Rarity. I do not know a thing at all about actually making music. It is a process which, strangely enough, does not interest me to learn more about but, as you can see, I am most grateful for the finished product. How songs are written does interest me greatly but the act of placing word and riddim together is a process which is beyond me and likely always will be. What I do find myself far more captivated by, however, is the observance and examination of years and years of brilliantly blending those two together and having a successful career in music. This is amplified even more so for me when I have the opportunity to kind of following along actually during the moment and, hopefully, be able to relate the progress to something that sticks out for me, personally; and I am lucky because over all of these years, I feel like I've been on a full-on journey with some of these artists. They're like friends of mine and I can often associate random times and happenings (and sometimes actual people) of my life (I can remember sitting in a car, for example, listening to a Spragga Benz song and kind of 'translating' it for a friend of mine's husband and what started out as a song eventually turned into almost the entire "Thug Nature" album ["Spin yuh roll mi gal!"]) (biggup Dennis) with listening to their music. It was nearly twenty-one years ago now when I came across a very solid debut album called "Harvest Time", from Philip 'Fatis' Burrell and the Xterminator camp for a singer with a most unusual voice from the sweetest place on earth by the name of Chezidek. Though I was all kinds of impressed with what I would hear on that set, I think I would've been pretty surprised had you told a not quite twenty-one year old me that not only would I still be listening to Chezidek's music a couple of decades on (that part wouldn't have been too surprising, actually) but that all of those years later, he would grow into someone whose music I held in just about the absolute highest esteem (at that time, i would've surely thought that about Chezidek's Xterminator labelmate, Turbulence... who fell in love with love songs one day and never came back). I would have been even less convinced three years following that debut when Chezi's sophomore effort, the wildly perplexing "Rising Sun" reached (let's see if it's still weird; I haven't heard it in awhile.... YEP! Still is) and I don't want to make the case that it has been completely 'smooth sailing' over the past twenty years -- it has not -- but given where he's arrived on this day in 2023, though I've never met the man and likely never will, I am proud of the artist that Chezidek has developed into. His name is one just a handful of others (one of which definitely appears on this album) whom I fairly frequently find myself just looking up to see if I've missed anything in the way of new releases because I am that convinced that anything that they drop is at least worth hearing and, potentially, downright special. He is one of the genre's heaviest of hitters in terms of actual quality, at least as far as I'm concerned.
So what happened? Nothing really that I can put a finger on. Chezidek's rise hasn't been a burst or an instant, it's been more gradual. Now, I look back on some of the releases that he's done in his career and I even do it expecting to hear something special and, for the most part, that is precisely what I encounter... so it has me wondering if it's been more of a matter of me changing rather than any type of grand progression in what was already a sizable talent. Along with "Harvest Time" ["Inna dem mind!"], I always go back to a personal few favourites which I mention quite often so I'll refrain from doing it here (but biggup Jahsolidrock anyway) and I find that list growing these days as I go back more often and find such joy on projects that I never rated quite as highly such as "Irie Day", "Mash Dem Down" and "I Grade". At least 'strong' releases from the moment they arrived but I hear them these days with a level of appreciation that I didn't have when they were fresh out of the pot ("I Grade", in particular, is damn near spectacular).
Moving forward, it'll be interesting to see what Chezidek does when it comes to albums and with whom he works, but his present is looking positively sterling. Along with the aforementioned Xterminator and JSR, when you consider some of the various imprints and producers with whom the singer has enjoyed some of the biggest successes of his career, you're talking about the likes of Massive B, Our Promotion, Tad's and a healthy variety of others which would DEFINITELY include one venerable Irie Ites Records from out of France. Given just how prolific both artist and label have been over the course of the past twenty years or so, it almost comes as a surprise - the fact that they haven't linked up together on an official project to date as, along with that general activity, they've also been highly effective together. As far as I can tell, Chezidek's musical relationship with Irie Ites dates all the way back to 2005 at the latest, so we're nearing two decades of them working alongside one another and we're fortunate that, as the first third of 2023 comes to its conclusion... CHEZIDEK AND IRIE ITES HAVE FINALLY MADE AN ALBUM TOGETHER! The much anticipated "Never Stop" is finally here and it continues to build on what has already been a remarkable year for Reggae albums, following releases from the likes of Queen Omega, Anthony B, Chuck Fenda, Mykal Rose, Jah Mali and others - if you are a fan of the music, you have tons to be thankful for early this year. One of the first things that came to my mind in regards to "Never Stop", again, is in regards to just how lofty the expectations for it are going to be given its predecessors -- in general -- but also in its own 'vicinity'. In 2020 Chezi released an outstanding pair of collections in "Timeless" and 'Hello Africa". Though the former was more of an EP (though a very healthy one at thirty-six minutes long), it was sublime and I am well looking forward to him working with the Ligerians at some point in the (hopefully very near) future (there's a song on that album called 'Over the Mountains' which just.... destroys me); while the latter, to put it simply, was rather easily one of the best albums of his career and we scored it a 5/5 and that was probably a little low, actually (a very fair case could even be made that "Hello Africa" was Chezidek's greatest album to date, in my opinion). So he's been on a roll on the fullest side as well, but I had absolutely nothing in the way of concern of its quality when "Never Stop" was announced because, as I said, the track-record of both Chezidek and Irie Ites, apart and together, is unquestionable. For their part, I won't go through their decorated history, but recently Irie Ites has been back on their grind as well in releasing new riddim projects such as the Ina Struggle and ASAP, as well as an album for a delightful Horace Andy influenced singer from out of Spain, George Palmer, and II has also been working on remastering and re-releasing quite a bit of their outstanding back catalogue as well (and when you really begin to get into the work those people have done over the years, it is damn impressive!). It's been business as usual as it has seemingly always been for Irie Ites. Listening through "Never Stop" did several things for me. It made me nostalgic at times and it also continued to build upon the outstanding new material that we had heard just ahead of the album's release. If you're not doing anything else at the moment, I'd love to tell you about it!.
In regards to the album's announcement and pre-release attention, "Never Stop" has been unsurprisingly impressive. I suppose it's becoming more of a concern of an older era (where we routinely saw albums from big artists on decent labels which went entirely overlooked by all besides a dedicated handful of us) as we see a respectable level of publicity garnered prior to these releases more often these days. Even with that being said, however, even before laying ears on it, I knew that "Never Stop" came from a first-class design; featuring a number of highlighted singles ahead of the release date and a steady reminder of what was to come. Thankfully the music does not let it down at all and getting it started is what I believe was the album's initial single, the golden negativity-expunging 'Dem No Worry' which popped up back in late January. This one had such a chilled vibes to it that I think it may've gone overlooked were it not given a spotlight of its own but for anyone who gave it any type of significant listen, you quickly came to the conclusion that you were listening to something pretty special. Thinking about it now, the vibes kind of fit the nature of the song, in my opinion. There isn't any stress here; there is a course and a method for dealing with any adverse situation (or adversary, for that matter) and that's the road we'll take when we get there ["Think a lucky, mi lucky, but a Jah watch over wi"]. Chezidek isn't losing any sleep over it and he's saying that you shouldn't be either via this gorgeous opener, which prevails as one of the lasting biggest moments from "Never Stop". Next in is a very familiar tune which I think is actually new, at least to my ears, 'Try', which tests a classic riddim. This one will require a bit more effort on our part (figuratively speaking) as, as opposed to 'Dem No Worry', 'Try' isn't a call for relaxation or taking things easy; it's a call for action and perseverance.
"Dem fight mi but dem caan stop mi
Try trick mi but dem caan trap mi
Place slippery, but dem caan drop mi
Cause Jah Jah is guiding I
I seh dem try blacklist mi pon hitlist
But every obstacle ahgo get dismissed
And mi seh Jah Jah, You art I witness
I seh dem just cant stop mi now!
Neva stop, neva neva stop
Try, try, try, try!
The battle hard, but the victory's mine, mine, mine mine!
Dem ah fight mi, think mi nah know dat
Dem nuh like mi, think mi nah know dat
Set trap inna mi way lke roadblock
DEM CUT DOWN DI TREE, BUT IT GROW BACK
Every blow dem ah throw, mi ah throw back"
The chorus on 'Try' is kind of strange because I didn't recall loving it at first but, well after I'm on to another track, I'm still singing it and not in a frustrating way at all. 'Try' is excellent and I'm thinking the masses will eat it up as it is also a quite exciting piece to hear as Chezidek dusts off the deejaying skills to a splendid effect in the name of maintaining the proper course in life in the eyes of opposition. What I believe was the final pre-album single, the very interesting 'Who Fool You' comes near the head of "Never Stop" as well and it finds Chezidek revisiting another very fruitful link as well. I previously mentioned the "Timeless" drop from a few years back, it was done alongside the Ligerians, who also guest on 'Who Fool You' as well. This tune is just HEAVY! From that perfectly rigid one-drop carrying it, up to Chezidek's vocals which move around it so fittingly, 'Who Fool You' is a fully gorgeous composition and one which should find a large audience especially with the more seasoned of fans, as Chezi says that things are not always as they appear. I thought 'Try' sounded a bit familiar but I'm probably wrong on that. 'Jah Jah Bless', on the other hand, I'm quite sure as it appeared in a different version on an album from several years ago by the name of "Irie Day". That cut of 'Jah Jah Bless' featured Chezidek alongside the legendary Capleton, who is not on board on the track that appears on "Never Stop" and though you cannot replace someone like Capleton, with his explosiveness, Chezidek, solo, turns in a fine effort on a simply beautiful vibes in praise of His Imperial Majesty ["Guide our thoughts and direct our footsteps. Alla wi prayers, Jah accept. When I & I call and make a request, Jah Jah never reject. WHEN I & I CALL AND MAKE A REQUEST, RASTA ALWAYS ACCEPT"].
Even casual heads know how much Chezidek loves to sing about ganja and it is a fascination which he clearly has not sated ahead of "Never Stop' as evidenced by the presence of longtime favourite 'Bun Di Ganja'. Chezidek's blazing cut of II's Strange Things Riddim, 'Bun Di Ganja' represents the first big shot from the annals of artist and label spending so much time making big tunes alongside one another and it has not lost a damn thing throughout the years here as it sounds as good as ever! The same is to be said another past mountain of a tune carried here, the absolutely gorgeous 'Who I Am'. This song, fairly recently, has become one of the best songs I have ever heard from Chezidek! It's fantastic in so many ways and I'd known of it prior to then, but.... for some reason it just recently began hitting on me on such a level, which is strange but so be it! It's so delightful as Chezidek full-on celebrates individuality and the differences that we all have. They are beautiful things and are best used bring us together as opposed to drive us apart. 'Mr. Officer' is another piece your eyes and ears may recognize if they're lucky and they also may appreciate the presence of another favourite of Irie Ites, King Lorenzo (who is credited as the far less Google-friendly 'Lorenzo' here). 'Mr. Officer' was a sublime social commentary with an infectious sound which, again, has not diminished even remotely over the years. Lorenzo was one of those artists like Chezidek, Lutan Fyah, Spectacular and a few others with whom Irie Ites made some of their finest work and, in 2009, the singer had his own album for the outfit, the fine "Movin' Ahead" ('Mr. Officer' was on it as well) which is well worth your time if you have not heard it (.... and even if you have. Might be time for another spin). 'Good Girl' was another one that I hadn't set ears on prior to "Never Stop" and although I cannot rank it as one of the biggest offerings here, it is a strong selection and one which I now have a greater appreciation for after more than a few listens. 'Good Girl' isn't really a 'love song' (Chezidek doesn't do nearly as much of those as (TURBULENCE) you might expect), it's more of a motivational drop for women who are living upstanding and respectable lives..... you know what; if you asked me about this one again in a few months, I might actually love it. It does have a very faint, but curious power about it. This middle portion of the album also serves up another more recent single, 'It's Time' which is problems!
"Can hear it everywhere you are
Listening to the voices everyday youth, star
Never let the system tear you apart
Ah seh a revolution soon start!
Dem think a peace and safety and ah lay back
Di promise and di prophets all find a way back
Seh all di downpressers ahgo get a payback
DI WARRIORS DEM NAH STAY BACK!
Di Empress dem clean di youth dem safe intact
A fi wi liberation dat
Wi climbing to di highest of heights, wi nah stay pon flat
A SEEKING WI REDEMPTION DAT!
Wi gonna burn dem down, wi gonna burn dem down
It's the time!
It's the time!"
Grrrr! The time is now to make some big changes in the world and that is the core sentiment behind this chunk of absolute deliciousness of a social commentary. I missed it? I knew of 'It's Time' and I thought that I'd climbed all over it but... I mean.... I didn't know it was like this. This is something else.
Speaking of social commentaries, Chezidek also takes about four minutes to give his opinion on one of the biggest occurrences in the world over the past year or two on 'Ukraine'. There is a certain simplicity that this one has that I well appreciate. Chezi doesn't approach it from the standpoint of a political scientist or even someone directly involved, but he gingerly makes the point that such a happening is the concern of the entire world and that things need to change.
"So call the general, tell him:
Call the president, tell him:
No more bombs and no more shelling
NO MORE SHOOTING WHERE PEOPLE DWELLING
And all di long-range missiles that you selling
It only add more to di blood-shedding
Seh it's the wrong direction weh yuh heading
How much innocent life lost already?
It haffi done
It haffi done
It haffi done
It haffi done
I waan yuh build back di bridges
Tear down di fences
Forget di evil - back to yuh senses
Innocent life lost down in de trenches
Woman & children, living in tents
Seh di consequences
Consequences
Whole world ah feel di consequences
Consequences
Consequences
Death & destruction: consequence
They've been bombing hospitals, schools and churches
Kiling di people, they show no mercy
Villages empty, towns are empty
Cities are warzones
There is no ending"
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