Capleton & Pressure Busspipe....

....I am a man of many words. Somethings speak for themselves.  

Chosen One: A review of Oath Of Akae by Ancient King

Specifics. Given the nature of the type of music that we cover more times than not around these parts -- Roots Reggae -- you'd like to think that most of the makers of this wonderful sound would, in some way, be involved with its production outside of doing it as a profession. Of course, it is important that they be paid and supported for their works because EVERYTHING costs money and we want them to continue to give us more and more (and they have to make a living, after all) but you get the feeling, in dealing with a few of these people that... even if it cost them DAMN NEAR ALL OF THEIR MONEY to do, they'd still be making music for us. They just couldn't help themselves. There is a crowned king of such dedicated lot whose name I mention constantly and will get not very far at all in this review before I mention it again and I think that this man created a kingdom which will reverberate throughout Reggae music (and maybe even beyond) for a VERY long time. Though the type of music he made isn't at all intended for children (trust me, I know. However, should you meet a child that has a genuine ear for what he did, that kid may be special), I think we'll soon end up listening to musicians who were raised in households with parents who played his music non-stop. Apart from that coming class, we also have a handful of his peers who fit into a very similar category and one of my absolute favourites, both in terms of this hyper-devoted group as well as just writing about, in general (his music is a very welcomed challenge for me) is definitely Ancient King. I put the chanter (and I mean CHANTER. The man CHANTS!) into a very small group of artists from out of his native St. Croix who demonstrate a level of passion in their music that suggests that they'd go through all hell if they had to in order to spread their message. Another name who would fit in there perfectly would be Jah Rubal. I don't know how old Jah Rubal is, but if he is around in his 80's, I FULLY expect him to still be active in someway, making music. He's someone that will almost surely get much of the star shining in his direction but seems fine with that, so long as those who have ears for what he creates are able to receive it (and I really should review a Jah Rubal album one of these days). In terms of their styles, you could definitely find several similarities between Rubal and Ancient King (and I'm now wondering if they've ever actually done a song together) and they also have something else in common besides that and their origins.

Over the past few years or so, Trinity Farm Music (most [if not all] times with Go A Chant Productions, including this time) has been in a MIGHTY form. Releasing works from such names as Ras Abja, Ras Army, DANNY I (WHAT!), Rob Symeonn, Biblical, Bobo David and others, TFM has become a very familiar and frequent stop for us lately. In 2024, the label leveled up in delivering "Living Testament". Billed as the final album recorded by the legendary Akae Beka (and just in case you're COMPLETELY new and did not figure it out, Akae Beka is who I've been alluding to from the beginning of this review without actually naming him), the set would take out top honours as the finest Reggae album of the entire year, altogether; later, they launched a FINE dubbed out version of it as well. Coincidentally (for my sake) (and you'll now see how this ridiculous tangent I just went on wraps up), just a couple of months after "Living Testament" reached, Trinity Farm would also bring "Long Live The King", a full studio set from none other than the also aforementioned Jah Rubal... and I guess I should have guessed what was coming up next. 

2022

Late in 2024 (the second day of November, to be exact), Trinity Farm would begin with a stream of singles via Ancient King and would continue to do so through the first quarter or so of 2025 (there's a song called 'Word Sound and Consequence Power' which is (excellent) not on what I'm going to tell you about today and it's only credited to Go A Chant... just thought you should know) in CLEAR anticipation of a forthcoming full project which is now WONDERFULLY available, the most curiously titled "Oath Of Akae". Most recently, Ancient King would work alongside Ras Elyment Records for 2022's (...does not seem like it was that long ago, AT ALL. If you told me that album came out early last year or late 2023, it would have been more believable) "Seh Selassie I" and while I wasn't surprised at all, given their history, that he would catch the attention of Trinity Farm, I was damn happy to see this album pop up and even more pleased with who was working on it. The aforementioned "Seh Selassie I" came through Ras Elyment Records and the Ancient King has also worked on albums with the likes of Adios Babylon (great name), Higher Bound Productions, Full Grown Records and, of course, I Grade Records on his well received debut, the now twenty years old "Conquering Sound". Of course, one could well make the case that, like Jah Rubal and Vaughn Benjamin, Ancient King is less dependent upon the work of production (at least as far as riddims go) due to his style to somewhat overwhelm or just talk over the track (Benjamin would not do such a thing, he just had the tendency to entirely ignore the riddim at times) (although he did improve upon that later in his career, becoming more melodically aware in my opinion), which is another trait that probably doesn't endure him to many fans, but I have to admit that it is another thing about him/them that I've come to enjoy to a degree. I've made the point in the past about Ancient King, in particular, being the type of artist whose music is going to have a very limited appeal. Fans of all levels of experience of Roots Reggae music are not automatically going to gravitate towards his sound. He'll never have be 'accused' of making the most entertaining brand of the music. HOWEVER, should you fall into the category, like me, as someone who LOVES lyrics and appreciates passion in the extreme sense of the word - Ancient King makes music for you. As a matter of fact, he's made a new album and, if you aren't doing anything, I'd LOVE to tell you all about it. 

Let's talk about that title! If this review/album is not your introduction to him, then perhaps the first time that you became aware of Ancient King and his music came via his now twenty year old debut, "Conquering Sound". That set featured a tune by the name of 'Faith, Courage and A Just Cause' which featured the aforementioned Vaughn Benjamin. If you had heard AK's music prior to "Conquering Sound", maybe you heard one of his three contributions to the "Weep Not" compilation (both "Conquering Sound" & "Weep Not" were on I Grade Records, if you're interested), when he recorded under the name Willow. That same release featured several tunes from Benjamin under his own former band name, Midnite (the finest of which was probably the WICKED opener, 'Jah Umbrella', with 'Chant A Psalm' chasing it closely). Chances are decent that Benjamin and the Ancient King were AT LEAST on good terms and I, like many others, I'm sure, presumed the title to be some type of tribute to Vaughn Benjamin, who would later take on the name, Akae Beka. I still believe that to be the case, HOWEVER, subsequent research has revealed that the producer of "Oath Of Akae" is actually credited as Akae Beka, so the ties between the two CLEARLY run deep. The biblical 'Oath Of Akae' gets us started on the album named for it and the very first voice that you hear on the album just might be that of Benjamin's, reading from The Book of Enoch. The heart of "Oath Of Akae" is clear and you can head right to scripture and 'sing' along at certain points but I cannot help (because I'm an overthinker and that's just what I do) but begin to apply certain aspects of THE SONG to Benjamin as well. Regardless of how you take it in full, the title track is a solid start and entirely emblematic of what I mean about AK's style. It has a nice riddim, but he isn't too concerned with it. He's come to make his point in his chant and that is precisely what he does. The attraction for me is there: There's a passion which almost gives it a kind of a Spoken Word type of appeal. Had this one been completely sans music altogether, it would not lose any bit of its quality in my opinion. Next in is a song which helps to kick the album into a higher gear, the heavy 'Kiddus Kiddus Kiddus'. While you'll definitely get a similar vibes as the opener, here, we get a bit more of a sonic appeal as well and it is a stronger and more accurate demonstration of Ancient King's talent. That being said, however, "Oath Of Akae" reaches its highest of heights courtesy of 'The Earth is Egziabheer'.

"Seh only Selassie I love can break di barrier weh dem set up

It in Selassie I speech: The living spring it a precept

Ordinance, ethics, principle that man must his will be obedient to

MEANING YOU WILL BE OBEDIENT TO GOOD INFLUENCE

Get off yuh false pretense!

So Jah power can flow through you freely-

Like the river that move through the rock without stagnation and hesitation

The teachings deh deh inna nature, right before your eyes!

So high!

Rastaman still ah chant again

Hey, the earth is the Lord!

And the fullness that dwell therein

NOTHING NO HARD FI RECOGNIZE, PEOPLE

Tear off the veil off your eyes

Jah teach I everything, King Selassie I

His moon show HIM face in the night

Written long ago, by Enoch the immortal, it was prophesized

It's happening, whether or not you deny

Impeccable is Haile Selassie

I vow The King of Kings, which I cannot fathom

So I tread

THE HANDWRITING OF THE KING OF KINGS IS IN EVERYONE HEAD

Reticular Activating System

THE DOCTOR CALL IT RAS!"

WHAT??! BOOM! Along with being a lyrical powerhouse, 'The Earth is Egziabheer' is also solid sonically. It takes a bit of patience and some digging, but there is one NICE sounding track buried within. I spent a ton of time with this one and it's become one of my favourites from Ancient King, altogether, along with being this album's finest. Of a similar nature is DEFINITELY 'Tender Obedience' which absolutely dazzles, lyrically ["Ship without a rudder. Rudderless ship. Progress without religion, check di videoclip. Inter-woven chip, named selfie"]. This one is a shot at arrogance and anti-humility, wrapped up in a very clever praising tune and, again, a major highlight from "Oath Of Akae". That rolls PERFECTLY right into the next selection, 'Ah Who You'. This one is totally aimed at those who have forgotten and lost their place in the world and think that it is they who are in absolute control. There is a stretch around 2:40 or so in when 'Ah Who You' LEVELS UP! AK warms up and tunes in and, relatively calmly, he goes on a lyrical tirade which is amongst THE most impressive such runs that you will find here. Filling out the first half of the album is recent single, 'Hites'. The song is an adaptation (or an expansion) of a legendary quote, "The heights of great men, reached and kept, were not attained by sudden flight....". Like the quote, the song is one dealing with ideas such as perseverance, patience and motivation. You've heard songs like this one (Beenie Man even had a similar one), and what I try to take from thoughts like these is the idea that IT IS OKAY TO FAIL and to screw up and make mistakes and, through doing those things (often over and over and over again), is what lays the foundation for the success you may have. It applies in the grandest of situations as well as the smallest (if you're going somewhere and you get lost, you now know not to go in the direction you just did). It is something that may be very small but no less of a necessity AT ALL. 

Try as I might (and you know I did), outside of a very direct tribute to Akae Beka, I couldn't get much out of 'It's The Rain' which begins the second half of "Oath Of Akae". It has a very easy and straight forward vibes to it and it isn't a BAD song (AT ALL), but I don't that it does much for what it is. The track following 'It's The Rain', 'Permit The Child', is one that I've probably spent more time listening to than any other on this release. I do not love it... but I suspect that I may someday. Self explanatory, 'Permit The Child' is about raising children well, setting proper examples and encouraging them to make the best choices for themselves when the time comes and, lyrically, it has its moments and the riddim (which is damn near invisible, you have to REALLY listen to this song to give some attention to the instrumentation), for what it is, is quite strong. There is something about it, however, which has kept me at arm's distance so far but I am still well working on closing that gap. 

The balance of "Oath Of Akae" experienced no such 'growing pains' with me, on the other hand and is four extremely well done selections. I was going to tell you that 'Make Someone Smile' was the best of the rest. It isn't but it is still a MIGHTY effort and one featuring an abundance of good, common sense.

"To make someone smile, really make you feel good inside

Release endorphins

HAPPINESS IS A COLLECTIVE PHENOMENON, SHOULDN'T BE INDIVIDUALIZED

Need the relationship of the other side

Man seh him have two car, you no have one

Look. One fi drive

That is true happiness inside

'A man happines is to make his brother happy'-

Words of Selassie I

Away with the selfishness

About that, no badda

Nature reveal everything you can see everyday

WE ALL NEED EACH OTHER

Symbiosis

WATCH HOW THE BIRD CLEAN THE CROCODILE TEETH

People learn that to peacefully coexist"

Sometimes, keeping things as simple as you possibly can is the best route and that's exactly the course taken by Ancient King here. DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE ELSE! Go out of your way to make someone happy! It's something You (and I), unfortunately, need to be reminded of from time to time and 'Make Someone Smile' is a BEAUTIFUL gesture in the right direction. A touch stronger is 'Brake All Chains'. If you seek a bit of flames in the latter stages of "Oath Of Akae", 'Brake All Chains' is precisely what you're looking for as, most fittingly, the Ancient King delivers a history lesson not to be missed ["Mandela say when him shake Haile Selassie hand, him shake his with history!"]. The biggest monster roaming the halls of the second half of "Oath Of Akae" (as well as the second largest in full) is without a doubt the brilliant health conscious 'Convinient Store Tree'. 

"I convenient store is a tree

Where I get food freshly

Jah food is 100% naturally

No 10% juice like Minute Maid, Tropicana and dem juice weh inna shop weh unhealthy

I convenient store is a tree

Where I get food freshly

Jah food is 100% naturally

No 10% juice like Minute Maid, Tropicana and dem juice weh inna shop weh nasty

WHERE THE 90% JUICE GONE?

It's artificially

Weh stay inna yuh blood and mek yuh body sickly

When you go to di bush doctor, first thing dem ahgo tell you:

Return to a herb tree

Chlorophyll identical to your hemoglobin weh deh in yuh body

So mi tell di nation dem fi don't pass no tree-

CAUSE YUH MEDICINE IS NOT IN DI PHARMACY

DAT A PHARMACEUTICAL DRUG YOU ONLY CAN GET IT IF YOU HAVE MONEY

NATURE GIVE YOU FREELY, INNA ABUNDANTLY

Proper, essential minerals provided

For the 102 minerals required for the body 

You can find it in the earth, even the sea

Sea-moss, it have 92 minerals of the highest set of calcium

Mek yuh bones healthy"

I mean..... I could have kept going. The man absolutely POURS lyrics all over the track and, at least in parts, the riddim holds up well although it is ultimately overwhelmed and largely vanishes beneath the tirade. 'Convinient Store Tree', like 'The Earth is Egziabheer', is SPECIAL! Charged with sending us out is the solid 'Peace is Possible'. Musically speaking, the closer may just be the single most interesting song here with its BRIGHT (and very curious beginnings) sound and Ancient King permits it its time to shine (it also sounds distinctly louder than just about any other composition on the album to my ears. It's like they wanted you to hear it). He also seems to make an actual effort to stay on the melody it provides and, in doing so, likely makes the easiest listen on the entire project. Lyrically, 'Peace is Possible' also does well with AK present His Majesty as THE symbol of peace (almost like a role model) though I suspect that much of the audience that it reaches will stick around for the change in vibes, which is an excellent touch and a very nice way to end things.

I had an idea of something about Ancient King's music, in general, and I arrived there because of a bit of math, actually. There're twelve tracks on "Oath Of Akae", with the album topping out at fifty-seven minutes and eleven seconds. By my (surely incorrect) count, that's a roughly four minutes and forty-five second average per tune. That is HEALTHY. So my idea was to look back at some of his other sets to see if they were at a similar length. A quick look back reveals very robust runtimes for the likes of "Seh Selassie I", "Ethiopie", "Conquering Sound" and 'Swords Of Wisdom" (which actually has five tracks north of SIX MINUTES in length). My point is that, in order for Ancient King to be anywhere near his best; in order for his music to be able to get through what I THINK he would want his listeners to take from it, ANCIENT KING NEEDS TIME. He needs room to cook and to get his point across to emote and to do all of the small wonderful details that go into making his style what it is and perhaps more so (or just as much, at the  very least), as anyone else going today. 

Overall, while I'm going to attempt to not directly compare "Oath Of Akae" to any of its predecessors, I will say that it is stronger than MOST of them and should some heavy fan of Ancient King want to call it his best work today, I do not think that's unfair or hyperbole. I have often made the point about him that Ancient King's music isn't for everyone, not even ALL seasoned fans of the genre will have ears for it and that remains the case here (you may want to check either "Conquering Sound" or "Swords Of Wisdom" for something more digestible), true and through. What Ancient King has done, however, with "Oath Of Akae", is to put up yet another strong demonstration of exactly who he is not as a 'musician' or as an 'artiste' but as a person. I am well convinced that making this sound is as natural to Ancient King as breathing and with the way he performs it, it becomes more and more apparent each and every time I hear him. While "Oath Of Akae" may or may not be a full tribute to someone else who walked a similar path (...it is), what it is clearly is a strong from someone who, obviously, is doing EXACTLY what he was meant to be doing. 

Rated: 4.25/5

Trinity Farm Music

2025

New from Queen Omega & Irie Ites!

 I heard an interview a couple of weeks ago where the great Queen Omega said that she was working on a new album. It will be fantastic, no matter who she works with. If it is Irie Ites in production, it may be special. This is madness. New tune, 'Touch Ina Di Place'.

Best Case Scenario: A review of Sibusiso by Perfect Giddimani

Roses. I'm not talking about the very first time that you hear a song from someone that you think is talented and has something about them that you want to hear and learn more of; but maybe after a few songs, a hit or even a full album from someone new to you, I tend to start projecting -- entirely incorrectly -- on just who they might turn out to be, musically. Almost immediately I'm thinking about them working with this artiste or that producer and going on some riddim from back in da' day. You can liken it to sports, where someone comes up and you start thinking of what they may do and, specifically, where they may end up or what they could do if paired with a certain team or coach. All of that stuff is going on in my mind, somewhere. Musicians are like the rest of us and many won't reach their full potential for one reason or another, some will and others still, will even "overachieve". While I don't think that I can make the case, fully, that today we're dealing with an overachiever (because he did show so much promise around his nascence but we're definitely going to look at someone who, as we examine it these days (or at any point over the past decade or so), has seemingly gotten every OUNCE out of his potential and capabilities. Keeping bona fide super stars out of the equation (because that's just too damn easy, isn't it?), I think of individuals who've charted similar courses with regards to their talents. The name, oddly enough, that immediately came to mind was Tiwony. Whether or not you've paid him much attention at all, at this point TIwony has had a FANTASTIC career. He's made some exceptional music and, at least in my opinion, has well established himself as one of the greats in all of modern Reggae music but on the French and FWI scene, specifically (and he's continuing. Check his new album, "Reggae Frequency"). Tiwony's was a name that came to mind especially because there hasn't been a point in his career since I've been following his work (twenty years now) where he has NOT demonstrated a high level of ability and though there may be levels of popularity that he will not touch, there is no one in Reggae today who enjoys a noticeable gap over him in terms of what they are capable of. Others such as Bugle and, of course, Lutan Fyah have CLEARLY made the most out of what they've been given, though each and every thing that they do may not have the widest reach (and the result of that is that you can HAPPILY find yourself going through their catalogues and finding EXCEPTIONAL work that you missed at released). 

Someone else who not only fits into that group and that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE writing about is the always compelling sitting King of the Chalice Palace, Perfect Giddimani. I've spent years describing Perfect as a kind of a volatile Roots Reggae chanter and I stand by that, still. What I mean by "volatile" is that he can be damn unpredictable in terms of what he's going to do with a song. You never really know what Perfect is going to do from verse to verse and he does have the aptitude to FLAME without notice and he is at least proficient with everything he tries. What results is an often thrilling brand of the genre and, even when he keeps thing toned down, still a very solid display of his skills. When you take that and put it with how I think most people probably initially came into contact with Perfect -- a little tune called 'Handcart Boy' from about two decades ago now -- I do not see how this gets much better on his end. Were you to have told me, back then, that I would be, in 2025, HAPPILY writing a review for album #whoknows (I really don't feel like counting). And while they haven't all been roses ("Karma" might just be THE worst album I have ever reviewed on this blog), Perfect has produced some BEAUTIFUL projects over the years and, apparently, the end of his reliability is not in sight. 

Remember this one???

Most recently was the lovely "Ah Mi Yard" from 2023. That set, surprisingly, came via the also ultra-reliable I Grade Records & Zion I Kings, but if you take a minute and go through the type of work that Perfect has done.... you run into gems and just SOLID pieces such as "Journey Of 1000 Miles" ["DON'T WORRY NOR PANIIIIIIIIIIIC"], "Back For The First Time", "French Connection", the debut, "Giddimani".... "Better Off Dread"... I could go on... "Over The Top"! One of the biggest and most satisfying products of writing reviews like this is that I have to do gather 'ammunition' to write them. I have to do some research and remind myself of certain things and, in doing so, I go back and listen through some of an artist's previous work and IT HAS BEEN SO MUCH DAMN FUN doing that in this case - refamiliarizing myself with some of Perfect's, perhaps, overlooked output (you'll find some DIAMONDS, buried on some random album from a dozen years ago ["RIDE OUT! RIDE OUT! Natty Dread ride out! With a big, fat, high-grade spliff inna mouth"]. Now, at the end of the first quarter of 2025, Perfect adds to his more than respectable lot with the latest addition to the catalogue, "Sibusiso [Blessings]". Like almost all of Perfect's recent work (in one way or another), "Sibusiso" comes via Giddimani Records, though production is handled by Sinky Beatz, with whom the chanter has been working extensively in recent times. Like much of the world with good sense, Sinky Beatz caught a  deadly case of Reggaemylitis ("it is incurable") (biggup Peter Tosh) and the Spanish born ace has made an outstanding contribution to the music, particularly finding a good level of chemistry with Perfect and, though I'm not sure about this at all, it would seem as if the plan was always to build towards releasing an album, given the amount of work they have done together over the last couple of years or so. Perfect has been afforded (and deservedly so) the opportunity to work with many of the finest in production in Reggae during his career but he has clearly struck a chord in working with Sinky Beatz. How do I know that? Let's talk about "Sibusiso".

Going through so many of those old albums in research for this review - and it occurred to me JUST HOW MUCH I've actually written about Perfect's music over the years. Off the top of my head, without reading some of those reviews, I don't even remember writing some of them (evidence of my senility??) but once I actually dive into the material, it gave me this BEAUTIFUL nostalgic experience, going through some of the classics. Perfect Giddimani now attempts (....he succeeds) in adding to that lot with his brand new release, "Sibusiso", which comes out swinging with a pair of its heaviest hitters. The first, 'Another Marcus Garvey', SOARS. I absolutely loved this tune because of the types of 'ground' it covers. It does things both specifically and broadly, using the umbrella-ing theme of Garvey to not only honour the man but also use his teachings and ideologies in ways which are applicable today. Perfect also places this in a GORGEOUS package (one which is forty-five seconds longer than any other on "Sibusiso"). The opener is just an all-around satisfying offering. It's probably been a minute since I've said this about an album, but the very next song, the second on the entire album, hits the highest mark altogether in my opinion as you will not find the equal of 'Africa Mother Land' on this album.

"Africa, bless Africa, mi Mother Land

A weh mi sister and mi brother from

Africa, bless Africa, mi Mother Land

Hail Emperor Selassie I, no other one

Africa, bless Africa, mi Mother Land

A weh mi great-great grandmother from

Africa, bless Africa, mi Mother Land

Never give away and continent

Babylon you invade Mama, with your English grammar

Trick many with cotton and silk

And then you took my ancestors on a ship named Jesus

And nuff a dem drowned or sink

And to make it through the middle passage, saltwater mi drink

Dem separate us, a eyewater mi blink 

NO MATTA WHAT NO SLAVEMASTER THINK:

MI CHOP OFF DI CHAIN, BUT MI NAH CUT DI AFRICAN LINK

A mi yard

For those at home and those of us abroad

No matter if you have a yellow or green card

America- dem ah dream hard

Now dem turn inna nightmare, watch dem ah bawl

So right ya now, ya back against di wall

Look from how long Africa ah call

Mi tired of di prejudice war

Every black man a star

But if you don't know where you from, you don't know who you are

Remember dung a Ghana, Senegal and Dakar

I man deh yah inna di west but mi travel from far because of slavemaster boy Caesar

DEM DRAIN DI SWAMP AND LEAK OUT DI RESEVOIR 

Police shoot mi bredda with an old slr

And di ghetto youths ah draw bad card"

Perfect does not put A TOE (forget about a foot, NOT A DAMN TOE!) wrong lyrically on this MAMMOTH track which if you are of African descent... of if there is even anything on the continent that you REMOTELY find enjoyable, is sure to give you a jolt of pride. 'Africa Mother Land' is one of the single finest songs that I have ever heard from Perfect. Period. 'Ethiopia Sunshine' is kinda/sorta what you might be expecting with such a title. Its presence helps to make an atmosphere on the album but it doesn't do much (it doesn't even try, really. I'd be surprised if there was much planning behind it. It sounds like a vibe for this beautiful riddim). It's just a nice way to spend a few minutes. We head back to the stars courtesy of previous single, the rocketing 'Selassie White Horse'. I'm going to say something further about this one a bit later but the riddim on 'Selassie White Horse' is BEAUTIFUL! It is otherworldly level material (it's literally perfect) and Perfect uses it to to deliver a message of imagery and perception of how we identify certain things IMMEDIATELY and more progressively ["Jah no dead... The Lion Of Judah is doing well"] on one of the finest moments "Sibusiso' has to offer. Again, the tune does something in its latter stages which we'll get into a bit later, but you will listen to this entire thing in the name of enjoying one of the most unforgettable recent selections from Perfect altogether. The wholly golden 'Worthy For Jah' might also be familiar to your ears as it released as a single a year ago or so. This one was just RIPE of discussion items but what I ultimately took from it was the idea of having standards (if not for yourself, then for The Almighty) and at least making the attempt to be a better person.  

"Finally

Clean up the temple inside of me

Jah loving is primary

Never put your trust in vanity"

In general, however, 'Worthy For Jah' is IMMENSE music. It is of extremely high level and at the risk of sounding redundant (...and you know I don't give a damn), it also ranks amongst the album's finest offerings. The first half of "Sibusiso" wraps up with a pair of solid pieces in 'High Grade Mi Love' and 'Automatic Sibusiso [Blessings]'. The first is the album's ganja tune [DUH] and although it most certainly is not great (Perfect has done much better on the subject which is one of his favourite), at this point I think Perfect might, literally, have to try to make a bad tune on the topic for it to be something subpar. 'High Grade Mi Love' is not such a crack. 'Automatic Sibusiso' also doesn't hit the highest levels here but what it does have going for it is it sound. It may not do much and it isn't the best written piece that Perfect has done but there is a charming... almost 1980's style R&B appeal to this one --somewhere in there-- which my ears heard in its midst and stuck to. What results, very subtly, may actually stand as a changeup for the project and just a nice touch, in any case.

While perhaps not as glaring as its antecedent, the album's second half does have quite a bit going for it including a pair of BIG combinations, featuring a two BIG names as well as some otherwise STELLAR efforts. 'Zion House' would have taken a bit of time to grow on me but I was glad that I didn't just pass on it as average or such because it is stronger than that. The sound here, at least in my opinion, is a little odd. The tune is quite skeletal (a term I used to often use to describe Vaughn Benjamin's music, meaning that there is a lot of SPACE in it) and while it doesn't do a great deal, what it does manage to accomplish is provide a nice vibes. 'Zion House' is a nice listen and I will mention it again, shortly, in celebration of something even stronger. Perfect nearly returns to set form of "Sibusiso" with the following 'Him Presence'. The chorus on 'Him Presence' sits alongside some of the most infectious and well done on the album and the rest of the song benefits greatly from the course that it sets. Built on somewhat of a biblical structure, this one has an air about it that might give it a feel slightly exceeding its actual quality, but it won me over, ultimately. 'Him Presence' is lovely. The well traveled first of two aforementioned combinations is in, 'Champion in Action', tapping increasingly oft Perfect collaborator, the great Lutan Fyah. This one is just a good time [!] with the two linking up in vivid celebration and exaltation of the Dancehall and Dancehall culture. Part of the attraction here is the atypical nature of things. You have two GRIZZLED, turban-clad Roots chanters doing this type of piece, showing that, in there somewhere, is a little kid dreaming about being the baddest in the Dancehall when they grow up. Later joining is superstar, Anthony B, for the more predictable but absolutely delightful 'Rescue Me' [biggup Original Nine Fingers, Xkaliba] (Xkaliba's best tune ever is called 'Jah Rescue Me'). I do wish there was a bit more of Anthony B through 'Rescue Me' (after the beginning, he's only really heard on the chorus) but in judging this one on what it is, it is sublime, reaching across a theme that is, again, predictable but no less potent and well presented here. The legendary Nesta does NOT make an appearance on "Sibusiso", but Perfect brings him in via another way, via tribute (not really) 'Bob Marley Reggae'. In a kinda/sorta way, this is the Roots side to the Dancehall that was 'Champion in Action' and it scores, arguably, even heavier.

"Everybody move, everybody get ready

This a Jamaican music wi call it Reggae

Remember Bob Marley - mek a sacrifice fi dis

That's why Giddimani nah stop fight fi dis

Rumour dem ah spread

Who ah tell lie bout Reggae dead?

Shut up yuh little crazy baldhead

A REGGAE PUT DI BUTTER PON GHETTO YOUTH BREAD"

Check the cool closer, 'Joburg', a loose ode to Johannesburg, South Africa. This is a track which just displays a very nice sound and does so with more of an easy foundation but it well finds a home on a set such as "Sibusiso", both in terms of sound and direction. Finally (until that other thing), 'Jah We Pray' is golden in more ways than one, as high sonic appeal and heavy message link up on common ground in the name of reminding the masses that no matter what or who may stand against you, living a good life ensures that you will always have someone in your corner. 

And then we have a [good] [VERY, VERY GOOD] problem. Two weeks following the release of "Sibusiso" (just two or three days ago by the time you read this), Giddimani Records sent out its dubbed out counterpart, "Sibusiso In Dub".... and you could make the case that "Sibusiso In Dub" is even stronger than "Sibusiso"! Featuring dubs for all fourteen tunes, it is an OUTSTANDING version of the album and if I didn't have an instrumental album on my plate to write a review for sometime in the next few weeks, I might've actually slapped a review on this one. Standouts are numerous but I'd tell you to pay a special attention, in particular, to the track that I alluded to, 'Selassie White Horse Dub'. EASILY it ranks as one of the finest of its kind that I've heard recently and, again, it is not alone here. Also riding high are the likes of 'Another Marcus Garvey Dub', the GHOSTLY 'Him Presence Dub' (THAT ONE is better than its vocal version. It isn't even up for debate in my opinion), 'Automatic Sibusiso Dub', 'Worthy For Jah Dub' and one that I was really looking forward to hearing that turned out even better than I thought it might, 'Joburg Dub'. However, with that being said, from beginning to end, "Sibusiso In Dub" is a significant winner and I would expect any fan of Dub music of any experience level to find ample material here worthy of their time. As I've said in the past (and recent cases includes albums from the likes of Norris Man, Akae Beka and Horace Andy), things like this REALLY show that the producers behind the music had a great deal of confidence in their work and wanted to put it in the spotlight. In this case, they were right to do so.

Overall, the fact that a dub version of "Sibusiso" does speak to a point that I didn't want to spend too much time on during the review because I could use that album's existence to express it more vividly: Sinky Beatz' work on this album is very high level. Musically, "Sibusiso" is one of the more impressive Roots album that I've heard over the past couple of years or so, without question. For his part, Perfect is in fine form, although he isn't as explosive as we've come to expect at times (which isn't a first). I do thoroughly enjoy the kind of 'freer' way that the album centers, directly, around Africa --and I know what you're thinking, they ALL kinda center around Africa-- but with tunes such as the title track and 'Joburg', the impression is definitely that Perfect had it in his mind to make Roots Reggae album about Africa: Mission accomplished. "Sibusiso" is another log on the burning fire that is Perfect Giddimani, one which has been scorching since it was ignited many years ago. 

Rated: 4.35/5

Giddimani Records

2025

New From Ancient King!

"Oath Of Akae" by Ancient King [Trinity Farm Music]

1. 'Oath Of Akae'

2. 'Kiddus Kiddus Kiddus'

3. 'The Earth is Egziabheer'

4. 'Tender Obedience'

5. 'Ak Who You'

6. 'Hites'

7. 'It's The Rain'

8. 'Permit The Child'

9. 'Make Someone Smile'

10. 'Brake All Chains'

11. 'Convenient Store Tree'

12. 'Peace Is Possible'

Okay so, a minute or two ago, we just told you about a new, forthcoming album from the Volcano Trumpet, Qshan Deya', "Reggae Ambassador", and as it turns out, the week prior to the return of Deya', another of our favourites is set to release his latest studio creation. Fiery Cruzan chanter, Ancient King, is back and back alongside a very familiar source - teaming up with Trinity Farm Music for "Oath Of Akae". 

The title of this album will SURELY catch quite a bit of attention amongst fans as Ancient King was a frequent spar of the legendary Vaughn Benjamin and when I first saw the name, I immediately took it to be some type of honour to Benjamin (and that's how I'm still taking it, at least in part). I've had the opportunity to listen to a bit of "Oath Of Akae" (because it's on that wonderful site with the "samples" which are basically entire songs if you've got the time to put them together) and I'm enjoying what I'm hearing. Early favourites include 'The Earth Is Egziabheer' (you can actually listen to that entire song because it was a previous single), DEFINITELY 'Ak Who You' & 'Brake All Chains', 'Peace Is Possible' and another tune, 'Make Someone Smile' has also began growing on me, just a bit. It doesn't seem very long ago that we dealt with Ancient King's most recent set, "Seh Selassie I", for Ras Elyment (it was like a year and half ago) and I'm already looking forward to digging into this one as well.

So are you! We'll both get what we want on the 2nd of May (literally the day after tomorrow at this point) when "Oath Of Akae", the new album by Ancient King on Trinity Farm Music reaches our brains... through our ears; but you probably knew all of that already.