First up this week is the latest from a longtime favourite of ours who is hopefully set to spend more time in the studio this year as the brilliant Reemah sets out her brand new tune, the equally sagacious 'Against It All'. I'm sure I'm not the only one who is STARVING for a new album from the Cruzan word champion and each and every time she sets out with a new release (as infrequent as it may be) she does nothing but add fuel to that fire. 'Against It All' does not become an exception as Reemah BLAZES as usual, this time along with Rymshot Music and the great Dean Pond.
"Ever bless and a respect overall
Wrong over right weh dem reject overall
It's just a vibe weh awaken overall
Cuz nuff a wolf inna sheep clothing overall"
"Ganja Farmer" by Marlon Asher [VAS Productions - 2026]
Someone who certainly hasn't been a stranger in the studio has been Trini burner, Marlon Asher, who just issued his most recent full length set, "Safe", last year. Well, the famed Ganja Farmer is back with a new EP release..... "Ganja Farmer", in celebration of the 20th anniversary of what remains his most popular song to date (I say all the time how fast it seems time flies; in this case it definitely does seem like it's been twenty years since 'Ganja Farmer' dropped. I'm almost surprised it hasn't been longer, actually). The seven track set features contributions from the likes of Masicka, Prince Swanny and Major Seven and it also carries a remastered version of its legendary namesake - and the general theme of all of the selections revolve around the same thing. I also HAVE to mention what I believe to be the single from "Ganja Farmer", 'Ganja Man', on which Marlon Asher taps the Ganjaville Riddim from our old friends at Oneness Records. That song is EXCELLENT!
"Winner" by Norris Man [Home And Away Music]
Many many moons ago, the great Norris Man released an album by the name of "Hey Woman". It was largely built on love songs and.... well.... well it was kinda terrible. It wasn't a good album. Earlier this year (on Valentine's Day), Norris Man thought he'd take another swipe at it with "Winner" and.... well.... I can't (I could) necessarily call it TERRIBLE but "Winner" is not a good album. One or two selections here (namely 'Doors Are Open' and maybe 'That Someone') prevent this one from being a complete lost but "Winner" isn't anything that you need to hear if you haven't already. I wasn't DYING for a new album from Norris Man and he's damn sure earned the right to do whatever he wants musically (and "Winner" is released on his own Home And Away label) but, again, "Winner" is no good.
Ziggi Recado
It seems as if I actually went quiet, for the most part, on the extraordinarily gifted Ziggi Recado. He'd turned in a few tunes that I wasn't particularly thrilled with and I didn't keep up with his output as well as I had in previous years. However, 2026 has seen a striking return to form and he's dropped a number of big tunes in its first half, alone. Arguably the biggest of them all is his WICKED latest (to my knowledge), 'One Step Forward' which I knew had the handiwork of the geniuses at Oneness Records even prior to my knowing that it was their production (I'[d recognize those horns ANYWHERE). 'One Step Forward' is brilliant and it's easily one of the finest tunes that I've heard from anyone so far this year. Ahead of that, Oneness also released the infectious 'Boom Meditation' which is another big tune (that riddim on that song is MAD!)... and you know where my mind is headed (keep making singles together...). A big new album from Recado would look LOVELY in the year's second half but until/unless then, we're all going to benefit from one of the genre's biggest talents seemingly on a course this year to destroy everything, everywhere with that quality.
Ziggi's also released a couple of songs via Nayamari Music (pretty sure that's his label), 'Same Realness' & 'Trod Straight'; both are solid but the latter, especially, is top notch.
The I:Rob Riddim [Mizik Muzik + Billionaire Bootcamp]
And this one kinda fits both in the current and past senses as it DELIGHTFULLY popped back up on my radars a month or so ago courtesy of a new compilation album release (and I was so DAMN happy about it that I nearly slapped a review on it). You'll have to go back two decades to when a tune by the name of 'Talk' by the talented Mr. Peppa became a sizable hit (and it's probably still his biggest hit right now). The tune was produced by Ward 21 and came atop their high-tech I:Rob Riddim. Who would have known that, in early 2026, the riddim would have a remastered compilation. That's exactly what I stumbled upon and have been KILLING ever since I noticed it. I'll give top honours to Peppa here but he most certainly was not alone in scoring on the I:Rob. Bounty Killer, Spragga Benz (whose trademark 'The Pusher' is excellent), the Ward themselves who take two shots at their riddim, Vybz Kartel and even Anthony B all turn in solid offerings (as does, to a lesser degree, Mad Cobra whose 'Red Eye' is just... very strange at times) on the I:Rob Riddim.
My Father loves music. Outside of a very select group of people (and maybe an animal or two), he probably doesn't love anything else more than music. My Father's also from Trinidad and I grew up listening to a variety of different sounds with Calypso/Soca amongst them. I didn't particularly like it though which may be hard to believe if you've spent any time around here. What changed?? Maybe when I was in my... let's say very early 20's, I stumbled across the amazing Destra. Sure, she was easy on the eyes, and if I'm being completely honest, that likely had something to do with it - but you cannot listen to LOOKS. What you can listen to is what remains some of the most damn near NAUSEATINGLY INFECTIOUS music that I have ever heard from someone who would not only make me a fan of hers but a fan of an entire genre. Here's a long overdue homage to she who wears the crown. Signatures: Destra
1. 'Bacchanal'
They call me Bacchanal. I wouldn't go as far as to call it a "rebirth" (suggesting that she needed such a thing) (she did not) but 'Bacchanal' could definitely be seen as a rebranding for Destra. Thereafter (and still) she would adopt the Queen Of Bacchanal moniker and it was, at least presumably, partially due to the strength and success of 'Bacchanal'. The tune was exactly what its title suggested. It was the heights of ridiculousness and chaos and it was BEAUTIFUL! Belonging to a very small group of tunes that can lay claim to being the single greatest Destra has ever done, 'Bacchanal' was absolutely masterful and over fifteen years later, it has not lost a single thing.
"It's in my blood
It's in my veins
Can't wash it off, I'm forever stained"
2. 'Carnival' featuring Machel Montano
So special. Destra has worked well with a number of different artists throughout the years but perhaps no one to greater effect than the incomparable Machel Montano. For some reason their styles have always clicked and the results have been spectacular. Arguably none have been greater than 'Carnival', which I THINK was also their first combination. The nearly quarter-century old tune has long reached legendary status (right along its creators) as it paired together, undeniably, two of the greatests to ever do it in a devastating form - both of them. What is here is hypnotic and virtually impossible to shake as on a list of addictive musical substances THIS is the most hooking of them all.
3. 'Welcome Back'
Anything goes. You know, I don't rightly remember what was going on prior to the release of 'Welcome Back'. Can't remember if she took it easy for a season and this tune was marking her return (and I don't feel like looking it up) or if it was just an idea she had for a song. Regardless of its origins, however, from the second I initially heard it, 'Welcome Back' became an instant favourite of mine from Destra and has remained so, fifteen years on. This is so despite the fact that there's nothing really unusual about it. It, ostensibly, doesn't separate itself from the proverbial pack much at all. The magic here is in the MEAT of the tune. When really dig into 'Welcome Back' it GLOWS. From its energy to its very subtle level of cleverness, not only was it not lacking on any front but it excels on ALL of them. Quietly (not really but you get what I mean) one of the strongest songs she's ever done, without question (and personally, the beginning of 'Welcome Back' is downright ICONIC for me. IT IS SPECIAL!).
4. 'Up In D Air'
Can't beat we yet. Much like the next entry on this list, 'Up In D Air' was very clever, whether we realized it or not (we definitely did see it in the next tune, one of her most celebrated and deservingly so) in its day. It was also as cool as it could possibly be. 'Up In D Air' was downright FROSTY! It just has such a sweet vibe to it and that goes on top of what is, again, a rather sagacious piece of writing from the QOB. Resting comfortably somewhere between Power and Groovy, the tune had all of the "jump & wave" styling that you would expect but that came in a way that wasn't... a bludgeoning.
"Cause when it comes to fete
They can't beat we yet
So put your hand in the air, rag in the air"
5. 'I Dare You'
I dare you. I DARE YOU! Easily one of the biggest hits of Destra's entire career, 'I Dare You' was and remains an absolute DIAMOND of a song. It literally had EVERYTHING! It touched every vibe and hit ever nerve in the listener, making for an undeniably all-encompassing track. Another feather in its cap was the fact that it sits (without question for me) as one of the finest WRITTEN songs that Destra has ever done as well. For what it was, 'I Dare You' was pretty much fucking PERFECT and it's no wonder at all that it reached the heights that heights that it did, looking back.
6. 'Fly'
Up in the sky. 'Fly' and maybe two or three others on this list are DIFFICULT songs for me. These days it's fully DRIPPING nostalgia for me as another one of the first Soca songs from anyone that really got me. She would have to do more work to KEEP me (here's a list full of that work) but to put it simply: 'Fly' and songs like it made me a fan of a Destra in the first place and, by extension, the entire genre of Soca music. TEARS!
7. 'Lucy'
I loose! Similar to the first song here, 'Lucy' marked another kind of rebranding of Destra as she took on what would become another popular nickname (and if you REALLY think about it, such things are pretty damn common in Soca). The song behind it, aside from the new name, was as hooking as it could possibly be. On a post FLOWING OVER with such selections, 'Lucy' is even catchier than most of them. Again, this is another song that benefitted from a multi-paced sound. There is SO much going on in here. It, literally, sounds like you're hearing the most melodic thunderstorm that you've ever encountered. Furthermore, if you listen to what she's actually saying, you'll get something out of it as well as Destra kind of paints Carnival and Soca music as this great revelation in her life which saw her go from growing up "as a real good girl" who was "always home" and "didn't go nowhere" to Lucy and to The Queen Of Bacchanal.
"THIS CARNIVAL HAVE ME SO DAMN LOOSE!"
8. 'Bonnie & Clyde'
I'm Your Queen! From beginning to end, 'Bonnie & Clyde' was frenetic.... ridiculous, wholesome goodness. More than twenty years on, it has not lost a single thing and it's even aged quite well and gathered quite a bit of international attention all of these years later. Absolutely gorgeous from the moment it released, 'Bonnie & Clyde' is simply one of the finest songs the entire genre has ever produced and it also does a mighty fine job in demonstrating what sets Soca apart from every other genre of music. You do not get pageantry and festivity like THIS anywhere else. It just does not exist anywhere else and it never will.
9. 'Mash Up'
We ready! I'm almost embarrassed (not really) that it took me a minute to come up with the name of this one because what I had in my head was what turned out to be the intro and then:
"WE READY!
WE READY!
WE READY!
WE READY!
WE READY!
WE READY!
To MASH UP everything!"
'Mash Up' was absurdity and ridiculousness of the absolute highest caliber. The reaction to it was fierce as well as the tune proved to be a nice sized hit in its day and, as you can tell, it remains EXCELLENT a dozen years later.
10. 'Savage'
LOSE. ALL. MY. CONTROL. 'Savage' was the crowning jewel from Destra's debut album release, "Red, White, Black" back in 2003 (an album which included the aforementioned 'Carnival') and, like 'Fly', it would have been amongst the very first Soca songs that really drew me in and kept my attention for awhile. These days, it's also brimming with nostalgia for me as it may not have been such a giant hit so I don't run into 'Savage' unless I'm looking for it, typically. You won't find it on many mixes and it won't be in the background of virtually anything but make no mistake about it: 'Savage' is EASILY one of the finest songs Destra has ever done.
11. 'Max It Up'
Reach the top! 'Max It Up' is another lovely knockout punch from Destra of a song. It peaks pretty much INSTANTLY and spends the next three and half minutes or so at the same place or relatively close to it. Although at times it threatens to be fully overwhelming, 'Max It Up' never overdoes it (well... okay it kind of does overdo it but in a good way) (in a PERFECT way) and finds such a wonderful balance. ALSO [!] if you listen to what's going on here -- as hard as it is to do -- Destra rewards you with an eye looking forward for herself and the whole of Soca music.
"Oh Father, finally, you set di Soca free
Wi own category inside of di Grammy
And now you blessing wi internationally
So when you watching wi feel proud a wi
On MTV & BET and di Grammy, it's alla wi
Support di Soca music, it's yuh identity"
12. 'Jumpin'
Defying gravity. The now twenty years old 'Jumpin' is another tune on this list that has a claim to being my absolute favourite Destra has ever done. Perhaps if you are a corpse you could pull this off but for my living readers, I'd challenge you (even in the wickedest of moods you may be in at the moment) to listen to this one and NOT smile. Something in here is sure to spark some sort of happiness in you. The mixture on 'Jumpin' is as impressive as ever. There's an undeniable melody here but in order to hear it, Destra kinda had to punch you in the face... DEAL!
13. 'Link Up'
Step aside. For some reason, 'Link Up' has always reminded me somewhat of the next song that I'm going to tell you about and I've made a personal 'link' between the two over the years. For its part, I hear 'Link Up' these days and a couple of things stand out. The first is that entirely EPIC beginning. Maybe [probably] I'm the only one who feels this way but how that electric drumming ascends into:
"EVERYBODY GET WILD"
Has carved out a very comfortable and lasting place in my memory and it isn't going anywhere. The other thing which I hear more these days from 'Link Up' is just how damn crazy it is. So many of these songs -- and Destra at her best, in general -- combine elements of Power Soca with Groovy and though 'Link Up' is the same (it even has a little old school textures to my ears) but when it pinnacles, 'Link Up' is a TRUCK of a tune, rolling right over any and every one in its way.
14. 'We Own It'
It's wi property. In retrospect, one of the most compelling assets of 'We Own It' was the fact that it kind of put its feet into two very different categories. On one hand, there's a very old schoolish, almost Calypso, sort of vibes to it while on the other, it will... 'We Own It' has no problem at all punching you in the face (and making you love it). Both of those work for me which is probably why the Jus Now steered track makes this list. This madness had a certain maturity and refinement to it.
Shine. Maybe even in a 'perfect' world, this wonderful music that we cover wouldn't receive the absolute highest level of attention that the artform has to offer. Perhaps it would still, in some respects, be regarded as regional or niche to some degree and in spite of its immense progression and that's just fine. You love it. I do too and it isn't going anywhere. With that being said, however, there do exist certain individuals in and around the music that I do so badly wish would get more in the way of consideration and observation even amongst more traditional Reggae fans. Here is typically where I would start listing a long line of overdeserving names before drawing a comparison to my prime star in this instance but, this time, I just have one on my mind (well two but... one is a comparison from the other side); Queen Omega. I don't think, strictly based on skill alone, that Reggae music should offer a level of spotlight that Queen Omega should not have CONSTANT access to. She should LIVE amongst the likes of Sizzla, Capleton, Buju Banton (thinking of an older generation, of course, closer to her own) and also Luciano because that is where her talent places her, in my opinion. It should also be said that she makes a brand of music that is very transferable so while I may have similar thoughts of someone like.... Dezarie; if a more casual listener to the genre tells me that they struggle to get into Dezarie's music, I'll understand. Of course I stress Luciano's name (he's my "comparison from the other side") because of the very close relationship he has with the venerable Mikey General. It takes more than talent alone, CLEARLY, and maybe there's a bit of luck involved but it almost bothers me that I have a very difficult time writing a review for a Mikey General album without mentioning Luciano's name but would have absolutely no problem at all writing a Luciano review without bringing up the General (even beyond my typical LOVE of comparisons) even once. One of the biggest points of discourse (arguably THE biggest, actually), for most fans, will likely always be his connection with The Messenjah. That's really too bad because if you do take the time to really get into Mikey General's work and all that he has done throughout the years, you quickly come to know that he has created a very strong legacy of his own.
I've found Mikey General's music to be pretty straightforward for the most part and though I don't consider that to be a bad thing (obviously), perhaps it hasn't endeared him to the widest of audiences. In fact, across the many years that I've been writing these things and 'covering' the music, in general, I don't... I don't think I've EVER come across a truly passionate fan of Mikey General's. That is insane because I can tell you about having conversations with extremely intense people about the likes of Tiwony and Sael despite the fact that they have very little clue as to what either says in their music due to there being a language barrier. I've also ran into similarly loyal fans of the likes of Lyricson, Jah Hem, Mada Nile, Prince Malachi and others who don't necessarily leap out at you from that list of tags on the other side of this page but I don't think that's been the case for Mikey General... which definitely makes it all the more important that I tell you about what he's been up to lately.
2022
Back in 2022, Mikey General released his until now most recent body of work, "Hold A Heights". I definitely enjoyed that album at the time and right now, having not heard it in quite some time, IT IS EXCELLENT. It has aged incredibly well and should probably be regarded as one of the best albums the General has done altogether at this point. Most DELIGHTFULLY, recent years have seen the singer be very consistent in his activity and, along with "Hold A Heights", he's also done the albums "Tewahedo" and "We The People" within the last eight years. Three albums in eight years is just fine by my count but FOUR albums in eight is even better and Mikey General now hits that mark with his brand new album for 2026, "Medhane Alem". I'll tell you, I do consider myself to be at least somewhat diligent when it comes to searching for new and up and coming releases and I had no idea whatsoever that this set was in the offering and only ran into it after it had already released. That's fine (it's greater later) but I do wonder how much early publicity was out ahead of it because I can recall there being just a bit more (many ANY. ANY would be more than none) in the case of "Hold A Heights". With a musical history dating back to nearly half a century now, as you might imagine, the British born General has recorded with an endless number of producers and released albums via several as well. In recent times, he's also continued to spread the wealth, with the aforementioned "Hold A Heights" being done in association with Reality Shock, while "Tewahedo" came via our good friend James "Dr. Seuss" Lord & co. at Irie Sounds International. That trend persists on "Medhane Alem" with the work of a variety of different producers and studios being represented with Mikey General, himself, also taking lead in production, along with young Yared Taylor (the General was born Michael Taylor and I do not believe that he is a relative of Yared's, although I could be wrong). Like much of his work, however, "Medhane Alem" is umbrella-ed beneath General's own Qabalah First Music and comes to us, digitally, via our ooooold friends at Zojak Worldwide. The last review I wrote (like three days ago now) was for Akae Beka's new album, "World Tap In", and I stressed in that case how exciting such a release was for me not only to sit and listen to but to be able to review as well and this case may be different in the routing, the end result is the same: I was REALLY looking forward to hearing what "Medhane Alem" had to offer and what does end up happening here, to the surprise of absolutely no one at all, is yet another solid release from a singer whose history says that he is nearly incapable of doing anything else.
"Medhane Alem" translates into "Saviour Of The World", signaling that you will find no great deviation or change of pace from Mikey General here. If you've become a fan of his via what he's done up to this point, it is very likely that you will like this one as well. As I've mentioned in the past (and much like Akae Beka, coincidentally), I've become more and more of a fan of General's as I've gotten older and it's gotten to the point where, as you can see, I'll happily drop whatever I'm working on at the time to get to work on a review of whatever he's up to (Signatures: Destra coming soon). As I started to get into the actual songs on the album, I would come to see that I had some type of familiarity with a couple of them but, for the most part, "Medhane Alem" is an album of twelve new and fresh songs from Mikey General for me, BOOM! Matters get started with what is easily one of the biggest moments here, 'Solace'. A couple of very interesting things happened on my way through this one: First of all is that I kind of recognized it... well, maybe not exactly. Research shows that it was released as a single in January but I'd never heard it; instead, I had heard a tune by the name of 'Time Is The Master' by Deshanty Plus, which shares a riddim with 'Solace' and both come via Marlon Muzic.The other interesting thing that caught me here was that, while listening to it just casually, in a curious way and not at all frustratingly so, I found myself wondering if it were ever going to end. The song checks in at a very healthy five minutes in length (making it the album's second longest) and they make the best of every single second. 'Solace' is delightful! It is such a lovely vibe to hear within a rather clever praise and I may come back and change my mind but, at least for now, I'm calling it my favourite song on "Medhane Alem" altogether and I would imagine that it would be a fine tune to see him perform some day as well. It has THAT type of energy, down to the very last note. 'Road Of Life' doesn't miss a beat, literally. If 'Solace' had you bobbing your head; it will continue right along here. You SIMPLY cannot get more SIMPLE than 'Road Of Life'. It is very straightforward and direct in dealing with negativity. What I took from it was the General telling us all to STOP WHINING AND COMPLAINING SO DAMN MUCH (he wouldn't say it like that, of course) and to stop looking for things that bother you and stress you out ["cause this world ain't so bad as how they make it how to be"]. Our title track stands up next and if you were expecting something super spiritually charged, you would be correct (I don't want to talk about what you are if you were thinking this would be something else).
"I come to tell you about the saviour
One who can change your behaviour
Our strength and redeemer
Maker of our souls
And if you should hear His voice, harden not your heart
Repent, repent, repent and serve the lord
Medhane Alem
That's your only friend
Medhane Alem
I tell you once again"
If you find yourself struggling and you're down on your luck, the General is offering you a way out and a way UP. 'Medhane Alem' is a sublime track with an equally top notch riddim. Speaking of riddims - 'Prayer' almost sounds like it taps a streamlined cut of the Queen of The Minstrel Riddim (which I knew immediately because as soon as it comes in, I start singing Sizzla's 'Guide Over Us' in my head). It also is a song that can lay claim to being one of the best vocal performances on "Medhane Alem" and the General uses those vocals to delivery something very strong, in my opinion. It's okay to make mistakes and do wrong and do bad things (if you don't, you aren't trying hard enough. Failure is as much a part of life as oxygen) but, again, when you find too many things going wrong and not in your favour, perhaps there exist a way for you to positively turn things around. I LOVE songs like this where every thing isn't perfect and rosy and ideal. To paint that picture for people is unreal and unnatural and just awful. Even when you do what exactly what you're supposed to do, sometimes you will make a mistake and it is not the end of the world despite how it may feel at the time.
I alluded to the length of 'Solace' and there being one song that is even longer and that piece is the nearly six and a half minute long 'Never Alone'. It does have some things going for it (lyrics and Mikey General probably maxing out his BEAUTIFUL voice once or twice) but I don't like this song. I've never been one for Gospel and 'Never Alone' is either pure Gospel or close enough to it to send me away and that's just fine. I also wasn't fond of 'Rose Anne' (nothing personal to anyone reading this who may be named Roseanne) initially but it has grown on me just a little. Going on another classic track, Mikey General tells the story of a woman with eyes for really bad people and things ["I'm so sorry for you, Rose Anne. Cah you no chat to no man who nah fire dem gun"]. At first, I think it may've hit me as this kind of stale and formulaic type of vibe but I was wrong about this one in the short and long terms. It's much better than I gave it at first and it is STILL growing on me while I'm writing this right now (to the point where I now have to go and change the transition to the next song). 'Pay The Man', on the other hand, is experiencing no such growth because I was convinced that I was goin to enjoy it even before I laid my ears on it.
"Look how hard the bredrin ah work
Sweat til him wet in him pants and him shirt
And still you want to dish him dirt
Don't want to give what him worth
Well he's the professional
You want to treat him like a criminal
TAKE THE CAPITAL AND THE PRINCIPAL AND LEAVE HIM WITH THE MINIMAL!"
Give a man his due! Whether it's money or credit or love or whatever it may be - GIVE IT TO HIM! This is extremely basic yet HIGH LEVEL common sense at work and you so rarely hear it in a song. You'll hear about oppression and negativity mainly but I was really impressed how the General specified it but, in doing so, the idea remains very broad and slightly open to interpretation and relatable because I think we've all either been in that situation where we've felt undervalued (and we're also all probably guilty of making someone else feel like that). The painfully short 'Pain' may not do a great deal in KEEPING your attention for too long -- being the only song on "Medhane Alem" south of three minutes in length -- but it does a decent job in its brief time. This song is just about the terrible way we sometimes treat one another and fail to show sympathy and empathy for other people, and maybe even going as far as to take advantage of them. The song is just fine but, in unfortunate reference to its size, 'Pain' just.... sort of stops. It ends rather abruptly and does so at a time when whoever is playing the guitar on the riddim is making their case. A big credit goes to that individual and everyone playing on that lovely riddim.
The other song featured on "Medhane Alem" that I was familiar with (without realizing it) is 'Breath Of Life'. Earlier this year, Mikey General released a tune with Dutch Alison Hinds doppelganger, Miriam Simone, which I had heard but I had forgotten the title and, of course, whoever put together the tracklist for this album neglected to give Simone a direct credit (you will find her name in the liners but not on the song title) so I had never even considered that this was that tune. Thankfully it is and the critique I may've had about there not being something of a changeup present on "Medhane Alem" is thrown right away. This is a song about giving thanks for the sake of giving thanks. Whatever you have or whatever you don't - you have LIFE and, for that, you should give some level of thanks. With that being said, HOWEVER, overwhelming and outpacing the message of 'Breath Of Life' is how DAMN SWEET it is. This very nice oldschool riddim comes via Dreddarecords (biggup Joggo) and it SHINES! With or without vocals, that things glistens and brings such a golden sound to one of the album's finest offerings. I remember seeing it and thinking/hoping it would mean that an album from Simone was forthcoming. Who knows, maybe we can get albums from Mikey General AND Miriam Simone in 2026.... wouldn't that be SO nice! More life is forthcoming on "Medhane Alem" in the form of the very healthy 'Life'. As another selection bubbling around the five-minute mark, 'Life' goes in quite a few different directions with the centralizing theme being the experiences that we all go through and accumulate in life and how we need to at least try to make the most of it. The General gets to this point by referencing several things such as the importance of leaning on wisdom and listening to your elders and a variety of things. The sonic appeal on 'life' isn't quite as high as some of the other tunes here but it's still a very nice vibes and a well poignant track. The all sorts of fun 'Humble Calf' begins to wind us down and does so in an unforgettable way. As soon as this one comes in, the intensity turns up, you probably get a smile on your face and you definitely feel like a good time is on its way and you would be correct in that. The song is about overlooking and underestimating people that you meet along your way, outwardly, and I imagine that Mikey General, personally, would have encountered many people who treated him in such a way to becoming who he is. FORTUNATELY, it hasn't depressed him at all and what you get is this upful and vibrant piece and CONFIDENT offering, seemingly written by someone with the security of knowing that, should they feel the need to, they're more than capable of shutting up a naysayer or two. And the album reaches its end with another standout, the anti-procrastination and anti-nosey anthem, 'Handle Your Business'.
"Jah bless the man with the diligent hand
Jah gonna help him execute his plan
Jah gonna take him to his destination, even though the journey might be long
I know it is crazy to feed someone who's lazy
You got two hands, two eyes, two feet and still nah look food fi eat
You better handle your business
And leave people business
Cause the best kinda business is to mind your own business"
The riddim sounds VERY familiar to me (almost sounds like an old Xterminator track and the General is a product of the great label) but I'm almost certain it's actually new to my ears. Whatever it's origins, it is outstanding and, just like the full song, one of the finest to be found on this release.
I do want to mention, quickly, a nice little quality about "Medhane Alem" and it is one that I find myself giving relatively frequently - and I do love when I come across it. I'll spare you the numbers but, my (probably inaccurate) calculations say that the album averages a chunk over four minutes per song. VERY NICE. Particularly in Roots music where you tend to have more instrumentation like this, it gives your sound more time to grow on the listener and you get displays such as what you hear on 'Solace', especially.
Overall, if you are the slightest bit of familiar with the work of Mikey General then I can assure you that "Medhane Alem" is more of what precisely what you are familiar with and that's a good thing from where I'm sitting (in the kitchen). I directed this review in a certain direction, talking about the General not being as appreciated as I'd like to see him be or as much as others around him but that isn't going anywhere. I can't do anything about it with this review and, one would think, if were going to happen, it already would have for the 62 year old singer. HOWEVER, what I can do is to assure the people who're listening and have been for years that the new album is more of what made a fan out of you, originally. While I won't call it his absolute best work, "Medhane Alem" is another clear winner from an artist in Mikey General who, although he'll likely never be THE most popular, has spent his career REWARDING everyone who has taken a moment to listen to his wonderful work.
Okay so, May's turning out to be a pretty big month. Along with our first review, we also have releases from Mikey General (review already done, coming soon) and Marlon Asher; and even Shaggy is back later this month with a brand new album and we're working on a few other things as well. Before we move on, however, I wanted to get back and take another look at the album we most recently covered, the beautiful "World Tap In" by Akae Beka, a week later. I'm still working with it (I always will be) and I wanted to kind of focus on one thing that I said during it and give you an actual example of what I meant by one thing in particular and how the wonderful music that this man has left us with sends me down these BEAUTIFUL rabbit holes.
I tend not to try to take in too many opinions of others before I review an album because if I feel one way about something but the prevailing thought is the complete opposite, I don't want to be swayed. i want to be on that island. Akae Beka's music is a bit different though because you don't see much in the way of negative responses so my interest in a situation like this would be to see which songs people are gravitating towards. While there hasn't been much yet in the way of a critical response that I've noticed (I haven't seen another review besides mine but I would expect more to be on the way), I have seen fans discussing the album, here and there, and what has come my way from our old readers (who still have my email address) has been that one of the biggest winners from "World Tap In" is 'Sycamore Tree'. That very same tune took top honours from me and I've been working on it and have all sorts of fun doing so. [Now you watch where this is going] When I first heard it, one of the things that went through my mind was how unique that it was and I immediately started to think of other songs Vaughn Benjamin had done that it reminded me of. The one I mentioned was 'Sha-tee', which probably isn't a very good comparison (and I likely just mentioned it because I absolutely love that song) but I had another one in my mind that I was thinking of but couldn't quite get out. You know I searched high & low for that song and I THINK that I found it in a very curious place.
A dozen years ago, a label by the name of Iaahden Sounds released a Midnite album by the name of "Stand The Test". The song was 'King Ring' and I was completely wrong, it sounds nothing like 'Sycamore Tree' at all, however, LISTEN TO THIS DAMN SONG!
"Dem seh dem ahgo abandon dem ship then ah feel fi go down wid it
Mediterranean children to all the world metropolis-
Just to find a stable medium between the poor and the rich
TOWNHALL MEETING INNA DI SCREECHIEST PITCH
INDEPENDENCE BECOMES DI BIGGEST SLICE PERCENTAGE
Political position dem no waan fi be associated with
World cities of a changing demographic
Lack of technology cah dem see it as limited
Merchant marinas find a store weh wi deal
The manners of our guest - observation fi is
THE MANNERS OF THE HOUSE MAY BE INCLINE-ED
These are the roadsigns from the time weh wi live
Di warrior bust from ancient was explicit
Bible seh nothing new, under the sun, exist"
I remember "Stand The Test" (it was kind of a Hip-Hoppy sounding album) but I do not remember it sounding like THAT! There is a further connection in here as the press release (that no one bothered to send to me) mentions that one of the players of instrument on "World Tap In" is a Jordan 'Iaahden' Jones who, of course, is also the Iaahden behind Iaahden Sounds and produced "Stand The Test" in its entirety. THIS would also take me on another journey through Benjamin's catalogue because, of course, I was also certain that I remembered another tune which reminded me a lot of 'King Ring' and this was easier to find because I had actual words in my head and that was 'Ithiopia Millenium Deliverance', from the album "Ina Now".
"And the Genesis of the age is Selassie I, Jah
And the Genius of the age is Selassie I, Jah"
I hadn't listened to "Ina Now" in quite awhile so what I do with things like that is that I'll go back and read through my own review, curious as to what I said about the album generally and, particularly, which song I said was my favourite at the time and in this case I was really happy because I actually did choose 'Ithiopia Millenium Deliverance'; and I even referenced that lyric as well.
Okay, that "one thing" that I mentioned from my review that kind of started me to actually writing this was this:
"Benjamin's work is truly the gift that keeps on giving."
Do you see what I mean? This isn't a random occurrence either. It's surely more often happening these days given the new album release but, even without it and not to exaggerate anything, but I'll have episodes like this... maybe once or twice a month even without new material pointing me in a certain direction (the "Kings Bell" album usually does it for me. If you REALLY get into that one, there're so many lines you can draw to other work) and whether I find what I'm looking for (if I'm even looking for anything) does not matter. It is the journey to comprehension that matters most and Vaughn Benjamin left us with a, literally, endless musical itinerary. That is not death. I don't know what that is but that is not death.
