one day and 'DANCEHALL' would not be Dancehall anymore??? How the hell did that happen? Where was I?? What is referred to as Dancehall these days is basically Caribbean Hip-Hop and it's something that we all have to manage. I do foresee a return to that candy-like two-drop sound (that's what I call it. Roots is the one-drop. Dancehall is two-drop) at some point, but I may or may not be around to actually experience it and that makes me sad! The days of a producer making a riddim (of actual Dancehall music) and spreading it around have become increasingly rare over the past half decade or so (I remember Red Rat having something to say about it a couple of years ago). Expanding on that sentiment, one of the products of that older sound is the once downright overly-prevalent riddim album. In the not too distant past, Reggae album shelves were dominated by albums (by people named Marley) featuring multiple artists going on the same riddim which were seemingly released multiple times over by albums starring a single vocalist. Some of these were very big deals as well as both genre leading labels, VP Records and Greensleeves, once released such sets as part of their running series, Riddim Driven and Greensleeves Rhythm Album, which were very popular in their day; with the former even birthing a still active (as far as I know) clothing line of the same name. Personally, I reviewed quite a few of these things (once upon a time, some idiot I know even went as far as to catalogue both series). They were FUN in their day and now, looking back, I miss them both... a lot.
And OCCASIONALLY we get to go home. Coincidentally, as Riddim Driven as a functioning entity was coming to an end, one of its most frequent contributors was a producer by the name of Kemar 'Flava' McGregor and, if you enjoyed Roots Reggae music during the late 2000's/2010's or so, Flava's is a name with which you should be well familiar. The once mighty producer of No Doubt Records was responsible for supplying the genre at the with some of its largest releases from the likes of Richie Spice, Nesbeth ["Mi boardhouse bun dung inna gang war wah day. Now mi nah have nowhere fi stayyyyyy!"], Ginjah, Etana (more on her later) and others. He also released some of the biggest riddims, several of which featured prominently as apart of the aforementioned Riddim Driven series and if there is never another edition of the series (and I would be surprised if there were), Flava McGregor and No Doubt Records will be known as having produced the final Riddim Driven ever in the form of 2010's VICIOUSLY SWEET Classic Riddim ["We only got one, life, to live. We should make no apologies"] [BOOM!]. He'd also produce full albums for many including Anthony B, Sizzla Kalonji, Turbulence (personal favourite of mine, "Join Us"), Natty King and was just... EASILY one of my absolute favourite producers going during his day. When No Doubt Records was on top, they were consistently spectacular.... but nothing lasts forever.
There would come a point where I would legitimately come to DISLIKE what McGregor was up to or at least someone using his music. At the start of the digital/streaming age a few years back, SOMEONE would end up flooding the market with release after re-release after re-release of.... the same shit everyone had already heard. It seemed as if a couple of weeks or so wouldn't go by without SOMETHING being released on that front with a new cover and, as for McGregor himself, he seemed to be spending more time making news for goings on inside courtrooms than what he was doing in the studio and it made me sad! I had given up on Flava McGregor and and No Doubt Records and had no reason to return.... at least not until very recently. As I said, though the days of that giant Dancehall riddim (and subsequent album) just destroying absolutely everything in sight may be a thing of the past (for now) OCCASIONALLY there can be exceptions, or at least ATTEMPTS at exceptions. The case could be made that the single greatest producer that the Dancehall has ever seen has been the great, enigmatic and downright reclusive Dave Kelly. For the better part of four decades the brother of the great Tony "CD" Kelly (also still going strong and one of the greatest Reggae maestros EVER) has been responsible for what has to be considered some of the most colourful and ingenious tracks in Dancehall history, largely for his Madhouse Records imprint (my own favourite would be.... maybe The Return Riddim?) and, were you to go traversing through Kelly's amazing vault, eventually you'd stop around 2000 or so and land on the Bounce Riddim. The Bounce, done for X-Tra Large Productions, didn't necessarily carry the biggest of hits, but it was BRILLIANT! These days it is likely best known for a pair of Baby Cham tunes, the unforgiving 'Man A Man' and 'Babylon Bwoy', but stellar efforts also came from the great Spragga Benz, Beenie Man and, ESPECIALLY, General Degree who scored a nice sized hit with his 'Ooh Yeahee'. Now [!], had you told me at any time during the last decade or so that we would get to a point where Flava McGregor would be remaking an old Dave Kelly riddim, I would have laughed my entire ass off at you and I would owe you an apology because, lo and behold, here is the Recoup Riddim from McGregor, it's a remake of the Bounce and it is, in fact, 2024. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON??! It defies all logic and common sense, but I am here for it! Why is this happening? I don't know and I probably don't care. CLEARLY, McGregor was a giant fan of the track and thought to himself that, if he had the chance, he'd love to do a remake and it's worked out. The Recoup Riddim comes through a channel simply called Kemar McGregor (that's the literal name of the label it's on) and it is a relatively unchanged remake of the original, nearly quarter of a century old Bounce Riddim.... but how good is it, REALLY??
...meh. As far as the vocal artists appearing on the Recoup, it is a very healthy mixture of heavy-hitters and kind of next tier names, with up and comers. Generally speaking, to my experience, that is EXACTLY what you want to see on a big and well populated riddim. What happens when that does occur is that you, as a listener, are more likely to gravitate towards something that they'll enjoy from someone that they are familiar with and (perhaps most importantly) you may come away with a new name to look forward to hearing in the future. Taking the first shot at the Recoup Riddim is, arguably, the heaviest of of the heavy hitters as Buju Banton blesses the track with his 'Slogan'. You take a moment and realize the magnitude of what happens here: This is Buju Banton on a classic Dave Kelly riddim that he never voiced. That is a really big fucking deal and what results is, clearly, the single best moment you'll find on the Recoup Riddim, although I'd stop just short of calling it a bona fide "GREAT" tune (although it is close). 'Slogan' is fun -- hear that chorus -- but it isn't necessarily vintage Buju. 'Fun but not vintage' would also be an appropriate description of the second tune here, 'Vibrating' which features the great Beenie Man alongside Denyque. This track has a very cool R&B vibe to it when Denyque comes on with those sterling vocals, making a most compelling blend with Beenie's consistently fairly aggressive delivery. It's at this point during the album for the Recoup Riddim where strange shit begins to happen and none are more downright bizarre than 'Mirror' by the aforementioned Etana. Let's get the review stuff out of the way first: 'Mirror' is bad. It's probably the first time I've ever said that about a piece from the August Town certified veteran (and may end up being the last time), but IT IS A BAD SONG. It's full of worn, tired and dirty Dancehall cliches and someone of Etana's abilities could probably roll out of bed and top what you'll hear on 'Mirror' with the slightest of effort in my opinion. On the other side of that is the fact that the tune is somewhat 'controversial' as the vocalist does go on the more sexual side of things, but I'm fine with that aspect. Many (like almost all of them at some point or another) of Etana's famous male peers have done similar things (including August Town's most famous resident) and we've gotten used to it through the years, so I'm not going to judge her harshly AT ALL for the direction here... but it is trash. I-Octane throws even more petrol on the dumpster fire with his effort on the Recoup 'Love Punanny'. To put it context: 'Love Punanny' is considerably better than 'Mirror' but it is still a few hours' drive away from being decent (and, it should also be said that Octane & Etana have dropped 'Ganja For You', a tune far more befitting of both of their monstrous gifts, also for Flava) (wouldn't be surprised if that's a single for McGregor's next track), Last year, I-Octane released a collection of songs called "Dancehall Gift" which proved to be a complete curse, it was terrible, but demonstrated the direction he's been working towards more often these days. If that is your type of thing then 'Love Punanny' will work for you because it's better than the vast majority of tunes featured there. So when you need someone to right the ship, who do you call after a couple of less than stellar offerings??? Of course you call the Energy God (are we still referring to him as that?? Ele's probably almost fifty years old and he has a comic-strip villain nickname) and Elephant Man doesn't disappoint (and when I saw his name on board, I had full confidence that he would shine on the Recoup) with 'Nuh Shaky' and he does while outlining the fact that he cut no corners and he earned his way to the top, legitimately
The bigger names return later on, while the middle portion of the Recoup Riddim album is, for the most part, carried by second tier names with up and comers and... it does not feature much [anything] in the way of memorable material at all. The biggest winner of the lot probably goes to 'Seh Dem Bad' which comes courtesy of wide voiced vet, Singer J (Singer J has a VERY unique voice if you REALLY listen to him). 'Seh Dem Bad', to be completely fair, is quite strong and very interesting as it features a route taken on the Recoup that no one had gone prior to it.
"I seh him mother call him
Tryin fi warn him
Sit him down neatly and inform him
Seh, inna badness thing - she don't want him
ONLY THING BADNESS GIVE IS A COFFIN
Di bwoy laughing, nah tek no talking"
The very next set is also well done as D'yani comes solid with '911', which takes the guidance of the previous tune and steps it forward in adding a more general social context to it. D'yani, effectively, comes up with a social commentary in a region (biggup JahSolidRock) where you probably weren't expecting to find one and, again, it won't be the best of its kind that you've EVER heard but with where you must go to locate it, '911' formidably serves its role.... and that's about it! The other three offerings in here, 'Say Yes', 'Glue' and 'Top Class' from Tifa, Honorebel and Zed Regal, respectively, range somewhere between 'nuh-uh' and ABSOLUTE RUBBISH. The worst??? Maybe 'Say Yes' and I say that probably relating it to 'Mirror' in some way or another (which probably isn't fair), but 'Mirror' is better than 'Say Yes' and we've already established that 'Mirror' is horrible. It, too, is built upon well traveled and should-have-been-buried concepts which, in my opinion, are not at all empowering of women as they are intended to be (suggesting, at least in part, that people should take pride in the.... snugness of certain parts of your anatomy....). It is a sentiment Honorebel would agree with as he makes, basically, the same damn song as Tifa but from a male perspective and, not to be outdone, Zed Regal doesn't stray far from either; although he does do far better than both with the wholly unremarkable 'Top Class'.
Given the fact that he has had some well publicized not so nice interaction with Flava McGregor which took place in a courtroom, I was quite surprised to see Khago associated with Recoup Riddim but apparently bridges have been mended and all is at least well enough to work together. The result of this one is 'Whine Up For Me', which is another tune that I do not love, HOWEVER, 'Whine Up For Me' does have a few moments that set it apart from being a bad song, in my opinion. I've never been the hugest fan of Khago's but he is, at his best, talented and he's also one of those types of artists who've been around a lot longer than you may realize. The final vocal outing on the riddim is the 'old school' 'Scaleillan' from Turbulence. Given what Reggae has been through, you don't very often hear such tunes as this. They're very controversial (and, to be honest, their decline has been a good thing, in my opinion. There was a point, maybe fifteen years ago, where that discourse seemed to be THE single biggest and most prominent issue in the genre) and can be detrimental to the artist, as we have seen in the past. Turbulence, seemingly, doesn't give a damn and makes his point with 'Scaleillan' (although it isn't as... 'direct' as others and features a brand of condemnation which is less centralized and further reaching. You could very well make the argument that, even still, the biggest hit of Ginjah's career was a tune he did for Flava by the name of 'Never Lost My Way' ["WHEN MI SING, MI NO HAFFI RICH! A NO MONEY MAN AH LOOK AFTER THIS!"] (arguing against you would require some serious thought), so neither the presence of the golden voiced singer nor the quality of his effort on the Recoup Riddim, 'Judgement', came as any surprise at all. 'Judgement' soars and does so in a most interesting way with a theme that is part warning & part uplifting. Also have to mention the PASSION coming from Ginjah on this one, a feature of his music is absolutely saturated in when the Hanover native is at hist best. 'Finally' (literally have three more songs to talk about and I'm saying shit like "finally") (bad habit. My apologies) check 'Nuh Leany Leany' from Ghandi which I was so happy was included because it sorta/kinda makes up for some of the more filthy material you'll hear throughout the Recoup Riddim. 'Nuh Leany Leany' has elements to it that are definitely on the slack side ["STRAIGHT! Nuh leany leany. Tight pussy gal dem alone can pree mi Dem ah rub mi down like di bottle of di genie"], but it's also inventive and not.... tired as hell. The skill is present and, I most certainly am no prude and can appreciate such a piece when it is well done. 'Nuh Leany Leany' is fun (minus that small section where he does that annoying run-on thing with the delivery) (You'll know what I mean). Also included is a clean version of the Recoup Riddim, so you can try it for yourself at home. When I used to review riddim albums, nearly ad nauseam, this was a feature I always tried to highlight because the riddim, TECHNICALLY, is the actual star with projects like these and it deserves a chance to shine - all of these years and not much has changed. I still do appreciate them, greatly.
Overa.... WAIT! It took me so fucking long to write this review (I'm old), that Flava went ahead and released a Deluxe Version of the album which carries a couple of extra tunes, both come from The Doctor, Beenie Man, 'Yaadie' and 'Spend It'. The latter is useless. It sounds like a freestyle and you need not pay it any attention at all. I get the feeling that Beenie was just so damn happy to have another go at the Bounce, that he just stayed in the studio, doing whatever came to his mind and just got it all out.... but whatever "it" was, was CLEARLY emptied before the beginning of 'Spend It'. 'Yaadie', on the other hand, is FANTASTIC. It's better than 'Slogan', as Beenie sets fire to all those with hideously misguided attractions (not too dissimilar from his go on the Bounce Riddim, 'Troublemaker') and he spares no targets and leaves no stones unturned!
"Number one: No rest in peace fi Michael Jackson
My songs caan sing no Frankie Paul song
From di family playlist - R Kelly banned
How some big man waan fi play Peter Pan?!"
Overall (I mean it this time), no the Recoup Riddim, as an album, isn't very good. It seems as if several of the artists heard that beautiful old school riddim and decided to serve up some of the most basic... dirty Dancehall that they could muster and it really does manage to weigh things down which is unfortunate. However, when it does actually work, what results is just a HINT of that deplorably presumably gone.... sweet, sweet era of music. Unsurprisingly, it is genre of the veterans such as Beenie, Buju and Ele who arguably shine the brightest (with a big respect to Ginjah as well), and it would have been damn interesting had such a project been loaded with the likes (with the biggest name missing being that other B). However, while I'm not likely to look back at the Recoup Riddim completely kindly, Flava McGregor does deserve credit for pulling together an ambitious project and on which, at least in spurts, gives fun vibes from when everything felt like home.
