Hills. The vast majority of the reviews that I write tend to fall in one of two categories. The first and most obvious and most prevalent are albums of artists/labels/riddims that I either have a history of enjoying or, at the very least, have some quality at that particular moment that makes me confident that I will like it in some way. Be it something as cemented as the last review that I wrote, for a Pressure Busspipe drop called "Rebel With A Cause" - which was a situation involving a favourite artist of mine on a favourite label of mine (I Grade Records) in a collaboration which had already been proven to be fruitful (there was no way in hell I was not going to LOVE that album); or even just a track that I heard that seems to portend that I might have ears for the fuller experience - there's something positive that is going to draw my attention in the first place. Even within that scope, however (and fortunately because it is fun to review albums that I do not like sometimes), I do run into material that doesn't turn out very well for me, so there absolutely are no and can be no guarantees. Today I thought we'd do things a little differently as we're going to take a look at someone whose music I have found myself not 'not enjoying' at times and flatout 'disliking' at other throughout the years. Even if you love music, even of a specific genre, if you listen to enough of it, HOPEFULLY you'll run into it done in a way or by someone that just doesn't resonate with you for one reason or another (if you're someone who likes each and every tune of whatever genre, you are a ridiculous person) and I have encountered a few people who are like that for me over time. Maybe one of the most apparent instances of this would be Alborosie. I couldn't even begin to explain it and I have no problem with the man achieving the damn high levels that he has reached and even going higher (though I do give Alborosie his respect for a track called 'I Wanna Go Home' - probably one of the finest I've ever heard in my entire life). There's also someone like Gyptian who has enjoyed spells as being one of THE most recognizable names in all of Reggae music (and he's not even forty years of age, I would think he may even have another run left in him actually) during his career but, outside of the occasional tune here and there, I just don't get it. The Morgans would be a similar situation as I've never found the greatest of comfort in listening to what is probably Reggae's 'second family'; and from its first, neither Ziggy nor Julian Marley have consistently made music which has done much for me (...neither has Ky-mani, really, though he has what I consider to be a borderline modern classic album in his vault by the name of "Many More Roads"). There're a few more that I've ran into who have established at least respectable careers, but who have done so on the strength of vibes which don't seem to travel in my direction.
Like who??? A healthy dosage of these artists can be found in the Dancehall by some chance. Apparently, I don't have the stomach for mediocre Dancehall artists and I have come by an unfortunate amount of them in my (many, MANY) days (on the other hand, I can easily digest mediocre Roots artists, but when the genres are performed at their absolute best, there is nothing like the THRILL of an extremely gifted Dancehall star) (it is a one of a kind feeling for me even still as an old ass man). So I've never been the biggest fans of names such as Buccaneer, Predator, Danny English, ALOZADE and a whole heap of others who have, again, achieved some level of stardom and respect and, for their fans have provided years of excitement (and there's nothing wrong with that, at all). Interestingly, another name who would find himself firmly planted near the head of such a list would be a veteran by the name of Bling Dawg. So what was it about Bling Dawg??? Quick to point out his alias, Ricky Rudie, I hate to say it but I think Bling Dawg just annoyed me (and I didn't even like his name. At the time he came to prominence, the word "bling" had been fully worn out and flat out bullet-riddled. I was tired of hearing it). So much so was it the case that I'd hit a point where I didn't really even pay attention to his music. He was extremely popular at points and you'd see Bling Dawg's name attached to some of the biggest riddims from some of the genre's greatest maestros. Don Corleon, Lenky, Daseca, Scatta, Burch, Steely & Clevie and a whole heap of others voiced Bling Dawg and he did register with quite a few hits in his day and was probably one of the most consistent artists the Dancehall had altogether at one point, but to be completely honest, without looking it up I couldn't name you a single Bling Dawg tune that has stuck with me to any degree, for better or worse (meaning, I cannot tell you one that I love or one that I hate) (Shit: Even after looking it up, I still can't say that I'm familiar with any of these songs, though so many of the compilation album covers are old favourites). [note: For some reason, I distinctly remember the first time heard of him, people saying that Bling Dawg was making a comeback of sorts. This would have been in the early 2000's, I do NOT recall hearing of him prior to that at all]
But things don't always have to stay the same, do they? Nope. They don't. A number of the Dancehall acts from the early 2000's never got around to doing full albums. Individuals that I've mentioned already like Alozade and Predator (even though he signed a deal with Greensleeves Records) at the pinnacle of his 'Head Nuh Good' popularity, the project never actually materialized) and several others (Zumjay, Hollow Point, Danny English and the likes) (Desperado, Calico, Jagwa) (I actually ended up liking some of Desperado's music) did not either and Bling Dawg was one of them. Given his particularly persistent level of acclaim (and the company he kept) (more on that later) it is somewhat surprising in retrospect, but the Bling Dawg album --which I do recall being discussed and seems like a natural step for the once mighty Greensleeves -- did not come around (biggup Collie Buddz).... but it has now. Almost ridiculously, bright and early in 2022 the debut album of loooongtime Dancehall star, Bling Dawg, "Elev8", has now reached and it is not at all what I would have imagined. The release comes via of the artist's own Dawg House Productions (and he takes executive producer credits), as well Creative Titans Music, who has been doing a lot of biig dealings as of late and figure to do more later this year (HOPEFULLY we get our paws on "King Of Kingston" in 2022). Unbeknownst to me, Bling Dawg had spent the majority of the past few years inactive in terms of making new music, but ultra-active as far as his personal life. So he enters this latest portion of his life and career having discovered Rastafari and lost a great deal of weight (biggup Bliing Dawg!) as well. So as I read up on him, thinking it would be fun to write for this album, I was very pleased by what I found out and figured that this was as good of an opportunity as any if I were ever to really dig into the work of Bling Dawg.... and I was right (for once). We have seen career path changes previously in Reggae music with probably the most noted instance being that of Buju Banton a really long time ago. Had Buju continued along the path he was going, his skill and appeal may've seen him as one of the Dancehall's greatest champions of all time (and you could make the case that it still has), but he has followed a more spiritual path and, despite what may have been for him, you can well say that he made an excellent choice in following his heart. Capleton also underwent a similar transition and you can well see that it has also worked out for him, to say the least (we've also seen shifts from the likes of Spragga Benz, Frisco Kid and I think Chuck Fenda very early on in his career as well). Bling Dawg is older than Buju and Capleton were at the time and while I do not foresee a similar future for him in terms of his stardom, the early buzz surrounding "Elev8" has been damn impressive to the point where I, personally, had gone from thinking about how interesting it may be to analyze to thinking that it just might turn out to be a pretty good album! Though I didn't have a great opinion of him, it is quite clear that his peers and, as I said, the producers, all had a very high level of respect for the DJ and his abilities. So were there ever a chance for me to finally catch on, "Elev8" seems to be it.
So was it??? Kinda. Though by the time I got around to listening to it, my thoughts of what "Elev8" might be in terms of its quality was much better than it would have been at any point prior, I still wasn't sure exactly what to expect in its sound and its course. What does end up happening on the very DENSE set (seventeen tunes with an intro and outro and over an hour in length) is a fairly straight-forward Roots release which provides even this most cautious of observers with more than a few exciting moments. Following an intro (which, literally, sounds like music you'd expect to hear playing behind the opening credits of a drama/fantasy type of film) (biggup my Wife. Those were her thoughts and I agree) we get to the opening selection of Bling Dawg's debut album, "Elev8", the star-studded 'Yo!'. The tune not only features singer Christopher Martin, but is also helmed by Reggae super star Damian Marley and, if I recall correctly, was the very first official single off the project. 'Yo!' was kind of magical and it has no equal on the album that I can find. While it comes through as very general, with so many different topics being touched both directly and indirectly, everything it does touch, it does impacts deeply. I can remember hearing this one for the very first time and thinking that it sounded absolutely nothing at all like the Bling Dawg that I can remember hearing - I didn't know he could do something like this and I was tremendously impressed one song in. Bob's youngest son also steers a later selection in 'Married To Music'. This one samples the handiwork of the legendary Barrington Levy and (probably to me and me alone) sounds somewhat Gappy Ranks-ish - and I don't mean that in a bad way (biggup Gappy). Next we go spiritual on the wings of 'God Is Amazing', another impressive effort. This one is very strong and I actually read an interview where Bling Dawg named it as his own personal favourite on "Elev8". It doesn't quite soar above the opener for me, but it isn't totally surprising that he chose it. The star, for me, is the sonic appeal on this one. It sounds SO nice and when you add the nice and uplifting message, you have some powerful material on hand. The similarly guided and delightful 'Father God Guide Me' follows 'God Is Amazing' and it may be an even stronger track. I've actually found evidence that this song may be as old as a dozen years old, but I don't care at all. The RIDDIM on this song is SO BEAUTIFUL! IT IS SO NICE! Production credits is given to Dog House and Starplayer Music and a big credit it is, because this thing GLOWS behind Bling Dawg who uses the opportunity to give another big shout to The Almighty. Sticking with that theme, later there is a song called 'Prayer We Use', to which the always interesting Popcaan lends his talents. Though this one doesn't hit me in the same way as 'God Is Amazing' or 'Father God Guide Me', I wouldn't at all be surprised if I'm in the minority in that (especially since virtually everything Popcaan touches seems to do major damage these days) and the Bling Dawg produced drop may have a similar future in store for it as well. Also winning near the head of "Elev8" is the golden oldschool licked 'Step Son'.
"Dem caan push mi dung a step and call mi no step son
Breathless fi mi goals, a so mi mek run
Every idle leader bout yuh fi step dung
CAUSE AIR-CONDITION NAH KNOW SWEAT RUN
Fifty-two card inna di deck player poker
Four king, so mi fresh, mi walk pass di joker
Night-stand no inna nuttin wid sofa
IF LIFE DRIVE MI CRAZY THEN WHY NEED A CHAUFFEUR???"
I was almost sure that I'd heard 'Step Son' somewhere previously but, as far as I can tell, it's an original for "Elev8' and it is EASILY one of the album's best offerings.
As I said, in his time in the industry, while he may not have made a fan out of me (though we may have to talk about that later), he's earned a whole heap of respect and made a ton of friends and several of them, along with the aforementioned Popcaan and Christopher Martin join him throughout "Elev8". On paper the biggest one makes his presence known on the Bulby produced 'Buss A Road' as it features the "King Of Kingston", himself, Bounty Killer. There is a wonderful documentary that goes along with this album (which you will certainly find in here somewhere) (biggup Bredz every single time) where Bounty features prominently and, at one point, they show a photograph of the two together from "like nearly thirty years ago". Bling Dawg is double his size and Bounty looks like a kid. That just goes to show how long these two have been friends and CLEARLY the Killer had to be involved here. Such a background would also seem to forecast a big tune as both would recognize the moment and put forth a big effort and that is what happens with 'Buss A Road' as Bling Dawg and the Killer deliver a collaboration befitting of both their musical and personal chemistry. The outstanding Romain Virgo tags in on 'Pride'. This one was another single I believe and it was an obvious choice given just how easy of a listen that it is. Originally I had referred to 'Pride' as a "love song", but I don't think that it is quite that. Instead, I would say that it is more about having a high self-esteem and confident ["When mi miss yuh presence, baby girl a yuh mi call. Mi waan wi stick together like concrete to wall; like basket to ball, like winter to fall. Mi nah tek you no shopping, girl mi waan purchase di mall"]. And though it features no one besides Bling Dawg alone, I do feel compelled to mention 'There She Goes' right here because it is quite similar to 'Pride' and it immediately follows it as well. Though more of a stereotypical lover's selection than 'Pride', 'There She Goes' is almost the other side of that song as, there, we heard about someone carrying themselves in a proper, upstanding manner; while here we look at what happens when you do that. 'There She Goes' is largely about how others respond to that person as if you treat yourself well, others will pick up on it and it will make a very positive impression. Earlier, I had mentioned how I wasn't the biggest fan of Morgan Heritage either and the Morgans, coincidentally, join Bling Dawg on 'Feelings' here. This is just a NICE song. It's very enjoyable to listen to and it has the more typically BRIGHT sound that I generally attribute to the Morgan's music. I have no problem with it at all. On the opposite end of 'Feelings' would be 'Tables Turn', a track I was damn interested in hearing because it has the work of someone who most certainly is one of my favourites, Busy Signal. It took a bit of time for me to warm up to, surprisingly, probably due to its kind of overly-simple computer riddim (it sounds like something from an old Nintendo game) (which isn't a bad thing really, but it is..... damn odd). I've said it in the past that Busy Signal is truly one of a kind and when he's long gone, I'm thinking people will celebrate him for the inventive artist that he is (I'm not waiting (because I likely won't be here either), I'm throwing the praises at him right now) and he thrills on 'Tables Turn'.
"Rough inna di start, none a dem no tek wi serious
Now look at how those kids they wanna be us
Ready fi di fight because a Massa God ah lead us
HEAR THIS: MI SHELL DOWN DI WORLD LIKE A PEANUTS
Mi press delete pon dem negative speech
Some get complacent inna di place weh dem reach
Neva get weak and when di journey get steep-
Dog mi hold mi owna set and caan get impeached
Far man ah come from and no bridges neva burn
Look how di tables turn
Look how di tables turn
Look how di tables turn
Haters dem ah talk, but dat no stop wi, still ah earn
Look how di tables turn
Look how di tables turn
Look how di tables turn"
Now, with all of that being said, when I saw the lineup for "Elev8" one of the selections, above all others, caught my attention and it is the final combination, 'Seh Dem A Love Yuh' which pulls in the downright brilliant Tanya Stephens. The 'back and forth' between the two on this track is damn impressive as.... pretty much everything is for Stephens when you catch her in form. I'm hoping this shot is a signal that she may bless us with a musically productive 2022 because Reggae is a much better place when Tanya Stephens is around and a HUGE accolade goes to Bling Dawg for tapping the veteran for this release ["You show dem love, yet dem still hate you same way. Caan blame dem: Mi code it inna dem DNA"] on a vibe telling everyone to be careful who we spend our time with.
Bling Dawg does have a few big cards left to play on "Elev8" and probably none of them are bigger than the GOLDEN 'Walk This Way'. Another production collaboration between Dog House and Starplayer, this tune is such a beautiful and powerful vibes and the artists uses them to make a very interesting composition. 'Walk This Way' is seems to be really streamlined in terms of its ideology and what I ultimately took from it (besides how nice it is, if I haven't mentioned that already) is the idea that everyone has a choice to make and he's right. You may not have a choice in terms of where you are and who/what is around you at all times, but we're all responsible for our own actions and what we choose to make of our lot in life. 'Walk This Way' is a definite highlight here and one of the best tunes Bling Dawg has ever made in my opinion. 'Gaze' isn't quite on those levels for me but it is very strong and it actually kinda/sorta expands on the thoughts expressed on 'Walk This Way'.
"You've gots to give
You can't live and expect fi get
Dreams do come true
Apply yourself, move ahead of regret
No bodda live wid di notion bout Jah know di tings set a way
When ah gaze you did ah gaze and expect benefits
Gaze you did ah gaze so you caan win"
Here, we have a kind of a kick in the ass courtesy of Bling Dawg. This anti-procrastination anthem is directed towards any and everyone who sits around waiting for something to happen -- for better or for worse -- instead of getting up and at least trying to better them. The social commentary 'Facts Of Life' is another at least solid offering with a sweet, sweet riddim backing it ["If you poor then you will face affliction. A no every man can sing a song like Gyptian"]. This one is a bit harder than some of the others as, here, we look at certain things in life simply being the way that they are. They may be changeable in the short term, but we will still have to deal with them in one way or another as people. I don't know what're the future plans in regards to "Elev8", but I could easily envision 'Facts Of Life' receiving some type of push because I think it would be well-received by the masses. The same maybe could be said about 'My Struggles'. Riding a cut of Buju's sublime Steppaz Riddim, Bling Dawg serves up one of the album's real highlights in discussing how difficult (impossible) it is to walk in another person's shoes. I am actually predicting 'My Struggles' to get some type of a bigger look and be that the case, it will do well ["Mi tell miself mi nah go shred like lettuce. Mi pray fi mi blessings and say thanks when mi get it"]. And finally (although there is an outro which is literally five seconds long) is 'Nah Follow Trend'. This one got me to thinking of a prevailing idea in regards to "Elev8" which I will elabourate on in just a second, but it is a nice selection particularly on the lyrical side ["Yard sale, everybody, dem, sell out"] where the artist deals with the wonderful amazingness of originality and individuality. I would have maybe even preferred if this one were on the lighter side actually to have some type of contrast in the sound (more on that too momentarily), but for what it is, 'Nah Follow Trend' is nearly a big tune.
Dawg House Productions/Creative Titans Music
Digital
2022
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