Un-characteristic. I suppose there is some walk of life or field or some other type of strange ass area where things such as uniqueness and originality are not good things, but music is certainly not one of them. I you really think about it, your favourite -WHATEVER- is your favourite because of how much it or they stick out from the proverbial pack. Even if your favourite song, for example, is a remake or a redo, you enjoy it more than the original because of just how different it is. And that is perhaps even clearer when it comes to particular artists. So many times they come up and are influenced (as we all are) by the people who they grow up listening to and when you listen to them you can hear it; also, maybe they were fully grown and actually making music already but were still certainly taking bits and pieces of others to come up with their own style - and that's okay. However, it is still one of the absolute greatest of joys as a fan of music when you hear talents which, be it in great amounts or just in small bits and flavours which find a way to stand out. On one extreme end of that would be someone like a Jah Cure. Take a song sung by anyone -- anyone at all in history, it does not matter -- if it is redone by Jah Cure it is (most likely better) a different song. I guarantee it. He could not sing it exactly like the original if he tried because Mother Nature gave that man a voice and forgot how She made it. She lost the formula and no one since has had it (and anyone who may've had it prior to him died before human beings figured out to record audio). His music will always stick out because of that. Similarly, I look at great deviation from center in someone like Perfect. Perfect doesn't had this immense voice like Jah Cure (DUH!), but instead, when you listen to his music what you hear is personality. His vibes are quirky, they are spontaneous and, often, downright bizarre. But you make a riddim and voice ten average artists who turn in ten average and then call Perfect - there is your change up. His will not sound like the rest of them. There're other glaring examples of artists who, for one reason or another, inherently and organically have styles of entirely their own creation Aidonia's always an interesting case because, although he was greatly influenced by others, what he did was to take what they did and just... take it to outer space). But sometimes, things are more subtle.
Take for example someone like Sizzla Kalonji. Sizzla is, and has been for quite awhile (and likely will be until my days are done), my single favourite musician of all time. Yet with that being said, I cannot say that what he does is SO much different from everyone else. On his way up he was constantly related to the likes of Capleton, Anthony B and others and, if I can remember correctly (and I usually cannot), at times he welcomed the comparisons. Still, when at his full peak, Sizzla differentiates himself from the bludgeoning lyrical firestorm of Capleton's and the hypnotic, rapturous chant of Anthony B's (probably just me (it is), but Anthony B, on my favourite songs from him, almost always sounds as if he is in 'the zone' and could HAPPILY sing that same song for hours and hours) (I should probably review an old Anthony B album one of these days, it's been a minute) by becoming this alien-like amalgam of PERFECT lyrics, timing and sense of melody. But it isn't a gift which leaps out at you every single time you listen to him. I also think of a Tarrus Riley. If Tarrus Riley's music was a school, you would want your kids to grow up and attend it. He makes such a powerfully refined brand of Roots Reggae that it seems as if he were born and then nurtured to do precisely what he does (because he was). And I mention all of that now because today we're diving back into the vault (I missed a lot through the years) and taking a look at someone who, very much in his own unique way, has made a name for himself doing a style of music which, just in case you didn't notice, is his very own special blend.
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| 2008 |
Of course we're talking about one of the genuine pillars of Reggae music from out of Trinidad, Isasha. The wonderful Kingdom of Soca that it is, Trinidad has produced a relatively steady stream of supremely gifted Reggae talents as well (none more so than the water-walking Queen Omega) and they have given us hits throughout the years as well. Names such as Marlon Asher (have two albums of his to write about someday), Khari Kill, Prophet Benjamin (who's also proved damn strong at Soca) and others have established themselves as big names while supplying the genre with a whole heap of unforgettable moments. One of them, which is on the album I'm about to tell you about, came from Arima native, Isasha way back in 2006-ish. That song was an UTTER JOY to hear (it still is today) and it would go a long way in introducing to the world someone who had such a PROFOUNDLY faintly (nowhere else will you find someone link PROFOUND AND FAINT like that, as if they are not kind of opposites) DISTINCT style. What I mean is this (now look how I explain my way out of this): You could listen to that song and many of the others on this album and enjoy what you hear. What you will be listening to will be dynamic. It will be exciting and it will make satisfying even the most cursory and casual of spin-throughs. Isasha is an entertainer and it comes through as organically as the subject in his predominately Roots Reggae output. Because of that, at least in my opinion, what you get when you take in his vibes is something which, in some way or another, is highly likely to stick with you. Even if you cannot remember the exact words, you'll walk away remembering the MELODY. That will remain (and will be highlighted by Isasha's just COOL signature stuttering chant). Interested in an example??? Of course you do. Perhaps you should take a listen to what I believe is the artist's official debut solo album, 2017's golden "Talk The Truth". Previously, Isasha did have released "Real & Down To Earth" in 2008, which was a combination project with his biological brother, Million Voice (biggup Million Voice, who passed away of cancer in late 2018), but at least to my knowledge, despite his immense solo successes, Isasha had never done a full album by himself prior to 2017 (and, unsurprisingly (it was hard to find in its day), "Real & Down To Earth" has all but vanished and never arrived on the digital market) (how nice would it have been had someone written some kind of REVIEW for that album at some point) (OH LOOK! I found A REVIEW!). He had been featured on quite a bit of different projects including the "Reggae Roadblock" series from many years back, which was three better than solid sets featuring Trini Reggae artists, exclusively. On top of that, our old readers may recall Isasha's involvement with one of the finest sets we've ever featured, the amazing "Joyful Noise", from I Grade Records and the Zion I Kings ["Cah who Jah bless, no man curse. Alla di wicked unda dirt"]. Fortunately, "Talk The Truth" came super powered. Released officially by One-Soi Investments Limited (which you will likely not attached to any other release), it would come backed by VPAL -- distribution arm of VP Records -- which means that, in a few decades, it should still be readily available (they've also worked with Khari Kill). That is definitely significant It's already been out and about for four years now, however, and you should have taken a listen. Haven't yet? Been busy? Had something to do? That's okay. Let's do it right now.
"Talk The Truth" was as much of a collection of previously released work as it was a new release. I listened to an interview Isasha gave around its release and he spoke about how he sought to please fans who both wanted new material and wanted a collection where they could find some of their favourites in one place. This album delivered on that (with one exception) and so much more. You would have found both a new song and a familiar one at the head of Isasha's debut full studio album, "Talk The Truth", 'Jah Is With Me'. In the literal and actual sense, as far as I know, 'Jah Is With Me' was new at the time, however, he had a combination with Million Voice of the same name years back (it's even on their album). The older version was very strong and the newer one was sublime. You get a double dose in this one as it comes through, initially, very nice and laid back, but Isasha begins to burn in its second half on this wonderfully DUSTY and GRIMEY vibed sound (it sounds like they made it on just a feeling and didn't do much editing or anything and what resulted was a masterpiece. 'Peace' was a new one completely to my ears and eyes appearing here. As one of the strongest lyrical efforts you'll find on "Talk The Truth", in order to illustrate his point (which is almost Tosh-esque to my ears), Isasha stands on the shoulders of immortals.
" 'Can't be a nation without a country' - that's the words of great Marcus Garvey!
And 'darkness cannot drive out darkness' - Dr. Martin Luther King said this!
And 'leadership don't mean domination' - those are the words of The Conquering Lion!
So teach di youths about Marley and Malcolm and di rest of warriors who die fi wi freedom"
'Peace' is just INTELLIGENT. It is an educated and smart song to have written and I was damn impressed at first listen and I still am right now. Speaking of being impressed, while 'Warn Them' can be harsh (and fittingly so, it should be when you're discussing these type of things), it is no less at all just fantastic lyrically.
"The whole place gwan different-
An wi act like, yow wi neva si dat
From ah caught inna babylon system, too many youths dem ah move like idiot
Look how brother kill brother and sister kill sis
Father kill mother, mi ah ask dem wah dis
MAGISTRATE GIVE BAIL TO A CHILD RAPIST
TEK DI BRIBE FI DI CASE DISMISS
Ah warn dem again!
Unuh ah tell dem that di beast is roaming
Protect your children
Cause like a raging storm, it's coming
Time fi stop di shedding of di children's blood
Through nature, send an earthquake or flood
Teach di youths dem goodness with kisses and hugs
HOW YOU MEAN YOU A THIRTEEN PEDDLING DRUGS?
Sometimes mi haffi wonder down inna mi soul-
HOW ONE MAN COULD MURDER A FOUR-MONTH OLD??
Like di heart of mankind getting so cold
YOW YUH JUDGMENT WILL BE TENFOLD!
Ah warn dem again!
Unuh ah tell dem that di beast is roaming
Protect your children
Cause like a raging storm, it's coming
Tell mi how come Jah so love mankind?
Children a di only reason I can find
Vanity in all wi heart, soul and mind
Worse yet when envy and rage combine
Mek wi win this war that Satan sign
Put away di violence, break up all crime
Love reign supreme, hate stop shine
Cause wi live inna di end of time"
This ^ is one of those moments where I felt as if I had made my point and wanted to stop, but each time I did, Isasha said something else that I thought would be good to include. 'Warn Them' was just mighty and aimed at those who do THE WORST in the world by preying upon the pure and defenseless. You may know the Signs Riddim for having backed Khari Kill's HEAVY 'Bird Pepper' track ["RUN GO HAIL SELASSIE I, THE FIRST! THINGS WILL BE BETTER!"] but its creator, the once mighty Studio 53, also voiced a few others, including Isasha who dropped the most memorable 'Who Jah Bless' on the track (incidentally, Million Voice's song on the riddim, '11 Days, 11 Nights', may've been even stronger than his brother's), which was a nice sized hit for the artist in its day. This tune was about perseverance through His Majesty and it had such a nice, aggressive vibes to it and, like I said, it will stick with you as easily one of the most sonically pleasing on the whole of the album. And I'm all but certain that I hadn't heard the oft-hilarious 'Complaining' ahead of it appearing on "Talk The Truth". Isasha is pissed off and tired as hell of the woman in his life whining and complaining over and over again ["Can't stay late inna di studio. She complain about girls inna my video"]. Despite its title, I do not take a song like this one very seriously at all (although relatable... to some of you I'm sure, not me) and as I alluded to, it seems like a piece Isasha just wanted to do to have some fun with and, if so, mission accomplished.
On the other side of 'Complaining' would be something like the SWEET 'Tell Me', which was a single from "Talk The Truth" and just an excellent love song. i mentioned it briefly earlier that, if you aren't familiar with it, Isasha has this really cool stuttery thing he does in his music. It is all his, I've never heard anyone else do it and it SO NICELY livens up the relationship driven 'Tell Me'. Just on the heels of 'Tell Me' is the very curious marriage-ish 'I Do' which, although it took more than a few spins, did ultimately end up growing on me to at least some degree. The song has what I would call an unusual vibes to it and it's nearly acoustic, but what ends up developing is lovely and has some redeeming value and I do not know if that's the case if you give it to anyone else or at least more than a few 'elses'. I would say that if it does not immediately strike you, to give it some time and do not give up on it because what is lost would be yours and yours alone. And after giving love to his special person, Isasha goes special-er on the album's obligatory mama song, 'Big Up Mama'. This one may be a little more lively than you're accustomed to, but it well works for what the song ends up being (and is nice for a change in the vibes on something very much a nearly REQUIRED entry for such an album) (if you make Roots Reggae music, you need to be able to make mama songs. You just do), which is an attempt at a slightly more all-encompassing effort than usually present on these type of specific sets. And we'll just keep the love flowing all over "Talk The Truth", this time in the form of 'Red, White & Black', an ode to Isasha's place of birth vibed by Martian Music. I am sure I must have heard someone do a song like this one at some point (specifically meaning Trinidad) (seems like something Bunji Garlin may've done), but I can't actually recall it, specifically, right now, so biggup Isasha for answering the question. As for the song, CLEARLY Isasha has a whole heap of pride in being where he is from and Trinidad is an amazing place and he should feel that way. Its lasting impression may be in how detailed 'Red, White & Black' is at times with the artist referencing so many different aspects about the country including, at one point, legendary cricketer, Brian Lara, by name. As someone who comes from Trini heritage (biggup my Dad), it is a very nice tune to hear.
Part of the reason 'Red, White & Black' is so nice is just the general vibes of the song and the same could definitely be said for the album's closer, 'Pull Up' which is given a very curious... 'pull up' as not only present is the original track but also its radio edited version. It's the radio edit which means that the only changes are in some words being omitted from the original. I don't know why they chose to include it - my guess would be that they either assumed it would be quite popular or it was popular and someone told them that it may have difficulty getting played, so instead of leaving it to someone else to cut, Isasha and company took care of that themselves. Were that the case, it's not surprising. Coming across the lovely old school Dancehall licked Armageddon Riddim from Lion Twin Music (which is worth looking up, it had three other selections and two of them, from Princess Kazayah and Black Loyalty, respectively, were nice), 'Pull Up' goes in a few different directions which just makes me think that it was a vibe. Isasha heard the riddim and, organically, he came up with this one. That isn't to say that it's lacking at all, it's actually one of my favourites on "Talk The Truth" (and Isasha actually reminds me a bit of Fantan Mojah on the song with his delivery at times) (biggup Fantan Mojah) , and it does have a centralized theme of just enjoying oneself and putting away the negative things. The Meddi Riddim from Optimus Productions backs the solid 'Chatty Chatty' where Isasha addresses nosey ass people who have great difficulty keep their mouths shut.
"Yah caan live in glass house and throw stones
YAH CAAN CLEAN PEOPLE HOUSE, NAH CLEAN YUH OWN
Everyday you ah live yuh life one way yow
You waan mek my business yah own
Yuh too badmind and false
Quick to rejoice and laugh when dem si yuh cross
Stranger bless yuh, dem act like they shock
REMEMBER, RAIN NUH FALL ON ONE HOUSE TOP"
Negative people are also the target of the EXCELLENT, explosive title track. In succession, 'Chatty Chatty' and 'Talk The Truth' pack a knockout punch because, as I said, they have a similar objective in mind ["Dem boy deh too evil. Dem nuh really give a damn bout people"] and the title track steps up the levels considerably over an already strong selection. A big credit goes to Outlaw Muzik who provides the POUNDING Classified Riddim for 'Talk The Truth' (that thing is VICIOUS!). And I also have to mention (because it's on the album and... I talk about all of them) 'Live Together' which was actually produced by another big name in Trinidad Reggae, Jamelody, for his big Guidance Riddim (if you remember the well gifted Daniel Bless, he tore into that track with 'Judge Not', which you should look up) - about as NICE of a one-drop as you'll find here. This song didn't do what I would have expected it to, 'Live Together' has HIT written on it to my ears and eyes and it's gone largely overlooked, but you can rectify that for yourself. Lyrically, it is easily amongst Isasha's best work to date ["Tell dem wi burn di animosity. Bun out hatred, wi burn out all vanity. Wi no waan no more hatred and jealousy. More love, yeah, we want in every community. Tell dem, tell dem fi stand up as a people. Tell dem di battle will between good and evil. Don't let di system pollute yah temple. Caw when Jah wrath, di evil shall go get trampled"] (WHAT!) and well worth digging deep into.
NOW! With all that being said, the absolute reigning class of "Talk The Truth" is found in two songs. The first of them was one which I was SO happy to see included, 'The World Is Inna Mess'. Featured on Studio 53's BRILLIANT (IT WAS SO GOOD! One-drop with a steel pan!) Show Version Riddim (which may be THE finest Reggae riddim from out of Trinidad that I can remember), Isasha's cut was the strongest of them all and, even about a decade later, it has not lost a damn thing! The song ranks as one of the three finest that I have ever heard from the artist (curiously one of them is missing, more on that in just a second). As for THE best song of Isasha's career. It comes as no shock that they also chose to include 'Don't You Know', which is probably.... one of the thirty-ish best that I have ever heard from ANYONE, EVER. It's well traveled at this point and it was actually on "Real & Down To Earth" as well (whenever he gets around to making another album, I would suggest they put it on that one also), but who cares! 'Don't You Know' is Isasha's signature and if he spends the rest of his career attempting to reach its level, coming close, but never actually getting there, he will have been very successful (because it isn't as if anyone else is reaching it either).
Overall, I was surprised to see that not included was the syrupy sweet praising track, 'I Know Jah', which was a combination with Million Voice ["Heeeee's my Kiiiiing"]. I have no idea why it isn't on this release. It should have made it here, but it is readily available should you want to hear it and you do. As for what actually is on "Talk The Truth", it was a very strong release and one, in retrospect, which may have come as somewhat of a very nice surprise. At the time, it just kind of showed up one day (but don't they all??), there didn't seem to be some type of sudden push towards an Isasha album, but "Talk The Truth" arrived and, when it did, it IMPRESSED! Again, if you REALLY tune it in, what you begin to hear on this release and from his music in general is just how different Isasha can be. Placed together in a form like this, what you would have had is of the more exciting releases of its era. In a career full of blazing singles, "Talk The Truth", unsurprisingly, proved that the style transferred very well to an album form as Isasha shined throughout.
Rated: 4.25/5
One-Soi Investments LimitedDigital
2017
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