Heavier. As is the case with virtually anything else, when it comes to music, respect is a thing that is earned, first and foremost. Whether or not it is lasting in any particular case is another question but when you receive the respect and the deference and the adoration of fans and your peers, you have to be doing something right. On one scale, we could look at the status of a 'one hit wonder' who could, conceivably, attain a level of immortality via one big tune (and you could probably think of songs from... fifty years ago now, which are eternally linked to the name of one individual). That is a type of respect: You made a giant song and it made a lot of people feel good - THANK YOU! Going beyond that, we can look at individuals who, while they aren't amongst the absolute biggest of stars in any certain genre, they have achieved a level of acclaim and distinction which, again, has made them unforgettable in the eyes of many. Not too long ago, we did a Signatures feature on Jah Mason and he's a pretty good example of that. I was prompted to write that feature in reaction to seeing someone refer to the Mason as a one hit wonder (insanity) but when you really get into the rest of his career, you realize that he's been SO MUCH MORE than just one massive tune and his been a very consistent soldier of Reggae music for a very long time. I look at several of Jah Mason's Roots geared peers such as Bushman, CHUCK FENDA, the late Determine and others in the same light. These are long-tenured artists who have given us endless enjoyment through the years and while they have peers whose names are more widely known, their contributions are not to go overlooked or underappreciated. As I have discussed in the past, on a personal level, there are those who, for one reason or another, have charted a very high level of appreciation and reverence for me and not just on the strength of their music (though primarily) and another, still, whose names just carry a lot of weight with me. Aside from the lot that you're expecting (i.e. Mark Wonder, Norrisman, Queen Omega...), I'm thinking of people such as the fantastic General Degree, Mad Cobra, Ras Batch and I've come to realize that Spragga Benz is definitely amongst these.  |
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Taking a look at these specific cases: I THINK the last time Batch made an album remains 2017's "Rootz & Kulcha" (need to do something about that), I haven't a clue when the General's last studio project released (I THINK there was an EP maybe a year or two ago) and Mad Cobra's last album is probably STILL be "Snypa Way" which is damn near twenty years old at this point and was likely one of the first reviews I ever did on this blog (and it was not completely new even then). Spragga Benz, on the other hand, has been downright prolific, by comparison. Spragga's most recent album release was 'just' five years ago in 2000's very well received "The Journey Chosen". That set, though very varied (what!) was SOLID, fun and featured guest spots from the likes of Kymani Marley, Konshens and Wayne Wonder. The year prior to that was "Chillagon" which was even more diverse and though less of an album than "The Journey Chosen", was an okay set and did a decent job of showcasing Spragga's talents, albeit in spurts. What is Spragga Benz good at and how did he earn his stripes over the years?? I'd make the case that what really draws me to his style is just how FREE it is when he's at his best, with this LARGE, beautiful voice. Spragga has this way of... doing damn near anything that he wants, lyrically, without falling too far away from the subject at hand. It's very loose. For contrast, take General Degree. He's very SHARP and to the point and CLEAN (Degree's music is awesome. It's just so damn fun to listen to), and I would also include people like Beenie Man, Buju Banton and the likes who, if ever there was a school of delivery, they attended and were the top scholars. Someone else who would fit in there BUT has a hint of something else is Agent Sasco who took a grand amount of inspiration from his mentor, Spragga Benz and, at least for me, Assassin is one of THE most gifted lights the Dancehall has ever produced. PERIOD. You do hear that kind of spontaneous and rough-around-the-edges approach from Sasco though on occasion and I owe that to Spragga. If you remember Mega Banton and how BRILLIANT that an could be but it never sounded too well situated or planned out, that's always where I've put Spragga Benz. Whatever it is, it's worked for him, historically, and it's still working for him as 2025 sees him on a new project, "Endeavors". The album comes via Red Square Productions [DUH!] as well as Lamar Reynolds who handles production via his LMR PRO Productions outfit. As has been his norm in recent times, "Endeavors" is a blend of several different styles and had I written this review a month or so ago, it probably wouldn't have been this positive. As it is, while I do not LOVE everything I hear, it does prove to be a compelling and colourful piece by its end. Not doing anything at the moment?? I'd love to tell you about it.
Along with being well respected amongst fans, Spragga Benz has also made a name for himself with his peers and he's able to pull in three huge ones to feature on "Endeavors", including one VERY special guest.... so we might as well start there! There is an all kinds of interesting tune here by the name of 'Shoot Down That Drone' which features the late, great Calvin Scott, bka Cocoa Tea who we lost earlier this year. The tune has been billed as the final recording of Cocoa Tea and I've even seen it suggested that the tune may've been done via AI. Cocoa Tea doesn't sound his typical self in the vocals (I've also read that it may've been recorded (or at least partially) from his deathbed), Spragga, on the other hand, is absolutely dominant in one of the finest displays on the whole of "Endeavors".
"Countering system weh wi call Drone Killa
Wi need some dung a Tivoli and need some up a Villa
And send some fi mi thugs a Trinidad & Anguilla
So wi disrupt every signal weh dem fly ova di hill yah
Haffi link up Raggamuffin, haffi link up Gongzilla
Cause di ting is like a little monkey vs a gorilla"
The anti-surveillance (or is it pro-privacy???) track stands as a legitimate highlight here not only for its background circumstances but also for its quality as 'Shoot Down That Drone' makes a heavy impact in its brief time. On the very next tune up, the very THICK praiser 'Teach Them', things go even higher as joining Spragga this time is Sizzla Kalonji. BOOM! You may recall a couple of albums from a year that I don't feel like looking (had to be almost twenty years by now) up, by a label called Drop Di Bass (didn't have to look that up) - "Prototype" & "Addicted". I think they were both released on or around the same day and they were full albums from Spragga Benz and Sizzla Kalonji, respectively ("Prototype" was average and "Addicted" was horrible, if I recall correctly. "Addicted" is probably THE worst album Sizzla has ever done in my opinion, even still). Both of those albums featured two or three combinations between the two and none of them were noteworthy and they've had at least one other song together and you've surely seen them on stage more than once as well; so, obviously, they're very good friends. 'Teach Them' is the best song they have together in my opinion and, by the slimmest of margins, it's also the best song "Endeavors" has as well. While Spragga remains on top of his game ["And when mi use mi weapon Jah Jah gimme a reward. But dat weapon yah no kill you, but it help. DI WEAPON YAH CAN MEK YOU FIND DI GOD INNA YUHSELF"], Kalonji also shows flashes of the brilliance that you know is still somewhere in there (just wish he'd bother digging it up more often than he does these days) ["Judge mi by my character and that is all. Cause me and the devil ain't no friend at all. This can't be duplicated, I'm not easily manipulated. Rastafari you're the greatest, we ever stand tall. And mi seh now would be the right time: Turn from evil, change yuh lifestyle. Stop hurting people when a night time. Praise Rastafari with a bright smile! Don't you sell your soul, you've got an option. And don't you go mix inna corruption. Better stand firm at the junction, cause babylon system ah malfunction"] making for a GORGEOUS display and one which well draws you in to this release. A lot happens in what turns out to be a relatively short time at just south of three minutes. The star power continues on the lovely 'Believe In You' where Spragga taps Tarrus Riley to beautify the vibes and, of course, he serves that purpose to near perfection. Perhaps it's getting redundant to say how well Spragga performs here (BOOM!) but both reach similar grounds (high, WAYYYY up in the hills) on the inspirational/praising offering. Along with pushing names like the Rileys, Sizzlas and Cocoa Teas, of the world, Spragga also shines some light on some names that, perhaps, you should begin to get better acquainted with, such as that of the sweet singing Lucian, Ashley Skerritt. Skerritt has a VERY interesting voice it's... hypnotic... it's Sade-esque. She's very chilled but has an excellent way of conveying emotion in her tones and is just SO nice to listen to. She leands her infectious talents to a song which is a bit stronger than I originally gave it credit for being, 'You And I'. You already know what this one is about and in what direction it goes and I'm not going to blow it up and say that it's amazing and one of the album's best but don't just run through it thinking that there's nothing to see there because it's better than you're probably thinking. The other combination aboard "Endeavors" finds Spragga linking with a couple of his own artists, Bittah Sosicka & loooooooong time spar (who I THINK might be related to Spragga, actually) the talented Briggy Benz who all come together on a very intense (and clever) social commentary, 'Monsters On The Run'. You typically hear these songs in a done which is saying that it's best to change your ways before The Almighty comes but 'Monsters On The Run' goes on the attack (they literally say, "God may forgive you piece of shits but we won't") and it is a very nice change of pace from the norm because I was clueless as to what to expect from this one based on its title.
Quickly, I saw a clip of a review that Spragga Benz did to promote "Endeavors" and he mentioned that there were "no gal tunes" and the interviewer (who had done his homework), corrected him by saying there were a few (there're three, technically, if you include the aforementioned 'You And I'). It speaks volumes that Spragga forgot them and when get into them, 'She No Happy' & 'No Ordinary Girl', you see why. Both sound similar to one another, both are horrible and that's that. He didn't remember them and you shouldn't either.
Sans those two songs, while Spragga is on his own throughout "Endeavors", he puts on a strong show.... shit, pretty much the entire album is some kind of decent besides 'She No Happy' & 'No Ordinary Girl'. Check the towering opener, 'Mountain'. Despite its rather awkward beginnings, the tune hits its zenith fairly quickly and becomes something DAMN impressive. It's a dual meaning here with it kinda/sorta being a ganja tune of sorts but also one that serves as an inspiration (therefore, discussing two different types of HIGH-NESS). When I saw (heard) what was going on with 'Mountain' and the lumbering 'uniqueness' began to grew on me, the lightbulb over my head popped on and I realized that we had something special there. Lagging not too far behind at all -- figuratively and literally -- is the album's second selection 'Busy Like Bees'. There's something really GRIMY about 'Busy Like Bees' and though it does have somewhat of a dark edge to it, that isn't quite what I mean. The song never seems to FULLY consummate the marriage of riddim and lyrics (they just don't perfectly lock up) but it comes very close and the fact that they DON'T sync up is almost an attractive quality here. Spragga is enjoying his status and all that he has managed to achieve and, to some extent, in an almost ghoulish way, 'Busy Like Bees' seems to be a celebration of that. Spragga basically chooses to SING his way through 'Brotherly Love' and, by its end, it's clear that he chose properly. It isn't the first time he's done such a thing. On one of my favourite Spragga Benz tunes, 'Sleep With Angels' [TEARS!], he does the same thing and 'Brotherly Love' may not have a seat at THAT table, it is a very nice song that grew on me after awhile. Here, the artist openly wonders what has become of a certain way people used to treat one another and it comes through on a tune that has this GIANT sound that doesn't sacrifice melody or any general appeal (it's pleasant to listen to) that it has at all. Sizable of a different kind (only quality) (the most important kind), is later tune 'Them A Chat'. Hundreds of years ago, Spragga once had a song of the same title [basically] ("them" = "dem") on the Amharic Riddim, which was ridiculous in every single way and I mean that in a great way. This one isn't quite up to those lofty levels but it isn't lagging too far behind either. A swipe at jealousy and envy, 'Them A Chat' is on point, entirely focused ["All weh dem do is watch another doing what dem caan do. Chat people business from dem limited angle"] and it is ACTUAL DANCEHALL music. It's a Spragga Benz specialty and it's mere PRESENCE on this album makes "Endeavors" better, in general and far more fun as well.
I don't love 'Best Friend' but, who cares what I think because the tune was actually chosen as the album's most recent single as far as I can tell. It's kind of an R&B song without the singing (in terms of its sound and subject) and though I don't dislike or think it bad (it is farrrrr better than 'She No Happy' and 'No Ordinary Girl'), it's just kind of average and I think that even if it was your goal to capture the attentions/affections of a non traditional Reggae audience, there was at least one better choice to be made (called 'You And I'). Finally (one of the easiest to write reviews I've had all year. I had started it a few weeks ago and put it down but just picked it back up YESTERDAY and here we are) is the title track (when's the last time that happened??) which might be another choice as a future single if you're looking at reaching a broader audience. 'Endeavors' didn't work for me initially so I poured some time into it (probably have listened to it more than any other selection here) and I never arrived at a place where I can say that I actually LIKE it totally -- the sound is kind of strange and it just doesn't work for me -- but LYRICALLY, it has its moments.
"Let's talk about manners
Some seh 'wah dat?' all dem know a just dollars
Love take hits and ah boast just for others
TAKE TIME, SCROLL FIND SOMEBODY FI FOLLOW"
I can appreciate something like that ^ anywhere I find it and even if I'm not crazy about the package that it's been wrapped up in (and I'm not), it is noteworthy as, again, Spragga Benz takes a look at those who have their priorities kinda fucked up.
Overall, I don't want to overrate this album and you can skip ahead to see the number grade I gave it to confirm that I am not but "Endeavors" is just an interesting and COLOURFUL release. If you do not love it, that's fine (neither do I) but I think most fans of Reggae will find something here that is enjoyable. For the most part, as I said, it catches its star in a fine form and, furthermore, Spragga has enjoyed a pretty good year in 2025. Earlier he reached with a tune by the name of 'Hallelujah' which did some damage for him and was probably one of his biggest hits in recent years. You would have thought it would have been on this album (would have made perfect sense) but even in its absence, "Endeavors" manages to hold its own. While you won't find Spragga Benz at the height of his esteemed powers here, "Endeavors" does showcase a talent still well intact after allllll these years and one well worthy of your time and respect historically and, clearly, presently.
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