'Miss B If You're Nasty': A Review of "Miss B" by Nadia Batson

If the popularity of a particular artist was something which was inherently and primarily attached to their respective skill level, most of music, in general, would likely be a much different world. Of course, I think that Reggae artistes and Caribbean musicians, in most cases, would be the most popular in the entire world, but music, on the large scale, or at least what is most prevalent would be much different in my opinion in most genres. However, with that being said, it’s very difficult to actually measure skill because seemingly the most UNTALENTED or artistes are skilled at something (even if their skill is convincing others that they have it when they don’t). So when we look at a wide variety of different genres - and what it takes to be successful in those genres - You get a very wide mix of what talent looks like. Take, for example (very randomly, of course) (not really) Soca music. You can take someone such as (again, very randomly) (again, not really) Machel Montano and then take Bunji Garlin and see how their talents line up. Machel isn’t anywhere near the level of lyricist as Bunji Garlin and it isn’t even close, but at the same time if you simply want absolute CHAOS, which is VERY important in Soca music, then Montano may very well have no current equal at his best - And both are, rather easily, two of the most popular practitioners of Soca music EVER. In my own personal opinion, currently the most all-around talented name the genre boasts is (Destra - DUH - But my bias notwithstanding) Fay-Ann Lyons, who is currently within a stretch of success which, at least to my opinion, will aid in granting her a musical immortality in the not too distant future (if it hasn’t already). She, too, is one of the most popular faces of Soca music’s still rather young history and that will never change. What I’m trying to say is that USUALLY Soca gets it ‘right’ in terms of who pushes towards the front - And I think that has a lot to do with how ‘seasonal’ the music is - It almost ‘naturally’ sucks out those who cannot CONSISTENTLY provide hits. But as I look at the landscape of the music today, I do see a couple of names who I think should be even bigger stars than they are or have been (in total and in their own respective countries). There’s Ms. Alysha (especially these days), Skinny from out of Dominica and a string of others, but at the head of that pack is simply one of the most skilled lights Soca has EVER produced, Ms. Nadia Batson.

"Caribbean Girl"

As I certainly touched on the last time I reviewed her work, Batson is one of the finest writers Soca has ever known and will always be a favourite of mine for having penned arguably my absolute favourite Soca song of all time, ‘Expose’ by El-A-Kru, a few years back. But besides her skills with the written and spoken word, Batson also possesses a vast variety of abilities which are greater (and by no small amount) than that of the greatest of majorities of most of her peers. And in a genre such a Soca, which isn’t always looked upon as being one of the classiest or classic - Nadia Batson has definitely injected a certain bit of CLASS into the most intoxicating frenzy. And, unfortunately, unlike all of the other big names I’ve mentioned here, I cannot as comfortably say that she is one of the BIGGEST faces of the history of the music (at least not yet) (more on that later), but whether you need a really cool Groovy type of song or a HUGE steamroller of a powerful Soca song, she can do it all and do it all with any of them. Also, should you require it performed on a grand stage . . . Yeah Nadia Batson probably talks too much when she performs (although I think she’s gotten better in recent times), but she also is one of the better performers, consistently, in a genre which is very very visual. Back in 2007 Batson showcased her wonderful talents on what I think was her debut album, the very strong ”Caribbean Girl” which DEFINITELY worked well for her. It took awhile, but Batson, ever the entrepreneur, would ultimately take that album digital and international and you can now find it on services such as iTunes and the likes (an option which remains woefully too fucking underused, underdeveloped and unexplored in regards to Soca music) and when you like up that album, you’ll find it listed right next to, underneath or on top of Nadia Batson’s brand new album for the 2011 season, ”Miss B” (with its WONDERFUL cover). This new album even further demonstrates the wonder that is Nadia Batson’s craft as she combines an ability and a command of melodies with a very underrated and POWERFUL voice (seriously she may have one of the best set of vocal pipes in all of modern Soca ranking near the likes of Antiguan dynamo, Claudette Peters) to a great effect. I was somewhat surprised to see that Batson came with an album for this season and even more surprised when I saw what it was comprised of (more on that in just a second) because I don’t think that most people considered 2011 a particularly successful one for the Trinidad native. She did make her rounds and provided me with a personal highlight which I am about to tell you about, but there didn’t seem to be much reaction unlike when the first album reached, on the direct heels of a slew of hits from her, including the MASSIVE ‘My Posse’ tune and others. Still, in retrospect and first of all, with seemingly so few big named Soca artists releasing albums this season and with the fact that this particular project is DAMN GOOD, I’m just as happy that she did decide to return to form this year - It was a very good idea. An album in Soca can very much be seen as a musical snapshot of a particular performer in a particular time and be that the case with ”Miss B” in 2011 - Even if you weren’t paying the greatest of attention, you’re likely to be driven to the conclusion that Batson was on fire this year. Let’s play!

'We Not Leaving'

Although there’ve been a couple of full seasons in between her two releases, the lion’s share of the albums to be found here are actually from the 2011 season. That was also somewhat surprising to me as I didn’t think that she had enough actual activity to push a sixteen track release (which is pretty much a damn boxset in Soca terms where albums generally register very close to ten tracks and sometimes less). Thankfully I was a damn fool and most incorrect on that and ”Miss B”, the new album from Nadia Batson is FULL of excellent moments. None are more sublime, however, than the HUGE ‘We Not Leaving’ which gets the album started. The tune was one of the . . . five or so best of the 2011 Trinidad Carnival season to my ears and (speaking of underappreciated), I even really enjoyed the performance of the tune at Soca Monarch (but I was in the great minority with that). Surely boosting the opener in my eyes (and ears) is the fact that it was a combination with another of my favourites, Patrice Roberts, and the two did DAMAGE on the biggest song of this album and one of the biggest anthems of the season. LOVE that song! Next we have a song with which I am so familiar that I just knew it was from last season, but again I was brain locked and the superb ‘My Time’ is a song for this year and on this album, just as Batson suggests for herself - It shines and so does she with this really LARGE, but controlled and dazzling sound. Things slow down to round out the opening batch of songs with the cool and sterling ‘Do You Remember’. What I really like here, in reference to the whole of the album, is how drastic the vibes change, but you aren’t SHOCKED by it, it’s very seamless and that’s not only an example of how versatile Nadia Batson can be, but I also think that it’s a sign of her classiness which I mentioned as well.

'Bumpers Rule'

Most of “Miss B” is actually the slower and more ‘Groovy’ type of sets which are just delightful throughout and really make a nice impression on the listener (especially myself because I love the madness). To my opinion, the best of that lot is probably the oldest song on the album and the “bonus track“ (I THINK), ‘Bumpers Rule’ from a couple of years back. The composition that it carries, the Fix Up Riddim, is one which I didn’t take too highly back then, but some time on, with it well out of my mind, it sounds so nice here and this tune was also a bonafide hit as well. I also really like Batson’s cut of the Tola Riddim from last year, ‘Party People Anthem’ (generic title . . . So what???), which features her alongside Don Iko, who also joined in on the ”Caribbean Girl” album. ‘Admiring Me’ (for some reason, to me) sounds kind of Reggae-ish (I think I hear ‘Bam Bam’ in there somewhere). It’s also very lyrical and just a cool song - Not surprisingly it’s also a brilliantly vibrant vibes one of my favourites on ”Miss B”.

“I want a real hot who can do di goody wuk
Gimme hardcore, bway I doh want no stop
Bway you betta know how fi wine nonstop
If its 12 o’clock, I want it til 6 o’clock
In de morning

Bring a bucket!
Of water
Bway mi bum bum
On fire
Doh just stand there
Admiring meh”

‘Ride It’ is a bit more forceful, but it’s another of the pieces of midtempo magic on the album. This one has a POUNDING sense to it and it’s borderline whether I should include it here or not, but whatever you want it to call, you should probably with the simples like calling it ‘BIG’. Also check the somewhat hilarious ‘Jiggle Like Dat’ which gets increasingly nice as it progresses and is probably one of the most COMPLICATED and lyrical ‘wining songs’ that you’ve ever heard. There’s ‘Silent Freak’ from last year (which, incidentally, came across a riddim named the Panty Droppa), which is a song I distinctly recall not enjoying too much, but the last time I heard it, I also didn’t have too many complaints about it. Almost a year later and I’m actually starting to enjoy it a bit. ‘Pretty Dolly’ is another very interesting and colourful song which, although not one of my favourites, it’s quickly growing. And also there’s ‘Holla Back Girl’ which has very much an R&B/Pop type of subjectry (and maybe even a cadence as well to some degree) which Nadia Batson wonderfully translates into Soca without missing a beat and I really like it (currently I’m STRUGGLING to get it out of my head to wrap up this review).

“Leave me for di girl called Shelly-Ann
Make style when you’re out on the town
Now Shelly-Ann beat out and flop down
So now you think that you can come back around”

The single tune on ”Miss B” which I do not like is ‘Trouble’, which features the legendary Black Stalin. This song is just messy - It sounds like five or six songs playing at the same time, although if you can manage to tune in onto one of them - It isn’t very bad actually.

'Lighters' featuring Tallpree

But, as I said, I really love the madness. While obviously the most insanity inducing moment this album has to offer, it ‘exposes’ in its very first opportunity, there’re still four tunes which push the intensity levels sky-high once again. The most high profile of this quartet is also the first to appear on the album, ‘Lighters’ which features the always impressive and welcomed Tallpree. This tune is much better on the studio version than it is live and in person because I didn’t think very much of it (might want to let her move around next time Tallpree, I know she had to perform again but . . . I digress), but having a moment to really take it in - I’m impressed. That’s not very surprising at all considering the levels of this duo, as they link together to serve up the second biggest Jab Jab Trinidad saw in 2011 (biggup Iwer George). Later we get a couple of ‘veiled’ tunes right next to one another ‘Ready’ and ‘Miss Grindin’. Both of these tunes start off nice and bubbly and you think that’s the way it’s going to be, but that’s merely a DISTRACTION of sorts because they are both quite impacting. The former (sounds like another Jab Jab, to me at least) doesn’t go the degree as the latter - Which is absolutely devastating and explosive - But I really like them both (just especially ‘Miss Grindin’) (it kind of sounds like ‘Mind Yuh Business’ to me) (just louder) (okay, a lot louder). And finally we end up, fittingly, dropped right in the middle of a ‘Parade’ hosted by Miss B, herself. This parade is ridiculous in every single way possible and it’s the only song on this album which can reach that level of ‘I’m-experiencing-extreme-difficulty-containing-myself’ MADNESS that is present on ‘We Not Leaving’ that everyone loves so much. WELL, WELL DONE!

Overall, there’s also something VERY important about this album that I’ve purposefully neglected to mention - Nadia Batson is VERY attractive. She is a very BEAUTIFUL woman and that is essential in taking in her music (not really, I just felt like mentioning that).

'Parade'

And besides that, I just really like how the album is presented and carried out. Despite her versatility and the many directions in which she takes it, you can find a unifying or a ‘prevailing’ vibes on this album, it isn’t strictly just singles thrown together (. . . well it is actually, but clearly there was some discretion or just good old fashioned common sense exercised in the ‘throwing’ process). Or it may just be that our subject here, Nadia Batson is a damn genius. As I alluded to before, while she may not get that top billing credit as some of her peers, I REALLY think that, years from now, Batson will become one of the most well regarded and INFLUENTIAL Soca artists of all time. And while, ostensibly, we may not look at her 2011 season as one of her greatest, if we do look back at it through the spectrum that is ”Miss B”, it too will grow to be as appreciated as its most skillful of creators, one of the greatest to ever do it.

Rated: 4.25/5
Nadia Batson
CD + Digital
2011
Nadia Batson @ Facebook
Nadia Batson @ Twitter

Listen Keenly: A Review of Caribbean Girl by Nadia Batson

Its always been my theory that because of Soca’s somewhat seemingly blind obsession with making you either break your wrists waving something, or your ankles jumping somewhere, that the lyrical aspect of the music can often be lost. I liken it almost to stereotypical Roots Reggae where Artist A may make a song with the very typical catch phrases like, “Bun dung Babylon”, “Oh Praise Jah” or “Uplift the people” and such, while never really saying anything; the same can be said for Soca at times where Soca Artist B will come in with, “Jump up and wave, misbehave”, almost like a programmed bit. And even as someone myself who LOVES to ‘jump and wave and misbehave’, I have to admit, it definitely does get tiring and I can even appreciate someone who even SLIGHTLY deviates from that standard course. In Roots Reggae, with artists like Sizzla, Lutan Fyah and Buju at the forefront of literally DOZENS of very talented wordsmiths who either eschew the tired and formulaic lyrical approach altogether, or are capable of taking that route and scoring with big (and MEANINGFUL) tunes, even in spite of it. In Soca, definitely things are the same although there are less practitioners of the almost OVER hype style who can add a bit of lyrical dexterity in between jump ups. Of course, the primary example is and has been for quite awhile now Soca Monarch King of Kings Bunji Garlin who at times appears to come off as simply a Dancehall artist playing with a new toy. Dancehall is almost inherently more lyrical (although you listen to a few tunes from Ding Dong or Matterhorn and you might not know it) than it’s cousin from Trinidad, thus, for every Bunji Garlin there are three or four, Vybz Kartels, Busy Signals and Aidonias of this era. Bunji, however, is DEFINITELY one of the most talented Caribbean wordsmiths going right now, particularly in the wing of the freestyle. Just this past International Soca Monarch competition last month he DELIGHTED the crowd, after announcing his intentions to merely support his wife, Faye-Ann Lyons, by placing as first runner up, with freestyle after freestyle aimed at all of their opponents and his own unborn daughter who, through her mother, had taken a lyrical jab at her father just a couple of performances earlier. I’d place Garlin on the level of his aforementioned Dancehall peers absolutely and in particular in the area of freestyle, he may actually be peerless (although Ninja Man may take offense to that). There is also one Ms. Alysha, often described as the female Bunji Garlin. Alysha, although nowhere near Garlin’s level of accomplishment (yet) has been well regarded for her rapid-fire like flows and infusement of a more Dancehall vibes into Soca. Besides those two, there are veterans young and old like Maximus Dan, KMC, Mrs. Bunji Garlin and Jamesy P from out of St. Vincy who are wonderful lyricists as well as younger veterans such as Skinny Fabulous (St. Vincy), Ricky T (St. Lucia) and the CRAZY S.K.I.NN.Y. from out of Dominica, all of whom have proven themselves skilled at taking a more tactful approach to the jump and wave.

Now, I may be the only one who thinks this way but I don’t think that a LYRICIST is the same thing as a SONGWRITER. Yes, a good one of them tends to be a good one of the other, but I take the term ‘lyricist’ to be a more aggressive type of title. Like Bunji Garlin himself is a wonderful lyricist and could probably write a wonderful tune for someone like Destra in the context of a crazy Soca song, however, when Destra finds herself in the mood to sing one of her gospel fueled ballads, the first person she might want to link would DEFINITELY not be Bunji Garlin. However, it might just be someone like Nadia Batson who is proving herself t be equally powerful lyricist AND songwriter through her relatively short time in the game. I only (embarrassingly at the time) have REALLY been following Batson for the better part of three years and primarily within the last two as she has cemented her place as one of Trinidad’s most prominent and SKILLED Soca artists in that same time. The most REMARKABLE thing about Batson, however, is that I had actually heard ‘her’ before I really thought I had because of the EXCEPTIONAL level to which her career as a songwriter had blossomed before her own solo performing career took off. To her credit are tunes like the OUTSTANDING Sleeping In Your Bed from Batson’s good friend Michelle Sylvester which won Sylvester the very first Groovy Soca Monarch crown in 2005 I believe. Nadia Batson also wrote the very strong tune Flames from Jabae which was a HUGE hit a couple of seasons back and before it ran its course produced an even stronger remix which included Destra herself. Were that not enough (and it was) Nadia Batson, even if she never sings or writes another tune EVER again will hold a special place with me as it was actually she who wrote El-A-Kru’s MAMMOTH tune Expose which is most likely my favourite Soca tune of all time and one of my favourites altogether, regardless of genre. Well, now it’s Batson’s turn to take advantage of the good streak which has turned her own personal way and what better way to do that than putting out an album which encompassed the majority of her hits from 2008 (her biggest year undeniably) and back. That album, Caribbean Girl was EASILY one of the best Soca albums from the 2008 season and was a more than welcomed addition to the usual releases from Bunji Garlin, Machel Montano and Shurwayne Winchester. The Caribbean Girl album is her very first and only to date but it definitely went on to help establish her name on an international level, planting the seeds sewn in her meteoric rise on a local level, placing hers alongside her aforementioned peers, in terms of big name Soca artists. And did I mention that it was GOOD too? Caribbean Girl is just as wonderful and DIVERSE as the artist herself and in the proves to be a winner and a great addition to the collection of any hardcore or new fan of Soca music.

Given Nadia Batson’s history as a writer and an industry veteran, I can’t imagine it was THAT difficult for her to get her foot in the door in terms of beginning to receive the opportunities for herself which she had previously worked so hard for others to get. Thus, you have to hold Caribbean Girl up to a certain higher standard than the typical debut, luckily it STILL doesn’t disappoint even under those conditions. Getting the impressing started after a brief introduction which finds Batson giving thanks beforehand and explaining how the album is merely her expressing all the wonderful different parts of her creativity (indeed), is Batson putting her best foot forward with My Posse. I have heard BEAUTIFUL material from Nadia Batson (most of it is on this album), but NONE of it is as downright EARTHSHAKING as My Posse. The tune was a real contender for Roadmarch in 2008 (I think it may have come in fourth) and ended up netting her fourth place for Power Soca Monarch last year (should have been third). My Posse was definitely one of my personal favourites from the 2008 season and I still find myself getting into the vibes BIG TIME whenever I spin it and I love how it’s both a powerful and still kind of a romantic vibes at the same (“Slow, slow, wine back yuh bumpah. Carnival time so sexy woman take over”). The album’s finest, probably the finest of Nadia Batson’s entire career and a HUGE opening for her debut album, Caribbean Girl. Just as they pick up with My Posse, the vibes cool off with the ULTRA-COOL chutney tinged Love Of My Life [Meri Zindagi] one of the signature tunes from Batson and the album. This one just has a PURE romantic vibes and sounds so exotic that you almost expect a Zouk tune to break out at some point but Batson RULES it and begins to show off those crazy impressive vocals in the process. You love that one. Completing the opening for Caribbean Girl is Caribbean Girl the tune which kind of registers somewhere between the two opening tunes. This one is EXCELLENT as well to my opinion and is probably one of the best WRITTEN tunes on the album named after it. Like another tune later on, Caribbean Girl has such a SWEET Caribbean unifying vibes and message to it that should you happen to be West Indian (and I am) or of West Indian heritage, certainly it’ll strike a chord with you, just as it does with me. Altogether, a LARGE opening.

The thing which will most certainly stick out when looking at the tracklist for Caribbean Girl on paper is definitely the amount of combinations. With FIVE in total, Nadia Batson shares more than a third of her album, wonderfully with her friends on some quality tunes. The first is definitely the most high profile and one of the strongest and she is joined by Tobago superstar Shurwayne Winchester on Loving Again. The two do get quite HYPE, but all in all, it’s just a smoother type of vibes where the tune really excels actually on one of the more COLOURFUL efforts on Caribbean Girl. Next up is my own personal favourite combination on the album and one which won’t mean too much in terms of celebrity unless you’re a BIG fan of Trini Reggae (like your’s truly). Nadia checks in on a one drop riddim alongside one of the strongest Trini artists on the Reggae side, Marlon Asher spar Royal Dainties, on the WICKED My Joy. These two may actually be a pair for real, but even if they aren’t, they’re quite well at making music as My Joy is one SWEET SWEET tune. Of course, the Reggae head in me would like to hear Batson do a bit more (Nadia Batson - Queen Omega combination! WHAT!), and I’m confident in the coming years that we just might. Big tune. Its all Soca next as Nadia is joined by KES D Band on one of the bigger tunes on the album, My Land, another Caribbean praising big big song. Batson outshines her friend on the tune (KES lead singer Kees) but when he does jump in, he does well and the two DEFINITELY make a nice pair at the end of the song. Chica is a bit out of my tastes but I find myself frustratingly singing along to it at times. It features Mista Vybe and [Don] Iko and it is Vybe joining Batson again on the SCATHING Start De Race tune. Vybe is a former Caribbean Soca Monarch and I know him from the HUGE tune Ting 4 Da Road which is a big calling card. Start De Race easily is amongst the class of pure Soca tunes and not far behind the absolute best with its crazy powerful ROLLING vibe (listen to that riddim!) (and Batson and Vybe are VERY good friends he actually co-wrote Sleeping In Your Bed, Bounce, another Batson penned tune for El-A-Kru and even My Posse). When on her own, Batson, arguably, delivers even bigger such as the HILARIOUS tune Mind Yuh Business, a tune aimed at the rumour mongers and gossipers out there which just needs to be heard. She namedrops a few of her peers (like Destra, Faye-Ann and Bunji) which is funny and the tune is just so very well done. One of the very first tunes I heard from the artist would have been the BRILLIANT One Island (which was on the Soca Gold 2006 album). Again, looking for a ‘region-wide’ unifying tune, you draw One Island which is adult ‘edutainment’ for adults of the highest order. Think you can’t make a substantive sounding Soca tune, this one, just like the title track comes in with a nice and COLOURFUL message and vibes certain to please and it was one of her bigger hits actually (DUH). As Nadia Batson winds things down on Caribbean Girl she explores her R&B side a bit on both Ready For My Lovin and As My Pen Drops. Ready For My Lovin is VERY straight forward type of a song you’d probably hear from someone like the members of Destiny Child or someone like such and is the stronger of the two to my opinion. And As My Pen Drops may be stereotypical R&B as well, but it definitely pushes a few boundaries (it sounds like something R. Kelly might sing). And, thankfully, as if to make sure you don’t forget what the hell you’re listening to, ending things on Caribbean Girl is the typical jump and wave and misbehave tune and frankly, after the two slower tunes, I just don’t give a damn! The tune, Confusion, is MADNESS, it is one of her biggest hits to date and I love it! Excellent way to end an excellent album.

Overall, Nadia Batson is TOP NOTCH Soca regardless of how this album turned out and luckily it turned out to be VERY well put across. The album has a big claim to being 2008’s best Soca album from a single artist altogether which, in a PACKED year like 2008, is saying quite a bit. The album itself, just as she says it will on the Intro, turns out to be sort of a microcosm to Batson herself. It goes ALL OVER the place, yet it never strays enough or consistently enough to alienate the first group of fans which Nadia won over, the Soca heads, of course. It also just shows how SMART and INTELLIGENT she is which are qualities which aren’t necessarily thrown at musicians, but in this case it is VERY applicable: The woman can write! She can sing! She can arrange! Caribbean Girl is the first, of hopefully MANY more, attempts to show the entire world just how talented the woman is. Hopefully they’ll catch on. If not, then we’ll keeping jumping and waving when she tells us to. Even if we have to pay attention a little more than usual. Very impressive.

Rated 4.5/5 stars
Dynamic Entertainment
2007/2008


http://www.myspace.com/nadiabatson