Beautiful new single off the forthcoming "Marijuana Prayer" album for Tad's Records.
BOOM!
No Behaviour. None!
Beautiful new single off the forthcoming "Marijuana Prayer" album for Tad's Records.
BOOM!
"Path To Success" by Torch [Bad-Hasai Muzyk - 2026]
First up is an impressive EP from an impressive artist; both, currently, receiving an impressive amount of attention as Torch touches with "Path To Success". Torch always seems like he has something going on. It may not be "front page news" but he's always got his hands into something and I was so happy to see the early response to "Path To Success" because it appears that he may've leveled up to some degree with this one. Actually listening to it, I can see what the hype has been about. The first thing that likely jumps out at you is the artillery, in terms of guests, that Torch brings in. In just seven tunes here, Torch works alongside Junior Kelly, Gentleman and Turbulence; so, OBVIOUSLY, someone thought a lot of this project and put a great deal of effort (and money) into making it happen. All three guests turn in fine performances but, to my opinion, Junior Kelly (more on him in a second) stands the tallest as he joins on 'Perseverance', which is the single best thing that I hear on all of "Path To Success". Also check fine solo efforts, 'Don't Give Up' and 'Same Energy' (which is simply outstanding). There's some VERY impressive material on this one and I'm glad that the masses appear to agree.
The Resilience Riddim [Reggae Unite Records - 2025]
Biggup Reggae Unite Records who're back with their ambitious latest project, the Resilience Riddim. Two things about this one caught my attention even before I'd even heard anything from it: The first was the fact that included amongst the five vocal selections was one called 'Ask For' by none other than the ALWAYS welcomed (but damn near reclusive) Montserratian chanter Jah Marnyah. Anytime you attach Marnyah's name to a release, you got me! The other thing that was noteworthy was the fact that, accompanying the Resilience Riddim, was a simultaneously released dub version of the project, courtesy of Sound Guyz & Selekta Zalem. There is some BEAUTIFUL music on this combined set which is well worth a look and listen. Joining Jah Marnyah in handling the vocals are the likes of WELL ESTEEMED veteran, Prezident Brown, Teflon Young King (who is probably almost forty by now), the very young Jah Frozen and others. The Resilience Riddim is a very nice one that reached in late 2025 and figures to be on my players for a bit and should be the same for you as well.
High. I want to go back to a discussion I was having recently in regards to an album we looked at late last year that was, easily, one of the most interesting and popular releases of 2025; "Exile" by Chronixx. One of the bases (basises???) that I used for the review of that album was to talk about there exists a certain class of artist that we look upon and full-on expect to do special things. That isn't to say that others CANNOT but with this specific group, it can be to the point where listeners will almost assume that special is in the offering and when too long of a period of time has passed without it, CLEARLY something is wrong... amongst ridiculously demanding listeners such as You and I. This time around, however, we're going to have a far more positive and even magnified discussion because I think that the actual PLATFORM calls for it. Reggae/Dancehall is one thing. There isn't a schedule really and if there is one it's set by people who have the ability to set it and delay it as much as they want (you can delay the release of anything and you can cancel a performance - happens allllll the time and it isn't the biggest deal). In Soca though, ass insane as it is to say, things're a bit more rigid. Carnival comes when Carnival comes and, again, the biggest of names are presumed to arrive with the biggest of hits and IF THEY DON'T... it's kind of a wasted season which is awful as the wait shifts to next year. Sure, they'll have other songs that year but it won't be the same as it was for their own Carnival season and that'll be that. Furthermore, isn't there just SOMETHING about Soca (of course there is)??? The music is inherently BIG and DRAMATIC and it often has a competitive intent behind it. So, each and every year, as the tunes begin to roll out, you'll INSTANTLY see calls for 'Roadmarch winner' as soon as ArtistX releases what we assume is their big hope for that season; and sometimes those calls are correct! When they are correct -- at least in my opinion -- given that schedule that they're on and how incredibly easy it can be to trace it back many years later, Soca's stars have the ability to impact their listeners with as much DELICIOUS NOSTALGIA as any participants of any artform on the planet. When they do GREAT, you'll likely NEVER forget it.
Let's take a look at someone who has been "doing great" for decades now, Machel Montano. While people like me are probably guilty of throwing around the word "LEGEND" far too casually, it fits super snug in Montano's case. He is a legitimate, undeniable legend of Soca and Caribbean music, in general. Still, though now slightly north of half a century of age, Montano is looked upon as being capable of delivering brilliance every season (even when he takes the season off, essentially, from making Soca and focuses on Calypso as he did a couple of years ago and managing to take home Calypso Monarch) and when he doesn't, he isn't seen as having passed his best or any such thing - he is not afforded that excuse (though I did try to place him in that category once upon a time.... never more).
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| 2025 |
1. 'Ganja Business'
2. 'Caah Believe'
3. 'Marijuana Prayer'
4. 'Leave The Trees'
5. 'Let's Stay Together'
6. 'Got To Go Home'
7. 'One Life'
8. 'Give Me Your Love'
9. 'Fool & His Money'
10. 'Money Move'
11. 'Inna Dem Eye'
12. 'Deliver Me'
13. 'Memba Good'
14. 'Stand Up'
Big and beautiful news today as the scalding Chezidek is set to release a new album, courtesy of Tad's Records, in the first quarter of 2026, "Marijuana Prayer". I'd been seeing a forthcoming single from artist & producer called 'Caah Believe' (releasing a week from today on the 13th of February) and just presumed it to be a part of one of the several projects Tad's had in the works or just a random single. HOWEVER, I was delightfully wrong as a full Chezi album was in the works and, apparently, 'Caah Believe' is its initial single.
"Marijuana Prayer" is more of a compilation as, although there're a few tunes that are new to my eyes, the majority of of it should be recognizable to fans, pinnacling with a pair of MASSIVE hits, 'Leave The Trees' and 'Inna Dem Eye'.
Of course, you'll remember what happened the last time Chezidek & Tad's linked up for 2020's MAMMOTH "Hello Africa" and while I don't think "Marijauna Prayer" will register on those lofty levels, I'm definitely looking forward to hearing the full set.
Okay so, a few days ago (actually, yesterday but no way this is going up tonight) they held the Grammy awards and announced, along with everything else, the 2026 winner of the Best Reggae Album Grammy Award. To my surprise, the winner was the least likely of them all as walking away with the bag was Keznamdi for his release, "Blxxd & Fyah". I didn't think Keznamdi would do it but who cares what I though. I'm very happy for him and the biggest of congratulations go in his direction. Also nominated were Vybz Kartel, Mortimer, Jesse Royal and my personal choice, Lila Iké but, again, big respects and congrats to Keznamdi for the win. The Grammy awards have a unique set of circumstances as it isn't ACTUALLY the album of the year because there're cut off dates. They have a committee (I THINK) and it takes awhile to go through all of the potential nominees and to get votes in to count them up so the dates, for example, for this year's awards were limited to anything released between the 31st of August, 2024 and the 30th of August, 2025.
Obviously, the rest of us don't have to deal with such deadlines and constraints, so we're free to count anything from 2025, altogether; including something that may've released on.... the 10th of October, for example.
To the surprise of absolutely no one at all, many outlets have named "Exile" by Chronixx to be either amongst the best or THE best Reggae album of 2025 and while I most surely do disagree (see my review), I'm not writing this to beat up on "Exile" (or anyone who may've enjoyed it). I've already done that. This is more of an observational type of post. Our old friends at Da Ville have named it as their #1 and Reggae Ville doesn't just choose albums; they actually do a poll with some very respected and more knowledgeable people than I (like Angus Taylor, of course Gardy Stein and even John Masouri) (pretty much grew up reading John Masouri) and maybe fifty-ish in all so a very nice mixture of opinions go into their list. Billboard arrived at similar conclusion, calling "Exile" the best album that the Caribbean produced altogether last year (obviously, I disagree with their top spot but Billboard had a very interesting list. It included the likes of Machel Montano, Bad Bunny and even Trilla-G) (Trilla-G's album, "Take Me As I Am: The Album", is fun but it's also kinda brutal. Nearly every song comes in around the same pacing... and it just DOES NOT STOP!). You know what I'm thinking.... nope... I don't get it... but that's fine. As I suspected, I was in the minority in my feelings in regards to "Exile" and the results are demonstrating that. Furthermore, while I expect it'll have some serious competition, I would be pretty surprised if "Exile" isn't nominated for next year's Grammy Award and he'll probably be amongst the favourites to take it home.
I have been surprised by the lack of one album being present on pretty much every single list that I've come across and that's Dezarie's "Guardian". There is a bit of discrepancy as far as that album's official release, with some attributing to it a 2024 date but you find me a review or any press at all from 2024 for "Guardian". If it is to be counted in last year then the album, which was my #2, being absent from such lists is insanity. HOWEVER, with that being said, I said the same thing in 2023 when my literal #1, "Freedom Legacy" by Queen Omega, was nowhere to be found either. Apart from that, my list is a little more obscure (it always is) with only my #1, Lutan Fyah's "Health & Resilience", being even relatively prevalent on many of the ones that I've seen from my top five. Also from my list, I guess it's clear that I've underrated Lila Iké's "Treasure Self Love" as the album that I ranked at #8 charts at #2 and #3, respectively on Reggae Ville's and BB's lists, while Reggae-Vibes.com had her at fourth (their list actually goes twenty albums deep). And I have to say that, although I don't think its omission is on account to its quality, if I were to make a recommendation to others who may've missed it, the one that I would DEFINITELY suggest that I had that no one else did would be the LOVELY "Andromeda: Sign Of The Times" from Sydney Salmon & The Imperial Majestic Band. I get it: Spectacular can be a little harsh and isn't for everyone (although I did just recently get back into his album, "Stay Up", and it is better than ever) ["PLAY NYABINGHI INNA DI MIDDLE OF THE STREEEEEEEEEET! PLAY NYABINGHI BECAUSE IT SOUND SO SWEEEEEEEEEET"] and neither is even Dezarie, honestly; but "Sign Of The Times" was just such a beautifully put together set that I have a hard time seeing how it doesn't stick itself to the tastes of just about any fan of Reggae.
Hopefully 2026 is just as interesting. I'm thinking that we'll have more "traditional" big names making albums (like Buju & Capleton, for example) and... we'll probably be having a similar conversation about it a year from now. Until then, have a nice day.