Aging Gracefully: A review of "Gratitude" by Gentleman

Indomitable. I think that as you age, you begin to make certain concessions in regards to the passage of time and, even if you don't, Mother Nature makes them for you. You wake up one day and you're forty-five years old and most of us aren't what we used to be, physically, and maybe you have to watch what you eat a bit closer than you ever did (....if you ever did) if you're at all concerned with sticking around on the planet. Similarly, you'll also have to start making room for the younger generation. If you have kids, they'll grow up and, perhaps, start showing less and less interest in you and what you've taught them (which isn't necessarily a total bad thing, they're allowed to make their own way) and start seeking other sources of guidance - just like you did when you were their age. They'll be interested in more interested in other things (if you've done what youre supposed to do as a parent). They'll also begin to make their own sound and you'll probably [SURELY] not like it as much as they do and maybe not even understand it very well at all - also fine. I say that because, I look at things now and I find myself likely mentioning people who either weren't around when I started writing these things or, if they were, were very, very young and I'm probably the same age (if not older) than the whoever raised them. I'm definitely enjoying some of the younger talents but, unsurprisingly, I still spend more of my time writing about the work of people with whom I am far more familiar. These're people who I either grew up listening to or began hearing as a young adult. The last review I actually completed as I write this now was for an album called "World Of Love" by Anthony B: He definitely qualifies as such an artist and so do the Capletons, Bujus and Beenies of the world, all of whom have released albums this year and we've covered them all (and I'm sure I'm forgetting someone else in there). So when I saw the album we're dealing with on the schedule today, one of the first things that went through my mind was just HOW DAMN LONG, I've been listening to this 'German guy'. I can remember hearing so much about him in the early days, to the point where I went and tracked down an album of his... and it would become a Modern Classic and then another album he did a couple of years later.... also a Modern Classic ["Intoxication of a certain kind!"]. More than twenty years later now and we're all still here and it's time for another party!

If you do not know who I'm talking about (you have selective vision because his name is literally at the top of this post), of course I'm referring to German big man, Gentleman. For as long as I can recall (perhaps at least partially due to the sizable Carribean population in the UK), Europe has been a hotbed for Reggae music. And you can go back to THE 70's and acts such as Steel Pulse and Aswad and even UB40 (if you don't like UB40 you are unworthy of love) (SERIOUSLY) or, further up the line, to the likes of the brilliant Maxi Priest (who is still going and on his way to SEVENTY years old). I don't know that such a background exists in Germany, however, and though I'm sure there must've been someone ahead of him, Gentleman's is the very first name that I can think of and, definitely, to the degree of the impact that he's made in his career. You have to think that Gentleman has not only inspired many Germans to listen to and to actually start making Reggae music but I'd go as far as to think that he's inspired a large number of Europeans, in general, to do the same with the strides that he's made over the course of the last... damn near three decades or so. 

2022

But apparently Gentleman, now well into his 50's, isn't ready for some lifetime achievement award. He's not ready for the rocking chair. He still has a few things on his mind and one of those things (or seventeen of them) is "Gratitude". I THINK the last time we heard from Gentleman in album form would have been just four years ago, with "Mad World" (seems longer than that for some reason). That album, like pretty much everything he's done, was very well received and, listening back through it right now for the first time in a few minutes, it has aged very well (when I find myself listening to albums like this, I'm always curious as to what I thought was its best song when I reviewed it. In the case of "Mad World", it was 'What Them A Go Do'. It's still fantastic but 'Defining Love' is running it close these days) You knew you'd hear from Gentleman again (more on that in a second) and probably in the not too distant future; four years later is just fine. He's also been relatively active over the course of the past few years or so. I have to say that Gentleman makes such an... OPEN and SPRAWLING form of Roots music (for the most part), that he's someone whose work, whether I mention him a great deal or not, I really find myself looking forward to hearing. His music is very catchy and immediately gratifying. In fact, in a year where we've seen CONSTANT big names arriving and re-arriving with albums and projects, "Gratitude" was in the small lot that I was most anticipating digging my claws into (biggup Capleton). When the actual background info surrounding "Gratitude" began to come out, I got even more intrigued as the new album features quite a bit of the handiwork of the great Don Corleon. I think a legitimate case could be made that Don is THE greatest producer in Reggae... like ever. He at least has earned a seat at the table so anything he puts his work into is at least worth hearing. Furthermore, the two have a history together as Corleon has been behind some of the biggest work of Gentleman's career including, arguably, THE biggest, the previously alluded to 'Intoxication', across the legendary Drop Leaf Riddim. Just a couple of years ago, the two reunited for 'Watch Over Me', Gentleman's lovely cut of Corleon's STERLING Finally Riddim; so the link has remained strong. Also, along with Corleon, Stephen "Di Genius" McGregor and Clayton "Claye" Morrison also provide production and, of course, it's a Gentleman album, so you know that the vocal guests will be damn interesting as well. If all of that hasn't sold you on "Gratitude", at least on paper, then.... just listen to it anyway. You will not be disappointed in what you hear. 

Gentleman has always struck as a bit of a music junkie. What I mean is that - if he never made a dime for his work, I think he'd be, by far, one of the most enthusiastic of music hobbyists in the world. Because of that, I almost look at the way he does things as how a fan might. If I were a musician, I think I'd hear someone and really want to work with them. Gentleman does that. He's done full albums with other artists (coincidentally, one of whom was Ky-Mani Marley who released an album on the exact same day as "Gratitude") and it's usually one of the most compelling aspects surrounding his releases: Seeing with whom he'll work this time around. We'll get more into that in shortly but 'Genkleman' begins his brand new album, "Gratitude" all by himself, with what is undeniably one of its biggest moments, 'Lion'. This tune may've been one of the (if not THE) first singles from what turned out to be "Gratitude" as it launched way back in the winter or so and even a cursory glance of a listen to it shows you exactly why it was chosen. 

Not only is 'Lion' excellent but, again, it's signature Gentleman. It's open, EXCITING and very catchy Roots music. I do have to mention that... GRUMBLE sound on the riddim. It kinda/sorta sounds like it's a little angry at us all (and that's fine) (we're flawed. It probably should be mad at us) and IT IS GORGEOUS! Gentleman shines, arguably, just as bright but Don gave him a damn DIAMOND of track to do his best on. Next in is, EASILY, one of the most interesting efforts on the whole of "Gratitude" and at least partially the reason why I structured this review in the way I did, the absolutely LOVELY 'I'll Be There'. Let's go back for a second: In 2007, Gentleman did an album by the name of "Another Intensity". That release carried a nice tune by the name of 'Lack Of Love', which just so happened to feature the great Sizzla Kalonji. Nearly twenty years on and Gentleman now does 'I'll Be There' alongside Meleku, who is Kalonji's son. You know you've put in some serious checks in the longevity column when you're knocking around with GENERATIONS of families (not named Marley or Morgan). And you aren't just hanging out and sticking around, you're also maintaining some level of stature as well (particularly given who else is here) (Gentleman & Sizzla would make at least one more song as well. It was called 'Don't Worry' and it also featured Mark Wonder). 'I'll Be There' is really good stuff as a love song and it finds Meleku employing that high pitched kind of wail that his father often does and it works from beginning to end and as the first of TEN combinations on "Gratitude", it really gets us off to a great start. Just as Anthony B did with his ridiculously addictive 'Jet Ski' from his most recent release, "World Of Love", Gentleman also tackles the Hill & Gully Riddim and he also dazzles, with 'Nah Worry'. 

"Coulda hill top weh a di grades, man grow

Dung inna di gully, a di same love show

Still ah carry love pon di journey, mi know

IT'S A HILL AND GULLY RIDE FULLA HIGHS AND LOWS

Jamaica just open di door and say 'come Gentleman, cah yuh heart to di core'

Cologne, where it start unfold, wid a real yard influence: Cultural gold!"

The song goes through Gentleman's journey to prominence a bit but what I REALLY get from 'Nuh Worry' is just HOW DAMN APPRECIATIVE he is. It comes off more, to me, as a THANK YOU. Gentleman is thanking a culture, his fans, an artform, a place and he's grateful for everything -- "the highs and lows" -- that he's experienced along the way. That is a HUGE thought for me and I love all of 'Nah Worry'.  The R&Bish 'Unity' is another winner here with its somewhat unusual sound. I call "R&Bish" and I'll stand by it but you'll get nothing of the typical R&B fare in terms of direction from it at all. 'Unity' is pretty much exactly what you'd think it would be if you follow Reggae music to any degree ["Mi waan di people spread di love so mi ah nudge dem. For our part wi use di music and wi touch dem"] and it is a substantial body of work, lyrically. I don't want to be a 'prisoner of the moment' but, seriously.... 'Unity' is one of the best written tunes that I've heard from Gentleman in quite some time and he's always pretty dependable in that area, so that is a considerable statement. Here is another considerable statement: QUEEN OMEGA IS ON THIS ALBUM. Her contribution comes on a tune called 'What If' that reminds me of a personal all time classic for me by the name of 'Stay Like Bees' from Agent Sasco; as the Queen and the Gentleman ask a most basic question: What if things were different? I don't think that the perfect picture (or perfect MODEL of a picture) here is some type of utopia where things are both better and simpler (he literally says "what if reality is just a mirage") but I took this one in more of a combined way. This is a tune where so many different little topics come together to make ask that question. Maybe they would be better in some cases or maybe not but these two go about posing that scenario in a most DEVASTATING fashion together. And... I MEAN, DAMN! IT'S GENTLEMAN & QUEEN OMEGA ON THE SAME SONG! BOOM! 

The floodgates open after Meleku and Queen Omega as EIGHT of the final twelve selections on "Gratitude" are combinations of some sort; featuring a very healthy variety of names joining Gentleman. The album actually completely introduces me to someone who I've never come across in any capacity, the wonderful voice of German songstress, Milaa, who joins in on the glowing 'Show Me A Sign'. My little research tells me that Milaa typically sings R&B and CLEARLY that gold bar of a track from Don Corleon made her feel completely at home because she does a BEAUTIFUL job with Gentleman here. The song is lovey-ish but it has a certain DEPTH to it and, much like the opener, the riddim comes equipped with this terrifyingly delicious GRUMBLE to it. It isn't as strong as it is on 'Lion' (and it shouldn't be) but it is so damn addictive when it pops in. Even stronger is the track behind 'Bypass The Sorrow' which features impressive German singer, Nico Santos. I am not crazy about 'Bypass The Sorrow', on the whole, as a song; lyrically, it isn't very strong (it isn't bad but it's kind of meh). But just LISTENING to it... DAMN! It is a heavy piece of art and, strictly in that capacity, it's probably one of the finest listens on the entire album. Just play that thing in the background to your day and you'll truly enjoy it. Curious voiced Irishman, Michael Patrick Kelly, makes an appearance on "Gratitude" through 'Wildfire'. My friend, Google, told me that, about a decade ago, Kelly and Gentleman worked together on 'iD', which I'm listening to right now and am probably going to have a difficult time shaking. 'Wildfire' may not be quite as immediately captivating but it is a better song in my opinion (probably due to all of that actual Reggae going on) ('iD' was a little Poppish) and it really does pick up. Much like the situation with Meleku & Sizzla, this is pretty nice as you make a song with someone who doesn't really fit into the landscape of the music that you typically make and, several years on, you're both still around and are able to run it back and do so at a level where it's still crucial to your fans. The THICK and unusual 'Fireflies' brings in both Jahmiel and Claye (who also produces the song). I call it unusual because I don't.... quite know how to qualify it in terms of sound. It isn't Reggae really and I almost want to call it Hip Hop to some degree but not quite. Regardless, while I can't rank it amongst my favourites, I'm still working on 'Fireflies' because I'm damn confident that there is something in here that is slowly building on me. I don't think that I ever get to the point where I LOVE 'Fireflies'.... but we will see. And I'll put it here (as it may just be the shortest combination that I've ever heard) but 'Same Struggle' is at least a little better than every song I've told you about since 'What If'. 

 

"Careful cah di rat dem out fi get yuh cheese

Mind yuh enemies cah dem will try fi put yuh pon yuh knees

Solid as a rock, it's like wi concrete

 Neva tek a loss, it's like wi bawn fi it

HAFFI LIVE MI DREAMS, THAT'S WHY MI CAAN SLEEP"

I THINK I may've come across Richie Campbell but I'm not entirely and IF I did, I did not hear THAT from the Portugal native. He SCORCHES the semi-social commentary (I say "semi" because it is but it's also pretty personal and specific) with his piece to the tune of one of the most thrilling verses on the whole of "Gratitude" and I will definitely be seeking out more of Campbell's work in the future. 

I have no idea how many songs Gentleman has done with Capleton and I don't feel like looking it up but I'm going to go ahead and immediately install their collective tune on "Gratitude", 'They Don't Care', as one of my favourites from the duo. Let's stay here for just a second because I have a couple of things on my mind. The first thing I'm going to do is to give HUGE credit to one Gardel Fulvio Stuart who produces and comes up with a riddim literally DRIPPING with nostalgia. This thing sounds like.... gorgeous, BRUTAL late 1990s Dancehall and if you don't know, you just happen to be in the presence of one of the genuine masters of the era in Capleton and he absolutely annihilates this sweet, sweet track (the KNOCK on 'They Don't Care' almost reminds me of a tune King Shango did called 'Melting Pot' a hundred and twenty years ago) 

"After mi gi dem di torch and dem drop it

Show dem di door and all now dem caan knock it

Give dem di code and all now dem caan crack it 

How dem si mi wid di key and ah ask 'a who lock it'?

Capleton and Gentleman, di one yah shoot like rocket

Not even AI, nuttin can stop it

Go fi cybernetic and dem still couldn't hack it

Mek mi tell dem one more thing: 

Mi love di people uplifted

Blessed from birth, so mi know seh mi gifted

ANYTHING THAT GOOD, IT HAFFI GET RESTRICTED

Real organic, well a dat wi ah stick wid

And mi nah lef mi clip wid"

Grrrr! Gentleman, himself, also turns in a stellar effort and the pair blaze hot enough to the point where if 'Lion' is not the best song on this album (and it is), 'They Don't Care' makes a MIGHTY argument for itself! Don returns to steer Gentleman with Christopher Martin on the postively golden 'Open My Eyes'. This is another pairing that isn't first as the two vocalists have linked on multiple occasions; most notably, perhaps, on 'People', atop Kabaka Pyramid's winning Victory Rock Riddim. Though 'Open My Eyes' may not quite hit those lofty levels, it's running it very close as a total composition. 'Open Your Eyes' isn't Reggae music at all. It just is not. It's somewhere between R&B and Jazz and it's one of those songs that people would say has "Caribbean undertones" or something like that, strictly because of the vocals but it doesn't have that either (and we'll get back there before closing this one out). It does have a very uplifting message and, again, regardless of its genre, 'Open Your Eyes' is undeniably wonderful music. Finally (besides the other... four songs I still have to tell you about), Bermy star, the well qualified Collie Buddz, is featured on "Gratitude" as well with his track, 'Friends' ranking amongst the very finest it has to offer altogether. On paper, Gentleman with Collie Buddz is a HUGE FUCKING DEAL. The thought of it is a very one exciting one and it pans out as well as you could have imagined.

"Biggup di real ones and go have a laugh"

The tune is about the special people we meet along our journey and how they come and go (and how we come and go in their lives as well) with that specific select few sticking around to the very end. Also I just get from 'Friends' the idea of TREATING people better, in general. Also, just in case I haven't mentioned it over and over again but the riddim here, from Don, is a piece of glowing magic. I don't spend a lot of time talking about Collie Buddz but the man is super talented and he's been churning out some top notch material over the course of the past few years or so.

'So Good' is a solid love song. It isn't a GREAT one but it's pretty good but.... I hate to beat a dead horse (revive it and beat it again) and sound like a broken record but... DAMN! The riddim on that song is kinda divine. It's a gift from the Heavens or Don - one of them. The same EXACT source provides that thing you'll hear beneath 'Never Fail' so I'll spare you my thoughts on its quality... because you already know what I think about it. 'Never Fail' is excellent. The praising tune sits comfortably amongst the very best that "Gratitude" has to offer without a doubt and it's specifically one of the best on the lyrical end as well. I should also mention a VERY subtle horn that I hear in the background here. It is as faint as it could possibly be but my ears jump (biggup Shabba) each and every time I hear it, particularly during the sweet, SWEET chorus. Check the surprising modern Dancehall burner 'Warrior' which stands as a bit of a changeup for 'Gratitude' and one that is damn welcomed! I would have listened to this album and said that maybe something here is missing and I wouldn't have been able to qualify it.... it would have been 'Warrior'. 'Warrior' would have been missing. It's a FUN song that does have a semblance of a greater purpose but, like I said, Gentleman seems to me to be that music addict who is always thinking of something to add to the pot and it sounds like he had an endless amount of fun putting this one together; that stands out most glaringly, when it almost seems like he free-flows an entire verse to biting effect. 

"Mi just ah sekkle and flow pon di beat unu Don

Cooler than di breeze weh blow outta di fan

Hotter than di fya from out frying pan 

Lyrics dem ah shot but no gun inna mi hand" 

The final song on the album doesn't do much for me - 'When The Sun Goes Down'. It's largely acoustic and it has a nice, bright vibes to it which is fine but it doesn't move too much from that point. It's also the second shortest song on the album so it doesn't wear out its welcome and, who knows, you'll probably enjoy more than I do.

Sticking on that topic, quickly, I do want to just mention that, "Gratitude" definitely brings in a few different sounds which aren't typically/traditionally found in Reggae circles. It isn't overbearing to any degree and it isn't even all that shocking given just how many songs it carries but it is worth mentioning. So, just in case you're wanting every single tune to clunk you over your Reggae & Dancehall starved head, do beware. Also,.... have I mentioned just how DAMN GORGEOUS some of this music is??? In case I haven't (over and over and over again), you've now officially been notified. 

Overall, while I won't attempt to compare "Gratitude" to some of Gentleman's other releases, what I will say is that it is a very entertaining and fulfilling set. Again, given the sheer number of songs here (and all of that other stuff that I mentioned), I was expecting a lot here and I don't come away from it disappointed to any degree. While the album comes at an interesting and WELL DEVELOPED point in the career of Gentleman, it still sounds, wonderfully, like he's working on some things. He's still in the lab tinkering and mixing vials that probably shouldn't even be sitting next to each other; it's probably the same thing that got him started down this most interesting path in the first place. "Gratitude" is an album from an aging star that sounds like he still brings every ounce of the zeal and PASSION that initially put him on our radars in the first place.... way back when. Well done.

Rated: 4.2/5

Warner Music

2026

Signatures Vol. XVI: Capleton

 

Sure. There's absolutely no reason to do a Signatures feature on Capleton. His music is so popular; he already has at least one official 'Best Of' album that I can think of off the top of my head (it's literally called "The Best Of Capleton" if my memory is correct) and that's not to mention all of the unofficial, fanmade and mixtapes that he's accumulated over the years as well. You could go on YouTube right now and probably find dozens --if not hundreds-- such compilations and that's fine, he deserves it. However, in furthering enjoying his latest release, the GOLDEN "Heights Of Fire", of course, I have found myself going back through one of the most powerful catalogues in all of Reggae music so... why not! Today we take a look at and honour, arguably, THE most explosive talent in the history of Reggae music. Signatures: Capleton

{Coming soon: Fantan Mojah}

1. 'Who Dem'

Slew dem. In keeping with our running habit of opening with the biggest tune, OF COURSE first up is the MASSIVE 'Who Dem'. Anything anyone can say about 'Who Dem' has been said and it's been said for decades but I do want to stress one thing, in particular. While Capleton absolutely SCALDS everything, everywhere it definitely helped that he came equipped with something that can lay a legit claim to being one of the finest riddims EVER. Ward 21's blistering Bellyas carries 'Who Dem' and, obviously, King Shango puts it to the fiery sword. 'Who Dem' is THE prime example of what happens when the Dancehall meets active Roots music. It has a message and it was also powerful. It was also just... THRILLING TO LISTEN TO and a damn action scene of a song. THE single best song of Capleton's entire career and one of the best Dancehall & Reggae songs ever made by anyone. PERIOD.

2. 'Bad Mind'

Envious ahgo mad dem. There is a certain EVIL kind of infectiousness behind 'Bad Mind' which, largely, has to do with the Fed Up Riddim in which it sits and its signature GROWL (the riddim literally sounds like it's pissed off at you!). If the riddim and the overall sound of 'Bad Mind' don't completely hypnotize you (and they might), well then, for you, is also a fantastic message of BEING HAPPY FOR PEOPLE. Instead of letting jealousy and envy run your thoughts when someone does well, congratulate them, wish them well and allow it to motivate you to do better as well. There's a whole lot of common sense behind 'Bad Mind' - A POWERFUL AMOUNT. 

3. 'That Day Will Come'

Nowhere to run. It was the EXCELLENT Hardtimes Riddim which carried Capleton's 'That Day Will Come' (in retrospect, the track probably didn't do as well as it should have but the heights of it, this song and I Wayne's 'Living In Love' were sizable hits in their time) and if you recall me saying that "Reign Of Fire" opened with another entry here, it should be said that, right after it, was 'That Day Will Come' (showing just how mighty that album was IMMEDIATELY). There was a certain.... BLUNTNESS (?) to this song to go along with the typical and expected force found in Capleton's work: If you consistently fuck up and just do... wrong shit, EVENTUALLY you will have to pay. THAT DAY WILL COME! 

4. 'Jah Jah City'

Bloody city, bloody town! Think about all of the antiviolence Roots Reggae songs you've ever heard in your life. It's an impossible request, I know, but I want you to think of just how prevalent they are in the genre. Now when you go about differentiating some and distinguishing them from the pack, that new lot you come up with will include 'Jah Jah City. The MAMMOTH Morgan Heritage produced tune can lay a significant claim to being the very best of its kind. It was a hit in its day and is still well remembered but, these days what is also apparent is that, lyrically, it was one of Capleton's finest performances ever as well and, given his history and his present), that is a giant thing to consider. 'Jah Jah City' was downright terrifying. 

"Dem ah tell mi how dem cold!

Big 45, it shoot out dem brother mole

Nuff ah seh dem cold like up a di North Pole

Seh dem shoot down di young, shoot down di old

Shoot down di puss and di dog and di foal

Every weekend dem get a next payroll

OUTTA MAN POCKET DEM SHOOT OUT BILLFOLD

DISS MARCUS GARVEY, NUFF HEAD HAFFI GO ROLL" 

5. 'Alms House'

Step up inna light. By far the oldest song I'm mentioning today, the nearly THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OLD 'Alms House' stands as a VERY significant song in Capleton's career as it stands as one of a few which, in retrospect, shows what was to come for him and from him. It, literally, shows the internal shift that was going on inside of him. If I didn't make this clear in the opening (which I haven't written yet), once upon a time Capleton was a star of the Dancehall. He was loud and boisterous and x-rated and cocky (probably a poor order to put those in) but even then, the man had morals and he had a mine that there was just too much foolishness going on in the business which led to 'Alms House'. The tune did have a slight Roots aspect to it in the lyrics later on but if you hadn't figured it out by then, 'Alms House' was a signal that maybe this guy had a little something extra to him.... and he did. 

6. 'Babylon A Use Dem Brain' featuring Sizzla

Be still. Capleton has collaborated with Sizzla Kalonji directly a few times through the years (it has been AWHILE) but the DIAMOND of the pair's work together has been, without a doubt, 'Babylon A Use Dem Brain'. Produced by the legendary Bobby Digital (on a riddim courtesy of the immortal Burning Spear), the tune would be featured on my favourite album of all time, Sizzla's "Black Woman & Child" and it's one of those songs that require, unsurprisingly, a bit more keen of an ear to get receive the absolute FULLNESS of because of how DAMN genius it is. Have you ever really listened to this tune? No no. I mean REALLY listened to it?? If you have, you know that 'Babylon A Use Dem Brain' was complete and utter lyrical ROYALTY. It was intelligence of the absolute highest caliber on a combination of two MOUNTAINS!

7. 'Tour'

Culture a di cure. 'Tour' is well over THIRTY years old at this point and, though it did have its day, I don't think that it has aged as well as its quality would have seemed to forecast. 'Tour' was absolutely BRILLIANT. The song was about Capleton leaving Jamaica to tour the world -- spending weeks and months away from home -- only to return and be... fully DISGUSTED by the way things had changed in his absence. Seeing this and having spent so much time spreading his word, "preaching, teaching the people fi sure", he realized that he had much work to do. Instead of giving to strangers and fans, he needed to give his words to his neighbours and his family and friends. The way this song is situated, alone, is attractive but I can't imagine that it didn't work out EXACTLY how everyone involved hoped as a best case scenario. And from the second I was mature enough to appreciate anything beyond the melody here, I was hooked. I still am. 

8. 'Sleep Ah Night'

Worry and fret. We can talk about all of these powerful, outside forces that you may have to answer to when you do wrong but there's one which may or may not be as powerful but is FAR MORE immediate and that's the one that I've always taken 'Sleep Ah Night' as a testament to. You know when you've done wrong and HE has put something in you called a "conscience" to remind you when things aren't quite going according to plan. 

"Can't sleep a night, a nightmare dem ah get

Get up overnight awash by cold sweat

All come outside, come sit down pon step

Wid hand pon dem jaw, dem nah stop from fret"

'Sleep Ah Night' was an energizer of nature's regulator and it was genius.

9. 'Who I Am'

And where I'm from. Along with the final tune carried here, I think 'Who I Am' is probably the least likely to appear on any other personal compilation like this one of Capleton's music but it's long been a favourite of mine. Coming through across Henfield's cut of the downright GRIZZLY Babatunde Riddim, 'Who I Am' was featured on a relatively obscure album called "One Mission" (literally wrote that review SEVENTEEN years ago) where it conquered everything in site with a TORRENT of sagacity as Capleton, seemingly, responded to critics wondering just WHO exactly made him so special. 

"Dem waan know, who I am and where I'm from

Who gimme di authority fi bun di evil man?

Must be The Conquering Lion 

Unuh fi overstand, seh mi live a Zion

Well, no spirit cannot manifest without the flesh

Inna di north, and di south, and di east and di west

Mi bun dem and mi go bun dem yet

Mi dun dem and still ah bun dem yet

Well nuff a dem, mi tell dem go think and check

From di north, to di south, to di east, to di west

And mi hail King Selassie I as The Highest

Nuff a dem they gwan laid to rest

But righteousness haffi manifest!

Ghetto youths hold up yuh head, babylon get upset

Dem ah reject, wid dem internet

Dem technology, weh dem come fi tek

Well nuff a dem a di least

This seh dem a di less"

10. 'Cooyah Cooyah'

BUN EVERYTHING! It is a song like 'Cooyah Cooyah', specifically, why we associate Capleton with fire and call him the King Of Fire and all of these other titles he's accrued throughout the years. There is a stretch right in the middle of 'Cooyah Cooyah' where Capleton lyrically burns EVERYTHING and EVERYONE he can reach with his words. EVERYTHING! The song has become something of a legend over the years and one of Capleton's most popular tunes of all time.

11. '40 Suppn'

SUMN AHGO HAPPEN TONIGHT!! I haven't worked out the running order for this list just yet but I do know that I am planning to put the TRULY RIDICULOUS '40 Suppn' right behind 'Cooyah Cooyah'. Why? Because what 'Cooyah Cooyah' does in that one unforgettable stretch where he torches absolutely everything and everyone (including You & I) is pretty much the entire song '40 Suppn'. The whole damn thing! '40 Suppn' is an overkill. It's intentionally done with too much intensity and too many flames and the results were downright unforgiving. 

What needs to be said between both of these songs is the fact that they feature such an extremely high level of intelligence and sense-making to go along with their severity. This isn't... a kind of blind euphoria (although it most certainly is euphoric). There is a message (after message, after message, after message, after message) within this powerful torrent of words and it is what Capleton does at a level that I don't think anyone else can. HYPE is something that is not rare but MOST HYPE + MOST INGENUITY = Capleton. 

12. 'Death Row'

Sudden death. There is a word that describes 'Death Row' perfectly in my opinion and that is EFFORTLESS. This song, placed in the hands of someone else, might come off as having taken years to compose and to get the delivery just right... but Capleton just plough's right through it and does so from multiple angles. If you REALLY tune in this one, you, like me, migt just come to the thought that 'Death Row' ranks as one of the finest lyrical performances of Capleton's entire legendary career as it is brimming with wordy gems, primarily aimed at those who're not living righteously and have much to be ashamed of in their behaviour. 

"And all di wrong trumpet Rastafari go catch dem ah blow

And all di wrong boat, wi all go catch dem ah row"

13. 'Jah Is My Everything'

Hail The King! The immortal Bobby Digital was the maestro behind the MAMMOTH 'Jah Is My Everything' which absolutely clunked the listener over the head at the beginning of the "Reign Of Fire" album. I can remember hearing this song for the first time on that album and literally feeling overwhelmed and it's remained on my mind (obviously) twenty-two years later (almost exactly. Album released in August of 2004). There may be better songs on this list or song which I favour ahead of it but I will say about 'Jah Is My Everything' is that, for what it was, it was PERFECT. There is nothing wrong it at all. NOTHING. It was lacking in anything at all and, again, it just brings up such wonderful emotions for me; I now get dashes of nostalgia along with just the general feeling that what I'm hearing is something truly special as Capleton put on a praising performance for the ages. 

"There is no problem He can't solve

So inna certain things no bodda get involved

Well Rastafari is the ultimate and He, alone, can get all these problems resolved"

14. 'Hard Again'

HARD NOW! By far the unlikeliest song you'll find here (and the newest), it was just six years ago when Capleton called down some of the hottest and harshest fires of all for Payday's thumping Hard Again Riddim. Surprising to absolutely no one at all, Capleton went HARD on the riddim and it stuck in with me (and you think about everything I didn't put on this list in favouring it) (I could do a couple of sequels for this one RIGHT NOW if I wanted and it wouldn't be that difficult at all). Surely not the only one of its kind but if you looked down this list and thought you needed something to just... punch you straight in the chin, this one is for you! Man probably left his voice in that studio making this tune. 

Father Fire: A review of Heights Of Fire by Capleton

Forever. I think that longevity in absolutely anything can be a very tricky thing to understand. It can involve and incorporate an endless amount of factors and this is magnified when you begin speaking about things like entertainment and, specifically, music. On one hand, you can have someone make one song which'll carry them for the rest of their lives. You can make a tune in your twenties and find yourself performing it half a century later to a crowd who still loves it and loves you for it. Maybe most of them couldn't even name another song you've ever made (maybe they could) but you can be sure that they will never forget your name. On the complete opposite end of that would be someone who manages, ridiculously, to stay at or near the TOP of their craft for decades. That's something you cannot do via single hit. I don't give a damn how great that one song was. That is something that requires numerous amounts of hits AND, perhaps most impressively, managing to make your sound in a way that it can cross generations. You'll end up making fans out of fathers and sons (maybe even grandsons in some cases) despite who drastically different their tastes may be. This is special and it requires something greater. Of course, things such as general appeal and maybe even a story or two (controversies included) would help in growing your legend and maintaining it but I like to think that at the source of a legendary level of longevity is a teeny little thing that I like to call TALENT. ABILITY. SKILLZ! When you have actual, world class, capabilities and you combine it with things like appeal (if people like you and are interested in you, they're likely to remember you and history will probably be kind to you as well) and a compelling background, now you are legitimately talking about what has the possibility of becoming legendary. Although people like me are notorious for overrating things and making them seem bigger and more important than they usually are (if only just because it's more fun to write) we are fortunate to currently be in the present era of a number of ACTUAL living legends in my opinion and today, for the first time in a very looooooooong time in this capacity, we get to talk about him. 

Do not be blinded by the fire. When you think about Capleton, you probably think about fire. Like his most noted peers, Sizzla and Anthony B, a chunk of Capleton's career has been greatly and appropriately associated with the tendency of modern Roots Reggae to use fire, lyrically, as a cleansing ingredient for all things wicked. HOWEVER, even more so than Kalonji and 'The Original Fireman', Capleton has embraced it to the next degree. He is the "King Of Fire" and that moniker has not only come via his music (more on that in just a second) but also his... actual fire. Capleton also might just be THE most energetic and FORCEFUL Roots artist that the entire genre has ever seen and he also has a most interesting backstory, complete with a mid-career shift, an international run and a very public spat with one of his biggest peers, once upon a time. So, one could conceivably get caught up into things that aren't DIRECTLY musical when it comes to Capleton and, to some degree (I guess... you can listen how you choose to), that's fine. HOWEVER [!], when you really begin to dig into his work, it becomes crystal clear that this fire has smoke; it is not a pot of boiling water. There is char, there's a few INSTITUTIONS that have been burned down in its wake and none of us are truly safe from the immense gifts that Capleton possesses.

For examples of what he is capable of, I'll point to a trilogy of albums between 2000-2004, "More Fire", "Still Blazin" & "Reign Of Fire". In an era where the line between Roots music and Dancehall became more and more blurred, ALL THREE OF THEM represent some of the finest work we have ever seen. You could very well make the case that "More Fire" is the greatest such complete work of all time and, again, fire alone and even when combined with an endless vat of energy does not earn you that. That won't get you there, no matter who loves you, how many whos love you or how high you can jump on stage (and I THINK I recall that he once fell through a stage while jumping and hurt his ribs, many years ago) (....probably finished the performance too). Such levels require a genuine level of talent and Capleton has that to spare. From his days as a hardcore Dancehall voice to his years of Roots royalty, King Shango has shown himself to be someone not only in great command of melody but also someone who TOYS wth the spoken word. Those three legendary albums were not only well regarded amongst fans but also very popular to the point where the case could be made that, outside of anyone making international strides at the time (think Shaggy, Beenie and eventually Sean Paul) (maybe Buju as well and anyone named Marley, of course), Capleton was dropping the most popular Reggae albums in the world around the turn of the century. In a genre so NOT geared towards album releases, he was doing work unlike anyone else at the time with where his projects were reaching (and you couldn't say that about people like Sizzla, Anthony B or Luciano... probably because of their penchant for releasing multiple albums per year but regardless). "More Fire, "Still Blazin" and "Reign Of Fire" all came via VP Records who would later add "I-Ternal Fire" and, in retrospect, as someone who does love albums as complete, musical bodies of work, it was some of the best times I've ever had as a music fan.

Can we have fun again?? "I-Ternal Flame" sparked in 2010 and... that was it. It has been an absolutely ridiculous SIXTEEN YEARS since the last time Capleton released a full studio album and, though there were several rumours, none of them panned out... until now. A MASSIVE credit goes to Evidence Music who, at some point last year, claimed that they were doing a new Capleton album and HERE IT IS! Collectively we are all returned to the flaming cleanse courtesy of one of the greatest to ever do with "Heights Of Fire"! BOOM! I hope that I've written this review well enough (probably not) to convey just how DAMN HAPPY I was when I heard this one was on its way. Evidence has been very active, releasing works from the likes of Eesah, Derrick Sound (excellent compilation by the name of "Upliftment), Little Lion Sound, Tiwony, Micah Shemaiah, Bugle, Vanzo... they've been very successful in getting projects up and out and when I heard that we were on the precipice of "Heights Of Fire", I BELIEVED THEM and they have not let me down (it also helped that they had been releasing a decent amount of Capleton's work in recent times as well). In a year of releases that is turning out to be star-studded -- Vybz Kartel, Akae Beka, Buju, Gentleman -- Capleton carries one of the heaviest hands of them all and he always will. Let's get into it!

Although they do take a helping hand or two, production duties for this burn are handled by the previously mentioned Derrick Sound & Little Lion Sound, as well as Mixing Finga. The latter of the three goes back decades with Capleton and you'll find one song produced by Mixing Finga on both "Still Blzzin" ['Mi Deh Yah'] and "Reign Of Fire' ['Standing Ovation']. Also, Mixing Finga has been working with Evidence lately in re-releasing some of their older catalogue so, it comes to no surprise at all to see them on board the new release (and I would expect them to be on Capleton's next album as well). Getting things up and moving on the brand new album from the mighty Capleton, "Heights Of Fire" is its most recent [I THINK] single, the scalding 'Red Again'. This one is perfect to lead things because not only is it a really strong selection and it holds up as one of the finest here but it also kind of forecasts what is to come in certain aspects. The flame here burns at an optimum level while also allowing Capleton's complete and utter brilliance to shine.

"Mi circle dem face before dem take off

When dem try fi escape pon a spacecraft

Wi nah listen to dem waste-talk

No corruption - mek dem know wi nah go take part

So dem come fi yuh soul and dem will tek part

Dem no waan di people break free, dem love fi break heart

Wi step up on di battlefield and make a straight walk 

A straight love inna mi, mi nah trod di hate part"

"Well if dem sell out di people dem, mi nah forgive dem

Wi bun di grave and di ting weh dem ah dig then

Wi nah love how di people dem ah live then

That's why mi bun. Up. Di wicked. Dem

Dem sell out di people dem wid di imagine dem

Dem tell di people so cold until dem fridge dem 

Brainwash education, dem sieve dem

Well a one ball a fire man a give dem!"

BOOM! BREAK SOMETHING! I found myself many a time during "Heights Of Fire" thinking that what I was hearing may've been a little more reserved than perhaps what I was expecting but it's in those moments where the fire, literally, burns away any distraction and what remains is just a towering talent. Next up is the chilled 'In The Game' which features the handiwork of veteran Mista Savona from out of Austria. 'In The Game' is a PRIME example of what I just told you: While the vibes of this one are.... somewhere between smoky Blues, Hip-Hop and maybe even a sound from New Delhi  (?) Capleton could not care less and torches it the same way. The second verse on 'In The Game', which finds Shango tactfully destroying deception lays claim to being THE single finest on the whole of "Heights Of Fire" and, hopefully, people can pay attention well given the nature of the tune. 

"Mind-control - dat a dem slogan

Don't get vulnerable through dem program

WI AHGO SEND BACK DI WHOLE A DEM A OCEAN

Cah dem don't care fi no one

Well di truth shall reveal eventually

Well a fulltime now, wi no in folly

'FOR YOU SEND COKE, MI TELL YUH FI SEND COLLIE

YUH NAH GO DESTROY DEM YOUTH DEM MENTALLY" 

The album's first vocal combination 'Deh Pon Mi Mind' features Capleton alongside the also aforementioned Evidence Music favourite, Eesah. The nice tune comes through via Derrick Sound's certifiably gorgeous Fight Again Riddim from a couple of years back but, at least as far as I Know, it is a new song. There're a couple of obvious attractions to this one with Eesah not only being a burgeoning name but a big talent as well, so I was very curious as to what the pair would come up with. That riddim behind them came as a more than welcomed surprise and the duo put on a LOVELY performance to live up to anticipations... and you knew they would. The exquisite 'Jah Shine His Light' is an open praise and the first (not the last) of its kind on "Heights Of Fire". This is another song where Capleton, himself, is allowed to shine with lyrics as he, perhaps understatedly (it is a very SIMPLE song and I mean that in a good way), gives a nearly brilliant honour to His Majesty. Though it throws my math off (sixteen tracks, review it in four sets of four) I'll also add 'Jah Is My Leader' here because it goes in the exact same direction as the tune before it. The thing about it, however, is that even though 'Jah Shine His Light' is quite strong, 'Jah Is My Leader' is even better and better by some distance, in my opinion. This thing is FANTASTIC!

Coming with equal parts flames and a certain smoothness, 'Jah Is My Leader' hits every possible including a thrilling latter stretch where it almost appears as if Capleton freestyles an entire verse, landing as EASILY one the best songs on the entire album. With that being said, however, things go even higher on the very next track in, 'Behave Yourself'. 'Behave Yourself' is absolutely VINTAGE Capleton and it surprised me, honestly. This is my favourite song on "Heights Of Fire" altogether as, when it hits it's peak, there is very little, if anything at all, separating it from any of Capleton's classic work. 

"IN AN ABUNDANCE OF WATER, WEH YUH THIRST FOR?

THEN IF YOU GET THE BLESSINGS, WEH YUH CURSE FOR?"

No matter where you are in life or how well you're doing, you can do better. That is the sentiment behind this EPIC track and I have to say that one of the most attractive things about it is that, despite the fact that it isn't an overly energetic tune, you really get the feeling that Capleton had FUN in making it. 'Behave Yourself' comes off as something that he may've been working on for awhile and, clearly, it turned out how he had hoped. BOOM! 'Babylon So Evil' is a song sure to attract a great deal of attention as it features Capleton alongside longtime friends of his, Damian & Stephen Marley (also, kinda/sorta featuring the immortal Dennis Brown as well). Jr. Gong is another one who has a downright lethal prowess with words and he absolutely DECIMATES this Derrick Sound vibed piece ["More education, more school, more meal. KNOWLEDGE MORE POWERFUL THAN YOUR FORCEFIELD"] [HUH!] [WHAT!] in his portions. HOPEFULLY, 2026-27 also delivers an album from Damian... it's getting time! The second quarter of "Heights Of Fire" concludes with an all kinds of fun remix of 'Burn Dem Down', courtesy of L'Entourloop. I was actually more familiar with this remix than I was the original (which I tracked down and was produced by Derrick Sound) and that's fine because the remix is the better of the two. I don't know a great deal about L'Entourloop but I do know that, pretty much every time I hear their work - it's almost always kind of chaotic and frenetic. In that aspect, 'Burn Dem Down' is probably on the lower side but, again, it's a very good time and biggup L'Entourloop, every single time. 

While the second half of "Heights Of Fire" may lack the full fire power of the first on paper, one could very well make the case that it actually tops its more attention-grabbing slightly younger sibling [HUH!], largely on the strength of several simply sublime songs. Evidence (biggup Evidence too) of this comes immediately in the form of the BRILLIANT 'Prayers Up'. When you're fed up with the way things are going and feel like you have nowhere to turn, throw up a word to The Almighty is what Capleton says here. 

"Prayers up!

Babylon dem too corrupt

Why man to man so unjust

Fired up!

Babylon yuh system a kruff

You only waan di people have it rough

Fired up! 

Well dat system yah it corrupt

Mi tell di ghetto youth fi conscious

Fired up! 

Righteousness a nah no bluff!

Mi tired of di fight and cuss!

Dem nah care about di problem, no attention for the cause

Dem nuh waan yuh fi go forward, babylon dem waan yuh pause

Pure fabrication when dem stipulate dem laws

BUT RASTAFARI NO STOOP TO DEM EVIL CLASS

Dem fraid when dem si di ghetto youth dem a go hard

A LONGTIME MI KNOW SEH DAT DI SYSTEM YAH A FRAUD

While di people dem ah suffer, while di people dem ah starve

And babylon still ah draw card"

'Prayers Up' is SPECIAL to a degree that I am now seriously reconsidering my choice as the album's finest record and it will not be the last time. Check 'Senseless Killing' which caught me by surprise. This tune sounds so familiar to my ears for some reason but I'm now convinced that it's new. I had an idea of where it may be focused and though it didn't take any detours at all from what I was picturing... how it gets there is damn impressive ["You kill without a purpose. Intentional, you really want to hurt us. You couldn't take di Rasta fi no circus but you waan fi drop a bomb inna di World Cup"]. Capleton dazzles in a way that was not on my radars on a song which borders on the serene in terms of the vibes. 'Senseless Killing' might not get the respect that it deserves but it is one of the real stars to be found here in my opinion. The heavy 'Highway Robbers' has an interesting title that had me thinking that we may be getting something 'Jah Jah City'-esque but it doesn't go there at all. It almost heads towards something more from Hip-Hop but in a very... THICK kind of way (if that makes any bit of sense at all) (and it probably doesn't). Hip -Hop doesn't do anything for me and it never really has but 'Highway Robbers' caught me, again, because of what is said. There're songs on "Heights Of Fire" which're considerably better than 'Highway Robbers' in pretty much every aspect, HOWEVER, you simply cannot throw it away because of what Capleton says at times and when you can make this type of an impact on a tune that will rate on the lower end of the album, that's something that denotes a serious level of skill. If this man is talking, we need to be listening. The golden call to action, 'Get Up And Fight' from LLS should be well known to fans from a few years back and you'd have expected it to be featured on a project such as this one. 'Get Up And Fight' is free-flowing genius. It does bring fire and force but it does so EFFORTLESSLY atop the Sound Killer Riddim which, just like its vocalist here, is fairly simple but VERY impressive (same riddim had several big tunes on it by the likes of Chezidek ["My sound will crush yuh like a biscuit!"], Anthony B, Queen Omega, Lutan Fyah and others). This one is incredibly ENTERTAINING modern Roots Reggae music and I am jealous of you if this will mark your very first time hearing it because it's almost giving me nostalgia these days. EXCELLENT song. 

You might recognize the song 'Tired Of The Drama', also from a couple of years ago or so and I've actually been, LOVELY, running into a bit more in the days surrounding the release of the new album. I don't know the name of the riddim on this song or if anyone else voiced it but I've always really enjoyed the instrumentation and I think Capleton did as well and he COMPLETELY throws himself into it and comes emerges with a GEM! Sometimes you just need a break from it all and you get tired (and STRESSED OUT) with the way things are going... lest "dem end up like Jack & Jill" (the second verse on that tune is just BRUTAL!). The final three slices of "Heights Of Fire" come via Mixing Finga and they include another diamond of a tune, a GIANT of a surprise and a very solid changeup to end things. Social commentary, 'New Age', complete with its delightful old school riddim is the first of the trio and I could just listen to this damn thing allllllll day long. 

"Inna di age of information

When babylon ah build skystation

None a dem, di ghetto youth dem nah  go wait pon

Cause dem find out seh dem ah work fi Satan

Keep it real and be careful of di fake one

Cause enough a dem still ah work fi pagan

And dem bring down a pure frustration

Segregation, dem nuh love fi hear liberation

New age, haffi turn a new page

Babylon abuse it

Dem will shoot you like a Cupid

New age, haffi turn a new page

Babylon so stupid

Then why so abuse it

Dem get caught inna di Age of Aquarius

When di whole world started to flare up

And information start clear up

GMO, babylon have a pair of

Ghetto youth well mi seh you haffi care up

NAH FI SIDDUNG PON YUH STAIR AND AH STARE UP

AND YUH HAFFI BUN DEM FAR AND NEAR UP

Pon di battlefield, you must prepare up"

ALL OF IT! The whole day! Doing that would make it harder to get to the next BIG tune, the similarly geared and 'Haffi Know Dem'. I just told you how much I like 'New Age' but you could very well make a good argument (and I might make it) that 'Haffi Know Dem' is the stronger of the two as, in a sweet kind of way with that riddim, Capleton SEARS! I'll say it again (and again and again), you listen to what this man says and virtually every single song he makes when he's in form (and he almost always is) hits a much higher level than it would on a more cursory listen. And finally is the album's clear changeup, 'All Night'. If you take the title in the context of going all night or... DOING SOMETHING all night, you get the point of this one (like I said, changeup). I won't sugar it up: 'All Night' isn't the best song on this album and it may actually be the worst (it just isn't as good as everything else but it isn't a BAD song for what it is) but I'm grateful when they do things like this because it shows that someone is conscious of actually building an album and not having roughly the same sound through all sixteen tracks and almost an hour in length. I have no problem with them throwing a piece like 'All Night' at the end of this one. 

I do want to say something about Capleton, himself, before I close this one because I think it's getting more and more crucial that we do this with someone like him at this stage in his career. As I built this review on his standing and his stature in Reggae music being SO big at this point and with him coming close to turning sixty years old in the next nine months so; I think it is SO DAMN important that we realize exactly who we have in him. Yes, he's been spectacular and we expect to be spectacular still but Capleton has also been that consistent soldier. He's been very steady and I'll resist to comparing him to anyone else but he's been far more dependable than many of his peers - even those who have built comparable careers and longevity of their own. So it's important that we celebrate him. No. He's not an old man and we hope to have him around for many years but he's here now and he deserves to be appreciated!

Overall, with that being said, you can join me and appreciate and celebrate Capleton for what he's just done in "Heights Of Fire". You can also throw a bit of accolades in the direction of Evidence Music as well for bringing it all together. I would guess that there're some very big fans of Capleton's at Evidence and they also came up in an era where his albums were of such a grand importance and they wanted to attempt to recreate it. Well done lads! Mission accomplished! From what I've seen thus far, the response to "Heights Of Fire" has been big and I would hope and predict that it will continue to be big. What we have here is a new release from a bona fide musical LEGEND. Just that alone: We don't get those very often at all and when you combine it with the fact that everything that allowed Capleton to build that legend is not only still intact but, seemingly, as sharp as ever, you have something very special, potentially. "Heights Of Fire" is another log on one of the brightest and most skillfully set fires that has ever burned in Reggae music. MAYBE the best album from the first half of 2026. 

Rated: 4.5/5

Evidence Music

2026

Capleton Reaches The Heights Of Fire!

"Heights Of Fire" by Capleton [Evidence Music]

1. 'Red Again'

2. 'In The Game'

3. 'Deh Pon Mi Mind'

4. 'Jah Shine His Light'

5. 'Jah Is My Leader'

6. 'Behave Yourself'

7. 'Babylon So Evil'

8. 'Burn Dem Down' [L'Entourloop Remix]

9. 'Prayers Up'

10. 'Get Up And Fight'

11. 'Senseless Killing'

12. 'Highway Robbers'

13. 'Tired Of The Drama'

14. 'New Age'

15. 'Haffi Know Dem'

16. 'All Night'

Okay so, absolutely FANTASTIC news today as a long standing rumour is, apparently, on its way to becoming a fact as there is A BRAND NEW CAPLETON ALBUM loaded and ready to go via Evidence Music. SURELY you remember The Prophet's EPIC run of albums "More Fire", "Still Blazin" & "Reign Of Fire" and now he revives the theme with "Heights Of Fire"! It was... maybe Novemberish when I first heard that Capleton was coming back with a brand new album which would be his first in over fifteen years. It didn't have a title and it didn't have a tracklist and now we have BOTH! BOOM! BREAK SOMETHING! KICK SOMEONE NEAR YOU (and then immediately apologize). 

Looking through the tracks, there're a few noticeable shots such as 'Get Up and Fight', 'Burn Dem Down' and 'Jah Is My Leader' and, very recently, they've given us another in the form of the album opening 'Red Again'. 

If you remember back in da day, Capleton was one of the very few artists who could drop an ALBUM which would actually be a big deal in the entire genre. Surely those days are gone... RIGHT? On the 26th of June you'll join me in finding out when we soar to the "Heights Of Fire" with Capleton & Evidence Music.... just thought you'd like to know. 

The Vault Reviews: The Bellyas Riddim

The ages. The older I get, the more appreciative and respecting I become of the adage 'you don't know what you've got until it's gone'. Things change so often and so unendingly that it seems so many times that, once you've gotten used to something and maybe have started to enjoy it, that thing is gone, outdated and we've moved on to the next. Theoretically (and actually too since we can't do anything to stop it), this is just fine. Things should evolve and progress (or regress, depending on your point of view) in order to not stay stagnant and this couldn't be more apparent than when you apply it to music. Different generations of people produce different sounds. If you say it like that, it makes perfect sense and it kind of hobbles (even more) the old man on his soapbox talking about, 'well back in my day...', telling the youth how shit their vibe is. They should be different. They behave differently. They speak differently. They dress differently and they should enjoy and make a different type of sound. That being said, however, when you are on the end of things where you are supportive of the outgoing trend... well, it's kind of fucked up and I find myself there these days when it comes to Dancehall. I try only to lift up what it is that I miss instead of stepping on what I hear these days (out of fear of being that old man that I just talked about) (no one wants to be him) but damn do I miss 90's and 2000's Dancehall. There was a clear and obvious sound there which differentiated it from any other in the entire world, to the point where you could play a riddim behind an artist from another, from anywhere in the world and what they would come up with would be described as 'Dancehall infused' or 'Caribbean infused', something like that. You'll STILL hear that description, in fact, if it happens with an older riddim but, outside of that, you're normally only going to get that if you literally have a guesting artist from Reggae. In the current sense. It's gone... but, like I said, I'm not going to step on anyone in this review. The riddim 'culture', in general, is largely a thing of the past and I've heard several individuals lamenting the change over the years (biggup Red Rat). As far as the sound, what we have these days is far more akin to what you'd hear in Hip Hop circles (don't love Hip Hop, never will love it) and that infectious, hypnotic, thudding bounce that once characterized the entire sub-genre has become so frustratingly rare and difficult to find.

Once upon a time it was inescapable. Perhaps, a very easy way to quantify just how prevalent riddims were would be to look at one of the genre's most popular compilations ever, the once mighty Riddim Driven from VP Records. Way back in 2000, the series began with its very first edition, The Chiney Gal & Blazing, and would spend the next decade or so bringing together some of the Dancehall's and Reggae's biggest riddims before concluding in 2010 with The Classic. Coincidentally, at literally the exact same time, VP's biggest competitor at the time, Greensleeves Records, was busy with a series of their own, the Greensleeves Rhythm Album Series (original, I know). The difference between VP and Greensleeves, at least for me, was that Greensleeves would deal with a bit more in the way of... GRIMEY kind of Dancehall music and, right up until the near end of the series (which actually went Reggae), I found myself rarely surprised by which riddims would end up on the GRS and it definitely had something to do with how the pace was initially set and by whom... with what.

Ward 21 & Greensleeves

The very first installment of the Greensleeves Rhythm Album series would also arrive in 2000 and it would go on to do some serious damage of its own and also showcase the prodigious behind-the-scenes talents of its creator. I don't even know what's the very first thing that comes to the minds of most fans when they hear the name Ward 21 these days but I'll tell you what I'm thinking about when they come up: DANCEHALL. Even all of these years later, the Ward's Andre 'Suku' Gray remains one of the very few maestros on whom you could fully depend on to deliver genuine Dancehall music, via his Misik Muzik label. Way back in da day, the Ward was working on making their name and building their reputation in doing a lot of work for the immortal King Jammy and, of that early union, was born a legend (probably more than one if you really think about it, but one in particular), the indomitable Bellyas Riddim. Within the conversation of the single greatest riddim of all time, in my opinion, the Bellyas has a seat at the table. It's in there somewhere and with good reason. The Bellyas is dark. It's heavy. It's THICK. It's a lot to deal with and it especially promotes SKILL. It isn't the easiest riddim to dig into and deal with, which is always a great quality because you can literally hear certain artists struggling to find a melody in their delivery against others who do so effortlessly. It also helps when you manage to pull in what is undeniably one of the GREATEST DANCEHALL SONGS OF ALL TIME from one of its most gifted of champions on your riddim as well. Looking back, though the Bellyas has gone into a catalogue full of damaging creations from the Ward (alongside others from the time such as the Bada Bada, the Volume, the Da Joint ["It no matter if you have yuh friend dem fi defend you. From you dis The King, dat mean a hell man ahgo send you"] (biggup Determine), the ALL CONQUERING Trilogy and a few others), it probably stands out as THE best track they've done to date still (though the Trilogy does run it very close). Ward 21's catalogue represents a bit of a golden era for Dancehall music for me. Their work, at their most active and best, was downright thrilling, looking back and I MISS IT! At the time, of course, you think it's going to go on forever but now you realize how venomously BRIEF it really was. Most fortunately, there's nothing at all that says we can't go back and relive just how DAMN NICE it was. Let's talk about it.

There was a time when I can recall being downright frustrated at just how often or in-often Greensleeves would actually release albums by artists. In comparison to feeding their riddim series, for several years in there, it was a rare occurrence at times. Ward 21 was a favourite of theirs also. The group would supply the label with three of the first five tracks from its rhythm album series (and, subsequently, go on to release their first two albums there as well in 2001 and 2003, respectively) (both of those albums, "Mentally Disturbed" & "U Know How We Roll" have aged excellently, btw). That includes the very first edition of Greensleeves Rhythm Album series, the Bellyas, which gets going with what is, CLEARLY, its greatest moment 'Who Dem' by Capleton. I'd likely go as far as to make the claim that 'Who Dem' ranks as one of the finest modern Dancehall tracks EVER and it's the best song the Bellyas backs, as it was also the best on Capleton's opus, "More Fire" (...and probably any other album that you'll find it on as well); but you knew all of that already. The unfortunate task of following 'Who Dem' FORTUNATELY fell into the most capable hands on the Bellyas, the Ward themselves, who check in with the first of a pair of offerings, 'Model and Pose'. Though the lesser of their two, 'Model and Pose' is still a pretty good time albeit one which strives and almost revels in how basic it is (especially for a W21 tune). Later, the Ward returns with the stronger and significant (in an entirely ridiculous kind of way) 'Blood Stain'. While 'Who Dem' is THE best song on this riddim, 'Blood Stain' holds a serious claim to being #2. This song is madness and it wholly exemplifies what Ward 21 does when at their best: Along with allowing Suku, the "Deep Voice God", to do what he does, the others create chaos around him but it's still fairly centered. I think it says much that, between 'Model and Pose' and 'Blood Stain', only one of them was featured on the Ward's subsequent album, "Mentally Disturbed", and 'Blood Stain' was the one chosen. Although cringy (with all that damn moaning), Mr. Vegas' 'Two Minutes More' actually proves to be relatively solid, in retrospect. It makes its way based largely on being pretty clever, lyrically, and Vegas also sustains well (there's a term here that is popular, "flow", I kinda hate that word but that's what I mean by "sustains"). I wasn't much of a Vegas fan at the time (am moreso now but still not a HUGE fan) but credit goes where it is deserved. Speaking of sustaining, Beenie Man provides a heavy dosage (biggup the doctor) of sustenance all over his cut of the Bellyas Riddim, 'Skettel Tune', which features the handiwork of Angel Doolas as well. I hate to say it but in the name of transparency (whatever the hell that is), I've always felt that 'Skettel Tune' would have been better if it were sans Doolas. Typically, I think his presence is well welcomed but not this time. His offerings are kind of awkward while Beenie damn near shines. Moses completely sparkles the next time we hear from him on the Bellyas with another track that could very well be #2 and is, AT LEAST, its second most recognizable selection, the brilliant 'Heights of Great Men'. You listen back to it now and it kind of represents a brief golden era in Dancehall when giants Beenie Man and the aforementioned Capleton were having a bit of a spat and 'Heights of Great Men' was a large part of Beenie's public offense on the subject ["So tell mi how di hell you go sign to Def Jam"]. Chasing the album's first combination, 'Skettel Tune', is its second, this time featuring a triumvirate of Dancehall regulars from the era: Elephant Man, Lexxus & Kiprich; who team up on 'Ghetto Youths'. None of the three offer what I consider to be their absolute best effort but, at the same time, none of them necessarily struggle either. 'Ghetto Youths' was, ultimately, an OKAY tune and it still is but its most remarkable (at least to my ears and maybe only mine) is that it appears to receive an ever so slightly more enthused version of the Bellyas than pretty much everyone else. Lexxus also gets another run out on the Bellyas (yes, I'm about to end this big ass paragraph) with his second piece, 'Halla Halla'. Again, there isn't much to see on this one. While I won't call it annoying and it does have its moments, 'Halla Halla' wasn't a standout in its day and it doesn't carry much weight in 2026 either. Fuck it, I'll mention 'Naah Go Switch' here as well, Kippo's solo track. This tune goes unexpectedly hard for what you may've been expecting. It's full pre-warbot Kiprich and it's fun but it isn't stellar in any way. Kiprich would later show his class on such songs but 'Naah Go Switch' wasn't quite there (this is probably THE longest paragraph I have ever written). 

The Bellyas also featured the infamous 'Skin-A-Slap' by Red Rat. I don't know if I ever had a great emotion (of any kind) towards this one but, all of these years later, I can recognize only the positives. 'Skin-A-Slap' is absolutely hilarious:

"....my yute, yuh cellie

'Tell dem fi call back'

But my yute, a Kelly

Mi nah tell her nothin, better you come tell it

MI NAH KNOW HOW YOU AH SHH... SO LONG AND MI NAH SMELL IT"

I can remember quite a few people (I think even Beenie Man) having a problem with 'Skin-A-Slap' and although I can see the (hear) (not SEE) (thankfully)(...no one wants that) the source of the controversy, the song featured the underrated (including by me) rodent on a creative and entertaining pillar. I was never the biggest fan of Red Rat's and I was even less of a fan of Alozade back in da day (there were a few of them back then who just never did much for me and he was one of them) (Buccaneer was another one) and it was kind of sweeping, for the most part. I can't name a single one of his songs that I even sort of enjoy and his cut of the Bellyas, 'Prowler' most definitely isn't the exception. I won't dwell on it for long but the chorus on 'Prowler' is... challenging, there's way too much of it and I'll leave that there. A contemporary of the Rat and Alozade's challenges W21's "Blood Stain' for the champion of the second quarter of the Bellyas Riddim album as Spragga Benz delivers the absolutely blistering 'Praise'. Spragga dazzles on the Bellyas in a way in which is a little deceptive (and I mean that in a positive way). He meets the aggressive track in a way that sounds as forceful but it isn't. This is a masterful matador with a bull and, easily, one of the most skillful displays on the whole of the Bellyas (arguably, THE most) (not the BEST song but the most adroit). Someone else who definitely hits the target is the Ancient Monarchy, Frisco Kid, who checks in with 'Wash Pan'. Although kind of funny at times, the women-empowering cut is a strong display of one of the more overlooked and undervalued talents of the times (I have a very healthy appreciation for what Frisco Kid was able to do with his career these days and he's still out there). Madd Anju may not necessarily appeal to everyone (no one does though) but I've always appreciated his skills and the characteristic 'Dat Nuh Mek It' didn't detract from that appreciation at all. Generally, there's a comedic value to his work and that's found all over this one: 

"Gal weh have baby like puppy

DAT NUH MEK IT

Big big man weh fraida duppy

DAT NUH MEK IT

Man weh have stinkin foot

DAT NUH MEK IT

Gal weh too hype and can't cook

DAT NUH MEK IT"

For me, as I've said in the past, Anju is one of the most inventive artists the Dancehall has ever produced and, when he's anywhere near his best, it is a FULL JOY to listen to his work. I also have to mention Mega Banton, who I'm also a fairly big fan of, who went in a controversial direction with his tune, 'Tight Pants'.  Songs like this one have an obvious baggage to them these days but I have a very large level of respect for for Mega's talent but if you don't, I do understand why (...if this is the only tune you've ever heard from him and ONLY if this is the only tune you've ever heard from him) (otherwise, you have no excuse at all). Goofy (Mr. G) (I think either name is fine with him these days) does just fine with his piece on the riddim, 'Naah Heng Out'. Goofy (like Red Rat) was a member of the once mighty Main Street crew, helmed by Danny Browne (the most talented of which was General Degree) and he had some very nice songs. 'Naah Heng Out', which cleverly combines more typical/terrestrial Dancehall topics with more substantial ideology (primarily being anti-abuse of women) would have definitely been on the higher end of Goofy's releases in my opinion. You'll find a slightly stronger tune featuring the two on the aforementioned Badda Badda riddim (and they've also had another one since these two) but 'Live Up' is another very high level selection linking together Bushman & I Lue. Their other track, 'Send Dem Come' is a near personal classic for me but 'Live Up' holds its own and interjecting a well received bit of excellent consciousness into the madness here. In retrospect, I'm actually kind of surprised that things didn't turn out better for I Lue. He is incredibly gifted (and still out there, just had at least one big new single a couple of years ago, 'Love Rastafari') and though the stars never seemed to quite align for him to reach a level of stardom, his catalogue is well worth going through, even today (also had a big tune on one of my favourite compilations ever, "Culture Dem", called 'The Sabbath'). 

The remaining trio of selections on the Bellyas are by veterans and name from the era who I don't feel really hit the mark with their selections. The bottom of them is likely 'Tight It Tight' from Jack-a-Diamond. This one is about exactly what you think it's about and it just isn't very good and it's non-imaginative. J-a-D is someone else who I never really caught on to but I have seen a number of interviews with him and find him to be a very impressive human being, for whatever that's worth... in a music review. Slightly ahead of 'Tight It Tight' would be 'Mix Up Time' by Hawkeye. I was never a fan of Hawkeye's either (he had a tune called 'Twingy Twang' which had a pretty good run. I fucking HATED that song) (and I just listened to it and I STILL FUCKING HATE IT) for some reason and this tune, at least for me, never really got off the ground. And lastly, 'Wi Like It' also didn't do much for me but neither did its creators, Tanto Metro & Devonte. The derivative (of a song from the 1980's by the name of 'Tom's Diner', by American singer, Suzanne Vega) chorus of 'Wi Like It' is painful. It is tough to get through and it comes off as a really cheap way of trying to find a melody on the Bellyas and it did not work at all for me (though the rest of the tune isn't anything special, it's far better than its chorus). 

The very fact that the Bellyas album (like most of the Greensleeves Rhythm Series albums) even existed in the way that it did is a rather large statement on the state of those times. It was too damn long. It just was. Checking in at north of seventy minutes, spread over twenty tracks, you got ALL of the Bellyas that you wanted and so much more. The very fact that they did this at a super-consistent rate FOR YEARS (which, obviously, means that they were happy with the revenue that they were receiving from them) definitely speaks to the strength of an unfortunately long gone time in Dancehall music. And I also have to mention that Bounty Killer NOT being present on this track is one of the most regrettable situations of particular artist missing particular riddim that I can think of (Lady Saw, Ce'cile or Tanya Stephens would have been nice as well)... and there not being a clean version of the riddim included is also kinda criminal (thankfully, however, the internet masters have remedied that).

Overall, no, the Bellyas Riddim ALBUM wasn't the greatest riddim album from Greensleeves (if you're looking for the pinnacle of the series, check the later editions, which would go Roots and tracks such as the Diwali and the Masterpiece, from Lenky, where the riddim changed many times over the course of the overstuffed album) but.... DAMN, WASN'T IT SO MUCH FUN! It still is and, listening back to it now, it has not only a nostalgic appeal to me but also one which (almost certainly because of its rarity these days) almost sounds revolutionary. It sounds like something that could set a trend. That is a credit to the riddim's creator, Ward 21 and the lasting quality of their work. Now, when you place it in the context of, again, an album that is... admittedly downright exhausting at times what you ultimately end up with in the Bellyas Riddim album a quarter of a century later is a celebration of a classic and absolute juggernaut of a track. One of the best Dancehall riddims of all time. 

Rated: 3.5/5

Greensleeves Records

2001