Completely Random Thoughts #57: COMPLETELY!

I was going to save this one for the next What I'm Listening To, which should be tomorrow or Monday or whenever but I decided to make this one even randomer and attach it here. AGAIN [!] (because we've done this before), along with new albums from Etana and Sara Lugo THE piece which has gotten most of my attention is actually an album from a decade ago, the opus of German star, Gentleman, "Confidence" (I almost always refer to this one as 'Superior' for some reason, but the actual name of it is "Confidence" and for some reason I was surprised to remember). A pair of songs in 'Superior' and 'Intoxication' virtually guarantees that this one will likely never fall too far away from my players but these days it's been damn comfortable in the rotation on the strength of another few songs. Most notably has definitely been the wicked combination with Ras Shiloh, 'Blessing Of Jah'.

"My eyes behold the blessings of Jah

I've told the message of Jah!"

"Right now you better know, whoi -

That love it a di order

No badmind can cross over we border

WICKEDNESS SO NARROW, RIGHTEOUSNESS MUCH BROADER

So tell me what you really rather"

WHAT! The Bobby Digital steered track has wonderfully snuck up on me and is one of my favourite and most listened to these days. Similar is a handful of other songs from "Confidence" which, for some reason or another have really just taken me over recently. Songs like 'Weary No More', DEFINITELY 'Strange Things', 'All That You Had' ["If you did prepare for those rainy days, you wouldn't be swept away by the storm"], 'Be Yourself' with Cocoa Tea ["Cause their identity's coming from the nozzle of dem gun. But I and I identity is coming from the Nyahbinghi drum"] and even others. "Confidence" was TREMENDOUS and sitting here just going through my head, it probably is somewhere in the top ten best albums I've ever heard. So, if for some truly ridiculous reason, you never picked it up, do so now! RIGHT NOW! Don't even finish reading this, it's about to get silly anyway. 

What else??? 

"Don't let the poor and the needy be devoured

The chastisement of poverty is in imminence yah

Inna di whole world, mi mean look at di bigga picture -

AN ELEVEN FOOT, SIX HUNDRED POUND TIGER

Him get fed up all of a sudden, what dem ah pet him mouth fuh?

Inna an instant, HE REMEMBER HIS TRUE NATURE

Not to mention black mamba -

And King Cobra"

That's what else! BOOM! 

Speaking of Midnite, am I the only one who didn't notice what happened with the cover of 'their' last album and its singles??? Ahead of the album, "Stand The Test" , being released, there were three singles, 'Ina Culcha', 'Stand The Test' and 'Upfull Day'.

Then when the full album did reach, the cover looked like this.

Did anyone else NOT notice that the covers for the singles were portions of the album cover??? WHAT! Yes, I feel really stupid (an unfortunately all too familiar emotion for me) (especially lately, I've done some really DUMB stuff recently!) and it isn't the only case. Someone else which really puts my intelligence into question is 'Jah9'. Besides writing amazing songs, she also shares (basically), a name with outstanding Bahamian singing chanter, Jah Nyne… which is a connection that I have failed to make for years. 'Jah9' reportedly has a video loaded and ready to reach for one of the most clever love songs that I've ever heard in my entire life, 'Avocado' from her soon to be classic debut album, "New Name". As for 'Jah Nyne'… anytime with a new album Jah Nyne. 

Jah9

Jah Nyne

Something else - which you may not have noticed is the seemingly never-ending and very odd re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-releasing of Flava McGregor's catalogue, digitally. If you haven't been attention to it, it almost seems as if every few weeks or so, ALL of his old material gets redone for the digital medium. They get new covers and are compiled in new ways and are sold to the masses. WHAT! I don't know who is doing it but the last time I heard anything about that, McGregor is very protective of his material (and he should be, he's made some amazing music over the past decade or so). Recently getting the re-release treatment has been Natty King who has had so much of his work with McGregor released via digital singles (and all of them have the same cover, apparently). 

Yet still forthcoming, in a week or so, is an EP from the singer, "Roots Songs". Similar collections from Sizzla Kalonji, Chezidek and who knows who else are also in the offering as well. In Natty King's case, I always pay attention to his output as, in my opinion, the singer is likely to go down as one of THE most underrated and overlooked talents of his generation and with great reason. But I do hope that I'm wrong and, before his prime years are completed, he gets his due respect. Incidentally, while I don't know if these recent mixes of his music are legit, I have no doubt about "Trodding", which is the fantastic album Natty King did with Flava McGregor on Tad's Records a few years back which is still relatively easy to find both on CD and digitally (… and it also features virtually ALL of the music on the EP and the singles), so check it out.

"Trodding" [2009]

Rewind!: "Holdin A Vibe" by Jah Nyne

"Holdin A Vibe" by Jah Nyne [Goldcup Records]

Let's go back again. Today we're going to take a look back at yet another album which I do not think received anywhere even near the amount of attention that it deserved in its time, but we can definitely get it going again. Back in 2011 an album which I had, technically, been waiting on at that point for two or three years or so arrived from an outstanding chanter from out of The Bahamas by the name of Jah Nyne. Over the few previous years, Nyne had been someone who I definitely had an eye and an ear on for several reasons, not the least of which was his powerfully infectious and melodic style. Jah Nyne made a brand of BEAUTIFUL Roots Reggae which made me and many others high on his actual and potential talents. No one made greater usage of those talents and got more out of the artist than Italian imprint, Goldcup Records, who would bring some of his biggest pieces to fruition prior to and including his album. Traveling back we look back at an extremely impressive debut set and REWIND! "Holdin A Vibe" by Jah Nyne.

{Cassa, biggup yourself. Took awhile, but I got to it}

1. 'Holdin A Vibe'

The title track and opener of Jah Nyne's "Holdin A Vibe" album is a damn interesting one for so many reasons. First of all, as a song, it has well grown on me over the past year and a half. I once considered its main strength to be the fact that it situates itself so precisely at the beginning of the album which maximizes its value because of exactly what is going on with it. Here we find Nyne relaying an experience he had with His Majesty which, presumably, lead him into either making this album or making music, in general (or both). Basically what he says is that he was told to speak righteousness to the masses and -- what you have next -- is an album full of what he was instructed to do! Furthermore, as I once really thought it as almost strictly a great intro and perhaps not as great of  a song - that's gone. 'Holdin A Vibe' is BEAUTIFUL and that would be the case if it were at the album's head or buried somewhere else as well. And it doesn't end as an intro (or at least it shouldn't), because of what it is, you can CONSTANTLY refer back to it while listening to the album coming behind it. It is one of the single best moments on the album named after it and a great point of reference as well.

2. 'Take Control'

Again, a very nice point of interest of the album's second tune, 'Take Control', is how well it is placed on the album. Of course being second has no real prominence, alone, but coming behind the song which it comes behind, 'Take Control' is given just a bit more of the spotlight and area to shine in my opinion. It didn't really need the 'help', however. From beginning to end, although it does show flashes of being spectacular, this is just a SOLID composition on which Nyne definitely does take a biblical perspective, but he does so under, to my observation, the prevailing sentiment of encouraging all to be HUMBLE, which is always a great thing.

"In desolate places, we'll find our bread

In the wilderness, yes, we'll find a comfortable pillow to rest our head

Obedience goeth forth in the name of The Lord

We're trodding through Creation with a humble spirit and faith, of course"

3. 'Jah Bless Us'

Smiling! 'Jah Bless Us' (this song and Ras Indio's album of the same name) just does something to my senses. It makes its point (and I'll tell you about that), but it also just REALLY MAKES ME FEEL GOOD! It just comes in with this ultra-pleasant and infectious bounce, which persists well after the actual song. Jah Nyne uses this to give us a tune about making the best of your personal situation and comprehending what you have in life and using it to the best of your ability. I kind of make it sound complicated (because that's just what I do), but it is a very uncomplicated selection whose attraction actually exists in that part of itself also.

4. 'Hungry Pickney'

Goldcup Records'… golden Golden Riddim underpins 'Hungry Pickney' which has definitely become one of the signature moments from 'Holdin A Vibe' and, you could argue, from Nyne's entire career as well. This tune was spectacular in its day and it hasn't dwindled through the years either (you should really check out the Golden Riddim album as well, it was packed with stellar names such as Khari Kill, Jah Marnyah, Miss Linda, Lion D and even Sizzla Kalonji). It was a rather broad social commentary, despite its title, and one of the most thorough of its kind (sounding like something you'd hear from Junior X) and it also had a gorgeous command of melody which saw the track ranking near the absolute finest offerings on this album.

"Some trust inna dem horses and chariot

Five star hotel, dem lay off inna di Marriot

SUV weh dem go drive

Dem put real estate over human life

Well dem no waan di money if it clean

No, a dem prefer di money weh put on bloodstain

But a righteousness clean up di nation

Let's hail di King of this Creation"

5. 'How Do You Feel?'

Although more specific, in this case dealing primarily with anti-violence, in terms of its direction, 'How Do You Feel' isn't very dissimilar to the song which it follows. The main difference, however, is just how personal it is. This one doesn't speak in broad and general terms, it hits directly at those and the conscience of those creating and maintaining violence throughout the world. Over the time I've definitely gained a greater amount of appreciation for this song which has a greater lyrical appeal than I probably gave it credit for having originally.

6. 'Rise'

And then there's the boom! I may've been the only one (but who cares), but the best tune that I initially heard, and still hear, on the whole of "Holdin A Vibe" was the BLAZING 'Rise'.

"Let's give Jah thanks and praise

Ancient fyah outta road deh fi blaze

Don't nyam outta babylon plate

Plastic smile mi seh hitch upon dem face

Dem caan get wi out a di race

DEM CAAN CUT WI HAIR OR TIE WI SHOES LACE

Melchizedek Order dem, mi embrace

Di healing a di nation, wi waan meditate

Zion and Earth - The Most High deh create

Haile Selassie I strengthen I faith

Mi no inna argument, no time fi debate

RASTAFARI GOVERN DI HUMAN RACE!

So rise

Come mek wi go chant dem down

Rise!

Babylon yah going down

Rise!

Come mek wi go chant dem down

Rise!

Babylon yah going down

Haile Selassie works, mi come fi proclaim

Many were called, only a few ordained

Yuh caan enter Zion if yah heart it no clean

IF YAH HAND DEM FILTHY, YAH FOOT CAAN GET IN

Yow! Haile Selassie I reign

Out of yah sleep or slumber wake up from unuh dream

Unuh break free from unuh mental chain

HOW MUCH LONGER SHALL BABYLON WASH UNUH BRAIN?!"

MAD! 'Rise' was a track which did grab attention, but not nearly as enough as it should have in my opinion and I don't care what you say - it's the best song on this album and probably the best I've EVER heard from Jah Nyne which is saying a lot.

7. 'Zion I'

Up next is a tune which I have thoroughly enjoyed from the very first time that I heard it, the somewhat Horace Andy-esque 'Zion I'. Like almost every song on the album, the tune registered with a very substantial spiritual and mental base and what Nyne built from that point, at least to me, was one of the better pieces here. This is another tune which I don't feel necessarily received what its quality would seem to suggest it deserved, but there's nothing that says we can't give it to it NOW! 'Zion I' was big.

8. 'Peace & Love' featuring Ras Ijah

Ras Ijah would join Jah Nyne on the first of two combination efforts on "Holdin A Vibe", 'Peace & Love', and he would do exceedingly well in shining brightly on a pair of standout verses from the entire album. I love the contrast here as we have the rough and gruff Ijah alongside the more refined and melodically dominant Jah Nyne. Together the two link up and develop a tune which was an outstanding vibe and one which I wouldn't at all mind having a sequel someday.

9. 'Herbs & Spice'

I shouldn't have to tell you exactly what's going on with a song called 'HERBS & Spice' (so I'm going to act as if I've already covered that). In many respects the song is a delightful one, while in others it may not be so, but what stands out here mostly, today, is just how effortlessly it appears for Nyne to have made. He makes some excellent and poignant points throughout, but it doesn't, at all, come off as the type of composition which was so extremely laid out and planned prior to its recording

"Mi si di soldier patrolling wid dem artillery

Mi build a spliff in dem face

Dem caan touch mi"

10. 'I'll Treasure You'

Speaking of delighting. I'd almost forgotten about 'I'll Treasure You' for the most part, and I kind of like that in instances like this where you get this great almost nostalgic experience when hearing a tune for the first time in awhile. The most charming aspect of this very strong lover's song is the fact that it is supported by a version of the same track used by the legendary Bob Marley for the equally legendary 'Stir It Up' and while it doesn't quite strike on the levels of the song's original passenger, what Nyne does turn in is more than decent and, perhaps even better, just a glorious idea.

11. 'Shoulder to the Wheel'

If your experience in listening to Jah Nyne's music goes back further than the release of this album, then it is very likely that one of your, like my, favourite songs of the Bahamian's is the EXCELLENT 'Shoulder To The Wheel'. It probably first reached a couple of years or so prior to the arrival of the album and because of that, had ample time to grab my senses and make itself a long-standing standout of an album I didn’t even know was on the way. It's really just a piece about determination and strength and although it doesn't come through in very fiery type of channels, it does exude this infectious level of a more quiet type of confidence which aides in making for one of the most mighty musical DISPLAYS on this album and from Jah Nyne in general.

"Unuh caan sit down and think seh things fall from sky

Lazy body, you no get up and go give work a try

Unuh deh pon di battlefield, well then yah qualify

Just try a little thing, yah nuh need fi wear no necktie

Stay focused and everything multiply

Give thanks and praises to His Majesty I

No need fi go weep and there's no need fi go cry

The benefit of hard work prepare di table fi I"

"Unuh come Selassie I house if unuh waan strength

Straight road fi go trod of I've a lasting length

Inna di wilderness - Rastaman go pitch tent

Ises, King Selassie I, mi reverence

Gimmi di coke -

Nah, Chalwa

Don't forget mi incients 

Wi meditation, burn di serpent

Selassie rule a theocratical government

Inna di tabernacle wi burn myrrh and frankincense

Deh pon wi knees, mi heart must always cleanse

LIFE WITHOUT THE ALMIGHTY DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE

DISCIPLINE OF MIND: A BASIC INGREDIENT OF GENUINE MORALITY - 

WHICH IS SPIRITUAL STRENGTH"

"Work hard for material and spiritual gain

They're both essential for our well being

The scale must balance, one side caan lean

And if the scale unbalanced then no one side point streen [straight]

Prepare to achieve what is to attain

Everything that you do, do in The Almighty name

Seek Jah first and blessings shower like rain

And wickedness in heart, it must haffi recede"

12. 'Unity Is Strength' featuring Peter Runks

And finally, "Holdin A Vibe" would reach its conclusion with its second and final (DUH!) combination (how could this be the last song and not the last combination) (common sense is bad for you!), 'Unity Is Strength', which featured veteran Peter Runks who would have also had a new album out at the same time. Runks has a very nice voice which may not work well in many other genres, but is nearly perfect in the spectrum of Reggae music. Here, the two deliver another very straight-forward winner which may not offer much in the way of twists and turns, but is a solid effort and a fine way to end things.

Jah Nyne

One of the biggest reasons that I so much enjoying doing these features is that they allow me to refocus my reviewer's ear and do so months, and sometimes even years, later. When I do that, inevitably I'll hear new things that I didn't pay much attention to the first time around. I'll gain a new appreciation on certain songs and lose one on others and while I did have a similar experience this time, most importantly I was able to relive just how much of an UTTER JOY this album was to listen to. I'm not calling it the greatest album I've ever heard and I'll never declare it a full on classic, but if you're looking for a very pleasing and gratifying Roots album which didn't sacrifice message for sonic appeal, then definitely pick up one of the most interesting debut sets I've heard in a very long time, "Holdin A Vibe" by Jah Nyne.

'Show Me': A Review of "Holdin A Vibe" by Jah Nyne

I think that, normally, when we think of a 'musical presentation' or the concept of such a thing, we're typically driven into the direction of something more of a visual nature. When someone 'presents' their music to you, surely it's somewhat of a personal experience and something which is, obviously, best appreciated in a more direct format. This is done, usually, through concerts and videos, both of which definitely aid the music and in a very specific genre such as Reggae, these things (especially in the case of videos where, presumably, the experience is exactly or near to exactly what was crafted in order to represent a particular tune) both of these mediums can do a great deal of work in various situations. There's also the more literal presentation of music - i.e. presenting someone with a song or an album and everything that it carries such as an album cover and liners etc. - but what I'd like to talk about today is the actual audio experience we can have through listening to a particular artist. You'll forgive me (because I've been listening to a month of Soca music) for going in that direction, but I think that one of the greatest audio presentations or 'displays', to be found in all music is in Soca. That type of vibe is so powerful that it can transfer you mentally to a very visual place in your mind and really have an EMOTIONAL link to its listeners. In Reggae, things can be just as compelling. Someone who I feel has an excellent presentation of his music is Chezidek. Strictly speaking on how the album was, musically, displayed, his winner from last year, "Judgement Time", is probably one of the best albums of the past decade and the roll he has been on over the course of the past year or so is, in its own right, a vivid display of just how musically proficient the odd voiced singer can be. 'Oddly' enough, Buju Banton is someone else who has this skill (and that is precisely what it is) and to a grand degree. If you can remember (has it been that long), Buju, in his latest form and when at his best, made these very RICH Roots Reggae anthems which, almost inherently, set themselves apart from similar tunes from almost all of his peers. You could listen to the opening few seconds of a Buju tune on a riddim voiced by twenty other artists and IMMEDIATELY have an idea which was his tune. Mikey General would be another good example, as would a few others who have this wonderful ability to individualize their music, within a pack of many, based on how well their vibes are presented to the listener in the most basic form.

Someone who I'm now going to add to that list of venerable names is an artist who, hopefully, isn't completely unknown to you at this point, the wicked singing chanter from out of the Bahamas, Jah Nyne! Longtime readers of this blog are probably well familiar with Nyne because his was actually one of the very first features we did for a particular artist (he was actually fourth) and fittingly so - I've been very keen on the artist for years now and to watch his career (and his abilities) develop over that same time has been damn interesting. What really first struck me about Jah Nyne's music is something which I've previously characterized as being this very 'intense' command of melody, and it is a very NATURAL command as well. I don't know if Nyne has ever taken a formal musical lesson in his entire life, in terms of learning how to sing, but when he sings his wonderful tunes they really OPEN things up, as far as the basic POSSIBILITY of having a great melody in a song. When you take that and combine it with good music and then add to it the fact that he's turned out to be a very talented lyricist (more on that later), well at that point we're dealing with someone who has a 'next level' type of skill and, again, watching that skill come to fruition, as of late, has been very pleasing. What he's become is someone who can, very naturally and organically, 'give' his music to his listeners and have it come across so well that you know when you're listening to a tune from Jah Nyne.

Goldcup Records [did we really need to caption this???]

Still, I think that the one thing missing from Jah Nyne's musical résumé, to date, would have been a greater level of recognition within the Reggae world. There aren't too many voices in the genre from out of the Bahamas who do receive that type of push, but we have seen it in certain cases such as for Jah Hem, Jah Doctrine and of course veteran Reggae/Gospel act, Monty G and now Nyne has joined that group as he reaches the next stage of his career with his terrific debut album, "Holdin A Vibe". Of course, a presentation on an album is something which is actually the result of not only the work of a particular artist, but a particular label as well and here, Jah Nyne works with the same Goldcup Records from out of Italy which has, at least partially, been responsible for a great deal of his recent successes. I don't know how the link was made (although it should be worth mentioning that the same label has also worked with another Achis Reggae favourite, Aima Moses, from out of Dominica), but I'm very grateful that it was because it now brings forth an album that I have, literally, been waiting for, for years and after a most cursory spin, it was clear to see that they hadn't overstepped any boundaries of his vibes and the results would be fittingly big. I think that "Holdin A Vibe" not only becomes the debut set for Jah Nyne, but also for Goldcup - To date they've only released riddim albums, so it shows you exactly what type of confidence they had in this charge, that they chose to do their initial single artist album for him, in particular. Reading even further into that (because that's just what we do), one could also say that, presumably, this means that perhaps the popularity of Jah Nyne has grown to a point where a label who doesn't figure to be struggling at this point in its existence, would choose to feature him and assume that the project would do well. In either case, the album definitely figures to introduce the singer to a wider audience and those fans, particular those fans of modern Roots Reggae music, are almost guaranteed to enjoy what they find here. Goldcup links Jah Nyne with some big riddims over which to star and throughout this delightful album, that's just what he does. Let's take a listen!

Album Promo Mix

I think one of the very first things that I thought when I heard the music of Jah Nyne was just how similar he sounded, at least to me, to somewhat 'scattered' Jamaican vocalist, Bascom X. He still does, to some degree, but, as I alluded to, the Bahamian has absolutely no troubles in distinguishing himself, musically. The greatest example of this now comes in Jah Nyne's brand new album from Goldcup Records, "Holdin A Vibe", which gets started in a CORRECT manner ,with what seems to be a somewhat autobiographical selection - the album's title track. The song finds Nyne recounting an experience he had, while "holdin a vibes one day", which seemingly lead him to do music. This isn't my favourite tune on the album, but it is situated so perfectly in respect to the album that, it alone, almost makes it even stronger. What we have, essentially, is Jah Nyne telling the listener that he received an inspiration from The Most High to make the album that we're about to listen to! It's like a VERY involved intro, but it's accurate and one which sets the bar extremely high for what is to follow. Luckily, Nyne has no trouble maintaining the levels on the next track in, 'Take Control'. This one is a tune that I know quite well, actually, as it was featured on Goldcup's Eternal Riddim from a little while back. This biblically bedded track is just a CRYSTAL of a tune. Sonically speaking it is an utter joy to listen to as we continue to get a taste of just where the artist is coming from musically and an even further introduction to his vibes, for those who need it. The first two tracks on this album, particularly when taken in tandem with one another work so well. And it gets even better. Check the final tune of the opening quarter, the STERLING 'Jah Bless Us' (biggup Ras Indio). Without any qualifications or conditions whatsoever, this is one of the best songs on the entire album and one of the best that I've ever heard from Nyne.

"Jah blessing us and keeping us alive yay
Wi go dung on wi knees and wi pray oh
Anoint I & I head with oil
My cup shall surely overflow"

"Going out and coming in
Ask Jah fi protect us from temptation and sin
Upful it and a cleanly living, as long as life exists I will always be exalting The King
Jah bless me with a talent fi sing
Word, power and sound -
Pass it, mek mi put it pon riddim
Under the shadow of The Almighty wing
Inna HIM secret place:
What a joy it bring!"

BIG! I was nearly sure that I'd heard this song before, but as it turns out it is new (biggup The Magista). It just sounds so familiar and so COMFORTABLE and the tune rounds out and HIGHLIGHTS a mighty start.

Jah Nyne

With the way "Holdin A Vibe" is worked - it features a pretty nice mix of new[er] songs with more well known pieces (by my, almost certainly incorrect, count, it features six of each) - It's clear that SOMEONE took very good care of how the album was presented to the masses (and, speaking of presentation, the cover of the album is just COOL). As for the four remaining new (to me) tracks, they definitely feature a heavy amount of twists and turns. First is another of the album's genuine highlights, the swaying 'Zion I'. This is praising track which, on the surface and initially, seems fairly 'rigid' and basic, but the tune reaches a new level when you take a deeper listen. Somewhere in the early middle portion it becomes SUBLIME and just a real winning track (Luciano would be proud!) ("inna Mount Zion I, there's only day, there is no night"). There's also the album's obligatory ganja tune, the spicy 'Herbs & Spice'. On this song, Nyne deals with kind of Reggae-tradition of outlining all the wonderful usages of marijuana and its very odd persecution in many places around the world. He does drift into some of the more controversial topics (which appear to be unrelated), but I'll leave that to you to hear. The remaining two new tracks on "Holdin A Vibe" are a couple which figure to receive a great deal of attention because they are the album's two official combinations. First is 'Peace & Love' which features another staple of Goldcup Records, the Trini born fiery chanter, Ras Ijah. This is another MIGHTY track and, despite its title, Ijah manages to make his presence known in a way which isn't overstated. I really liked this one because it's another which really shines on a sonic level and it should go without saying that the message is very pertinent as well (even though I guess I just said it).

"Well mi ah tell dem bout peace
Tell dem bout love
It's a blessing from The Almighty, Jah
It was sent from above
Well, no time fi hate, no time fi grudge
Alright, no time fi smother your bredda inna di mud
Mi tell dem seh well -
Time fi share outta di one mug
Alright, then you greet your bredda with a blessed hug
Marcus Garvey tell us 'stop live like thugs'
Alright, then put down di slugs'
-Ras Ijah from 'Peace & Love'

And lastly from the new batch is the final tune on the album altogether which finds Nyne linking with someone who may be one of the next big thing from out of the Bahamas (also mind a big artist by the name of Irate Johnson), sweet singing Peter Runks. The same outstanding gentleman who used to send us tunes from Jah Nyne also mixed in the occasional piece from Runks as well and it was generally impressive. Here, the two make a predictably fine duo on the fitting closer, 'Unity Is Strength' which is not to be missed (and check out Runks' work, he also has a few digital tunes available).

'Hungry Pickney'

As for the more well known material that is to be found on "Holdin A Vibe", here we have, in my opinion, the real class of this album and, if you've been paying attention to the artist's career to date, some of the tunes for which he is most well known. I don't know if 'I'll Treasure You', the love song on the album, fits into either of the aforesaid categories very well, but it is just a SOLID track. It's also interesting because it finds Nyne borrowing from the same riddim Nesta uses on the classic 'Stir It Up' and I just like really kind of random things like - You can hear Nyne or someone else just thinking how nice it would be for him to voice that riddim and here is the respectable results of his/their efforts. Better known is Nyne's BIG social commentary cut of Goldcup's BIG Golden Riddim, 'Hungry Pickney'. It's too early to use such an adjective on a two year old song, but for people like me (all eighteen of us, or so), there will come a point where this tune is hailed as CLASSIC work. It's one of the most melodically gifted songs on the album - and that is Nyne's strength, so that's saying a great deal - and if you haven't realized it by now, it's also one of the sharpest tunes, lyrically, from someone who is also quite advanced in that department. Big tune. 'How Do You Feel' is another social commentary, this one of an anti-violence nature, and another across a big composition from Goldcup, the LOADED Mirror Riddim. Goldcup also backs the HUGE previous single 'Shoulder to the Wheel' which, even before this album was one of my favourite songs from Jah Nyne. You're going to have a really difficult time showing me how this isn't a SUPERB song in every respect! This song is beautiful and it really blends the tangible and spiritual arenas together so well - an unfortunately rare lyrical trait in all of Reggae music.

'Shoulder to the Wheel'

And lastly, how completely and ridiculously odd is it that I fond that the single finest tune on all of "Holdin A Vibe" was a song which I knew of, but (obviously) had yet to pay a proper attention to. 'Rise' is FIRE!

"Yah cyan enter Zion if yah heart, it no clean
IF YAH HAND DEM FILTHY, YUH FOOT CYAH GET IN!"

What?! The song was the BITE that I would have been calling for in the event of its absence. It is here, however, if you, like me originally heard it and thought it nothing special, have another, VERY INTENSE, listen my friends (even notice how the riddim, beautifully continues running after the final vocals).

Overall, it's a winner and I had no doubts that it would be - Even two or three years back. Also, after digging into the album for the sake of this review, I'm wondering if it isn't a pretty PERFECT time to release this album. There aren't a great deal of big named Reggae albums which are completely new at this point, but there are enough on the horizon (Warrior King, I Wayne etc.) to maybe draw an early interest in it from early arriving more casual fans who are likely to come across the nice cover. What they'll find, assuming that they're smart enough to have a listen is one of the year's best SOUNDING Reggae albums to date. The sonics on "Holdin A Vibe", in every respect, are just fantastic and all of that goes back to my initial point of Jah Nyne being so well capable of a PRESENTATION of his music. His vocals are clear, his lyrics are to the point and it's really easy to grasp his concepts (even for an over-thinker such as myself). He's also, clearly, every bit as talented as I thought and it's never been more obvious after thoroughly enjoying his debut set. Well done.

Rated: 4.25/5
Goldcup Records
2011
CD [I THINK] + Digital
Jah Nyne @ Facebook

Review #329

Meet Jah Nyne!

Jah Nyne

Meet Jah Nyne! Up until now each and every artist that I've featured as a 'new artist' has been exactly that, a new artist. Jah Nyne, however, isn't very new at all and although you may have not heard of him or very much of him, a quick listen to ANY of his music might just reveal that the Bahamas chanter is no rookie, at all. Instead, the artist has been around now for more than a decade and has been slowly upping his career and his status amongst hardcore Reggae heads and that has been CLEARLY evident in his vibes also.

When I look at an up and coming artist what I tend to do is look at what they do really well and what they don't so good. I have a hard time figuring what Nyne doesn't do well, however, what he has at his best is a skill of MELODY. His vocal approach, to my ears, is quite similar to Jamaican artist Bascom X, although quite a bit more polished than the troubled X whose downright RAGGED approach is in fact quite a bit of his appeal. In Jah Nyne, on the other hand, that raw style is replaced by a very refined and almost pure singing tone which definitely boosts him. As well as a SLIGHT youthful curiosity to his voice as well which has drawn a few comparisons to the legendary Garnet Silk (of course it doesn't hurt that he also looks a bit like the Silk one).

While we continue to wait for an official debut album from Jah Nyne, he did drop a WICKED combination for the debut album of his good friend and neighbour, Jah Hem, whose debut album Love Is The Way, came forth in 2008.

The tune, The Most High, was easily amongst the highlights on an album which was packed full of highlights.

Jah Nyne's music also shows quite a nice level of consistency as I can say with the fullest of confidence that I've heard approximately twenty different tunes from the artist and have yet to hear one tune which flopped to my opinions. And he is slowly starting to build his local profile as well, voicing more riddims which feature more known artists as well and stepping out a bit with the more established Bahamian acts such as the aforementioned Jah Hem, of course Monty G and Jah Doctrine. And while he remains the only one of that pack not with an official album out for the people, a few more big tunes and such a project will almost assuredly be on the way.

So keep an eye and two ears out for future Jah Nyne releases. Doing so will only be doing yourself a favour. One of the best kept secrets in all of Reggae right now.

Jah Nyne @ Myspace