First up on my radar this week is the latest release from veteran singer, Natty King and his WellOWell Production imprint, the Talent Riddim. Early last year, Natty King would deliver a brand new, very well received studio album, "Rebellution", and his flare for delivering big sets in the year's early months continue into 2023. The Talent Riddim, at its core, is a very pleasant and relatively straight-forward composition (though we never do get an actual clean version of it, so.....), but NK and company were sure to place it in the very capable hands of some extremely 'talented' vocalists, who do some very impressive things with the track. Joining 'The Man From the East' are the likes of Ginjah, Warrior King alongside Infa, Lutan Fyah, Turbulence, Chezidek, Perfect Giddmani and longtime Natty King associate (who, I believe, has been something of a mentor to the singer), Trinity who gives both a solo version of 'Fence' and a combination of the tune with U Brown. Though there's nothing here which I would call GREAT, the Talent Riddim is very solid from beginning to end and I think most fans of modern Roots music will thoroughly enjoy it.
"A Breath Of Fresh Air" by Freddie McGregor [Stingray Records - 2023]
Legendary singer and captain of the big ship, Freddie McGregor (who is apparently doing much better these days) is back with a brand new album and he's gone in a very familiar and FITTING direction in order to make it happen. "A Breath Of Fresh Air" finds McGregor linking with Stingray Records from out of the UK. If you know anything at all about Stingray and the McLeod Family who runs it, you know that they largely specialize in a brand of Reggae music which is well rinsed in an old school sound and is heavy on the Lover's Rock as well. So, such an outfit making an album with the 'Born A Winner', comes as a very welcomed union. I'm still going through this one (and may review it next month, actually), but early winners include the likes of 'I'm Going Home' [BOOM!], 'Work' and the closer 'Peace and Love'. When I saw McGregor had a new album about, I was definitely excited to hear it and when I found out who was behind it, it took it to another level and you should definitely take a listen to "A Breath Of Fresh Air".
{Note: Apparently "A Breath Of Fresh Air" has been slow in making its way to various digital sources, so it may/may not be currently available on your favourite, but it is out there}
'Behind The Wall' by Freddie McGregor [Rebelmadiaq Sound System & Records - 2022]
Quickly, also coming from McGregor this week is a HUGE new tune courtesy of Rebelmadiaq from out of Spain, 'Behind The Wall'. This song has ROYAL sound about it and I noticed it while going through "A Breath Of Fresh Air" and, again it's early days still, but it's probably better than anything on that album and it's probably the single best piece of work that I've heard from Freddie McGregor in quite some time.
"Babylon kingdom, yes, it must fall
I catch them behind the wall"
The Blak Karpet Riddim [Blak Karpet Productions - 2022]
It certainly isn't the worst idea one could have when they have a big riddim - to go ahead and name it after themselves to, perhaps, some familiarity going forward in your listener-base and that is precisely what Blak Karpet Productions has done with their latest LOVELY creation, the Blak Karpet Riddim. I'll give you a perfect example of what I mean here: Though I thought I knew the name Blak Karpet, I wasn't entirely sure and a quick search revealed that they had indeed already been behind a few releases, most notably the Miracle Riddim from a couple of years back (which carried Lutan Fyah's GENIUS pandemic-inspired 'It Still Deh Deh') ["Now the vaccination and it still deh deh. Dem seh house-to-house locked and it still deh deh. Six feet social-distance and it still deh deh"]. Now, after the Blak Karpet Riddim, chances are pretty solid that I won't have the same issue going forward anytime soon! While some of their previous drops were a bit thin in terms of number of tunes, that is not an issue with the Blak Karpet Riddim as it is spread out across TWENTY-SIX TRACKS, clocking in at nearly two hours worth of big vibes. As you would expect with so much material, the list of vocalists is all over the place with big names such as Sizzla Kalonji, Capleton, the aforementioned Natty King & Mr. Peppa, I Wayne, Lutan Fyah, Norris Man (more on him in just a second), Perfect, Chezidek and Turbulence all making appearances, as well as names which you may not be as familiar with such as Jerimus, Amejah (who gets two tracks and may actually be an official BKP artist), the wicked Kush Bashan, Peas Head and others who turn in fine efforts. I do have a couple of complaints that I'll register here, one being the fact that, even with THAT many tracks, they couldn't mix in an instrumental and, again, despite so many tunes and wonderful backing singers on several selections, unless I'm forgetting someone, you will not find a lead female vocalist touching the Blak Karpet Riddim, which is remarkable in a bad way. Still, for what it was, it was probably at least in the discussion for Riddim Album of The Year 2022. It was excellent (and in my younger days, I would have salivated all over the prospects of reviewing this LOADED release) (I also hear a little Satta Massagana Riddim on this one, maybe that's just me though).
The Fighters Riddim [ZionProductions Music - 2022]
Next up, we touch down in Costa Rica for a quick stop to pick up the latest from ZionProductions, the Fighters Riddim from late last year. This one caught my attention for a couple of reasons, the very first of them being the fact that it contains music from Elijah Prophet, which is always a good thing. His tune, the excellent anti-violence piece 'Stop the War', comes right off his 2022 album, "Jah Calling", which ZionProductions released last summer. After 'Stop the War', the reason I stuck around for 'round 2' of this fight was a MAMMOTH tune by the name of 'Find the Time' from veteran, Norris Man.
"I don't wanna be no suitor
I wanna be a contributor
Will make my work stand the test
My reward is life and it has to manifest
For long, hard times of tales they have told us
Find the time yeah, to study things and-
Observe all what Jah has create
Find the time yeah, look around you
Remember life is the only thing that we have left"
BOOM! 'Find the Time' has such a POWERFUL vibes around it and I went into to it not really expecting a damn thing at all and it CAUGHT ME! It is such a BEAUTIFUL song! Efforts from Rasmanuel (in Spanish) and Stefyah fill out the Fighters Riddim, but I will likely always think back to this one for one immense shot from Norris Man (and the riddim, itself, is delightful. It's very well done).
"Kingdom Call" by Indra [Reality Shock Records - 2023]
Last year, we told you about an album from Achis Reggae favourite, Mikey General, by the name of "Hold A Heights". That album came via one Reality Shock Records from out of the UK and it also featured OUTSTANDING background vocals from one Indra Rudder who, herself, now has a brand new album courtesy of RSR, "Kingdom Call". The Bajan born songstress has an ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL voice and it comes roaring through throughout this lovely debut (I THINK) release. Indra has a.... an almost Jazzy quality to her sound and, when you mix that with Reggae (you get Sara Lugo if you're lucky), the results can often be BEAUTIFUL (have I mentioned Sara Lugo???) and, "Kingdom Call" features some GOLDEN material. Standouts include 'Wake Up Call', 'Wolves', 'Cold World', the opener 'Fresh Wata' and others. Just a very curious sound on this one which, I hope, a lot of people give a shot - an excellent set.
'Hope' by Lutan Fyah [Riddim Wise - 2023]
No older entry this week, but instead a big new tune that has recently popped up on my radars from another favourite of ours as the latest from Lutan Fyah, 'Hope', is VERY nice. The song comes through well the dependable Riddim Wise from Montreal (and the press for this release actually says that the relationship between artist & label is one dating back a decade now) (it sounds like it) and is probably some of the Fyah's finest work that I've heard in a little while (and he's already been fairly active in 2023, so that is saying something). Just a beautiful vibes with a, fittingly, beautiful message and a GORGEOUS song. Take a listen for yourself and that's what I'm listening to.
"Tings ah get hard a yard and abroad
But it really doesn't matter to me
They think you gone falter, put down yah guard
But it really doesn't matter to me
When this escalate and di violence arise-
People gwan dead, mi know di bodies ahgo pile up
Still seh mi ah laze and toil
STILL AH HOLD IT OUT, MATTA OVER MIND
They demand every leverage and ah try to surprise you
One day di people ahgo rise up
They caan take di little bit a weh wi work for
Give it all your heart when a work time
Once there is life, we still got hope
We living inna difficult time, but wi still gone cope"
'Mission Impossible' by Perfect Giddimani & Lutan Fyah [Giddimani Records - 2023]
Okay so, little bonus action here that I simply felt the NEED to mention as veteran duo and favourites of ours, Perfect Giddimani & Lutan Fyah, once again team up on a big new tune, this time for the former's own Giddimani Records, 'Mission Impossible'. This one is delightful but it also has just a bit of a BITE to it as the two talented chanters do exactly what you would expect them to and deliver a quality piece. 'Mission Impossible' is a song about the importance of Rastafari in the world today on both smaller (and interpersonal) levels and grander ones as well. The results are mightily impressive, highly lyrical and a song which you should listen to... like right now. Okay, NOW, that's what I'm listening to.
"Load di chalice and di spliff
Give praise from di heart, Jah praise
I & I TRANSFORM FROM DI DEVIL
FROM DI KING, WI NO DRIFT
Dem get defeat, this a must, wi no fake
One - two, Nyahbinghi, Kette Man ah call through di earth
Principles. If I were to tell you that I heard a song which had the words "pickup truck", "old dog" and maybe "shotgun", chances are pretty good that you'd predict that what I was listening to was Country music and you'd probably be correct. Though you're unlikely to find a genre of music which doesn't mention those things in some way or another, they're almost universally known to be extremely prevalent (whether or not it's accurate or outdated (or just flat-out wrong) doesn't even matter and I couldn't tell you) topics of focus in that genre, so that's probably where your mind would go. Similarly, if I told you I heard lyrics which aggressively told me to "JUMP", "WAVE" AND "MISBEHAVE", and there was some type of sweating involved, you would guess Soca. Although probably underrated lyrically in a few ways, those are (well earned) hallmark traits of Soca music.... and I kinda love it. And again, while you won't find any style of music that uses words which does not mention those things, when you glue them all together, it equals Soca. I hesitate to use the word 'foundational' or 'fundamental' at the risk of sounding overly dramatic about jumping, waving and a pickup truck, but they are as ingrained in those genres as anything else that may come out of someone's mouth. In Dancehall music things are also extremely simple. When it comes to topics of Dancehall songs we have the 'Three G's' -- Girls, Guns and Ganja -- and then everything else revolves around them. If I asked you to think of a Dancehall tune which didn't fall into one of those categories, you might struggle quite a bit really (particularly if you think of 'Dancehall' in the genuine sense and not... that stuff they do nowadays) to come up with something which fully ignored them all. It is just the nature of the genre, earned through years and years of output. And while I'm completely less familiar with other styles of music, I'm sure fans of Hip-Hop, Pop, R&B, Rock and everything else could say the same about those (and I'm sitting here thinking that Gospel music may, in fact, be the easiest to recognize). Of course, while it's a wider array of topics than the three G's, Roots Reggae music is also the same. Roots is interesting because, as I've said in the past, you can take ideology and themes which're most often associated with Roots and put it into Dancehall, Soca or some other geographically related sound and people will often either, full on, call that song Roots or say something like 'it has Roots overtones' or 'textures' - things like that. Unlike most others (and I think I know why) (we can go ahead and call that the 'Marley effect'), the message behind Roots Reggae music is so durable that it can transcend genres if put into certain hands. It is truly an artform which is inspired by and held to the ideas which form it - 'message music'.
And we know those messages very well. Like Gospel, the centering theme of Roots Reggae music is a spiritual one, but I have to say that one of the best things about the philosophies behind and surrounding Roots music is just how wonderfully they're made concrete and tangible. How something can go from 'Hail The King' and 'Praise His Imperial Majesty' (which is only meaningful to people who follow that path in life), to something like 'treat your bother and sister better' and 'BE SURE TO THANK PEOPLE WHEN THEY DO SOMETHING FOR YOU' (that's very important and is applicable to everyone) is one of the most beautiful transitions I know of in music. It makes something which is limited to a very small sector of the population --those who either are Rastafari or have similar beliefs -- and opens to pretty much anyone with a good head on their shoulders. We also, directly, see ideas such as, peace, perseverance, respecting our elders, doing better at raising children, respecting nature, being sure to point out corruption, standing up for marginalized people and SELF ESTEEM constantly explored in Roots music. Even if you take that from someone who does not enjoy the sound (those poor, poor souls) or maybe doesn't even know it exists, you're going to find people who would think that such a sound, at worst, would be quite helpful to a lot of people (and I feel the need to mention here, perhaps the greatest EXAMINATION of unity in the history of Reggae music as, in 2014, Vaughn Benjamin dissected the term on his downright brilliant "Beauty For Ashes" album).
Another central theme which is found prevalently in Roots Reggae music is that of unity and bringing people together figuratively and literally (I digress here, but for a genre which is frequently (particularly in the past) criticized for being judgmental, Roots brings up unity SO often that it's hard to believe that such a judgment exists (even though it surely does) because when you pull in so many people, you're sure to have people who come from different backgrounds and lead a wide array of different lives). You could argue that unification of people is THE most important tangible idea of Roots Reggae music because it, alone, can lead into so many of the others as we make a peace amongst ourselves. Because of that, I was very much drawn to this particular project from back in 2018 which not only seemed to, figuratively, lift up the theme of unity, but did so as directly as any project like it has ever done, the Unity Riddim. Delivered by one May.B Unity from out of France for Culture Studio-Maxy Production (with Livity Records distributing) (and Zojak Worldwide handling the digital side), the Unity Riddim would take things up several notches as it LITERALLY brought people (and great minds) amongst each other, as each and every one of its fourteen vocal tracks were combinations.... and they weren't just Random Artist A alongside Random Artist B, the Unity Riddim brought together some serious talents and did so in a way that may've never been done previously in most of those cases. For nerds like You and me, this was some dream matchup type of stuff in a few instances! So many times we judge riddims for the vocal talents that're featured on them and here was no different as, had you separated this (and made twenty-eight different songs instead of fourteen), you still would have had one of the most impressive rosters of artists in recent times, but placing them with one another was incredible to pull off (even more so if you stop and consider what it must've taken, in terms of effort and money, to bring all these individuals to the same place either physically or remotely). Prior to this, May.B Unity and Maxy Productions had done at least a trio of releases in the form of the Danger (2012), Bounce (2013) and Love U (2014) Riddims, respectively. All three releases were at least some form of solid (the Love U and Danger were very good, actually, with the Bounce not being too far behind) and featured colourful lineups of vocal talents. The Unity, however, took things up not only in their ambitions, but the track itself was LOVELY and their finest composition to date in my opinion. It likely wouldn't have taken much (you could've made the 'Vacant Riddim' -- literally no riddim at all -- and likely had some big results, with some of these parings), but fortunately the riddim, as the stage presented, was well crafted for such a large moment (it is exquisite) and absolutely no one disappointed! Let's take a listen.
Although very rarely, such things have been done by others in making certain specifications as far as who voiced a particular riddim or how they went about doing it. In 2019 Achis Reggae favourite, Oneness Records released the sterling Lioness Order Riddim, which only featured female artists (such as another couple of our favourites, Queen Omega and Sara Lugo and even Queen Ifrica) and, just last year, Swick B did the same thing in Soca music with the Queendom Riddim which featured the likes of Alison Hinds, Patrice Roberts and Nadia Batson. And speaking of females, let us deal with the critiques right now - the main one being that there're fourteen vocal tracks on the Destiny with two artists each on both. Twenty-eight artists appear altogether and not a single one of them is a female. That ain't right! We're better than that. Hopefully if such a release is every given a sequel (I would be very surprised if were), that would be remedied (given what the label shows themselves capable here, asking for an Etana/Queen Ifrica combination isn't being greedy) (you'll see what I mean in a second). While I do have a problem with there not being the presence of a woman's voice present on the Unity Riddim, I have no complaints AT ALL with its opener, 'Bless My Life' which, ridiculously (and I mean that in a good way) carried both Chezidek & Warrior King! WHAT! Never have ever said that I would want to hear these two make a song together and I wouldn't think that the call would have been great to make it happen with both being singers of the higher pitch (and you generally see them paired with chanters/DJ's for the contrast), but just because it may not have been in high demand doesn't mean that what resulted was not MAMMOTH - because it was. This one just made me smile as it hits on a topic that I'm always well attracted to: The idea of being thankful for whatever it is that you do have going for you. Many people have very hard lives but NO ONE has NOTHING to be thankful for, if even for the air you breathe (or the air that someone that you love breathes if you don't give a damn about yourself) (that's your business) and that is at the heart of 'Bless My Life' ["Jah bless my life. And it's alright. Mi nah complain, whether sun or rain, you know I'm satisfied"]. These two have a lot more to show gratitude to The Almighty for and so do the rest of us after listening to such a lovely track. A favourite of mine checks in on the next tune up, 'Life', which gives us the incomparable Mark Wonder alongside Jah Rain. If you've spent pretty much any time at all around these parts then you know how highly I rate Wonder, his work is constantly discussed on these pages and, going forward, it will continue to be if I have anything to do with it (.... and I do because I write all this stuff). For his part, Jah Rain is and has been for some time, an artist who I have always found compelling. I listen to his work and I think I hear someone very familiar in a distinctly unfamiliar form. If Vybz Kartel came up as Roots artist, I would think he would sound quite a lot like Rain. The St. Andrew native is brimming with lyrics ["The limit is a state of mind. Dung deh and wise up from di age of nine. Fight against yah brother is a waste of time. Think The Creator blind? But HIM seeth all things, just live in love"] and has a very strange timing with his delivery, reminiscent of the once mighty Portmore lyrics prodigy (should you require more, you may want to check out his 2021 EP, "Guidance & Protection"). This would have been another case where I wasn't dying for a combination between Rain and Mark Wonder but I'm better off for having heard it as the two deliver a GOLDEN piece which says that we are not all doomed and have choices to make within our own destiny.
Along with two or three more contenders, 'World Peace' is in the discussion of being my single favourite song on the Unity Riddim, this time we see a meeting of the minds between the legendary Capleton & the always flaming Elijah Prophet.
"You come and tell mi world peace when a you same one create di war
Yes, my brothers are dying, don't know what dem fighting for
You come and tell mi world peace when a you same one start di war
Yes, my brothers are dying, don't know what they fighting for
Some ah think over with dem
You si dem alla kill all dem owna friend
Well nuttin neva real nor sober wid dem
Ova di cliff, wi nah go ova wid dem
Alright, so why you want fi tek a life?
And you neva mek a life?
Rasta is di Ultimate, di youths dem want a betta life
Si dem now, every man waan fi live di best of life
BUT BABYLON DEM HAVE A PHOBIA FI DI BREATH OF LIFE"
This antiviolence selection features both artists in an outstanding form and, while this is another situation where I was so excited to hear these two together, given their styles, I'm not at all surprised at how strong the eventual tune was. 'World Peace' is fantastic! 'Can't Hide' actually features a pair of talents which're relatively close to one another as big voiced chanters Chuck Fenda & Perfect Giddimani find common ground in hunting down oppressors and creators of corruption anywhere they may hole up. I sat here thinking that I never realized just how similar the two are as, for his part, Perfect (with his unpredictable bursts and singing and.... everything else he does) (and I'm not complaining) is difficult to compare at times. But if you were to chip away a lot of his idiosyncrasies, what remained might sound a lot like (a higher pitched version of-) the far more straight-forward but no less talented Chuck Fenda. Similar artists teaming up on a song doesn't sound like the greatest of ideas as there may be very little contrast to appreciate but.... this is Perfect we're talking about and he has usually has enough diversity to provide contrast with HIMSELF, so Chuck Fenda is no problem at all and they turn in one of the finest tunes on the Unity. And rounding out of the first third of tunes here are Natural Black & Omar Perry, on 'These are the Days'. I mean.... you know.... sure, why not! Though entirely unexpected, I'm not complaining about this one either as these two produce a fairly broad, but beautiful social commentary whose core is all about infusing more necessary love throughout the globe.
The next five songs on the Unity Riddim feature links which are downright shocking and, as I said, the type of stuff I would have only dreamt about prior to it. Obviously, the biggest draw here on paper would be 'Why Sacrifice', a track we mentioned not very long ago (it was actually the last review I wrote, but I don't know when these things get posted or in what order) (I just write them) in taking a look at "Rebellution", the outstanding new album from St. Thomas singer, Natty King. Here, 'The Man from The East' found a balance with one of his idols, the the legendary Luciano. You get these two on a song and you're going to get the attentions of a whole heap of people and I'm one of them! 'Why Sacrifice' was every bit the selection you would have hoped would materialize from such a union and major credit goes to May.B Unity for making something happen that people had been waiting to see for.... probably about a decade and a half at that point. Three of the other four songs in the middle portion of the Unity Riddim are STUNNING combinations on paper, but I'd also want to point out 'Jah Saved Me' which had underrated veteran Pampi Judah & talented Judgment Yard alum, King David ["No haters, no gaters, no traitors, no fakers - dem caan stop mi from mek mi paper. Mama seh 'son go out and earn, a money haffi run. Never you wait fi later. FLY DI SPACESHIP BECAH MI A DI NAVIGATOR. I came to save Israel. I'm the Black Liberator. Black Motivator. Bun out all di hater. Bun out all di spies and then go bun out all di traitor"]. Given what surrounds it, it's easy to get lost on this tune. It doesn't carry the star power as any of its 'neighbours', but this SWEET praiser more than holds its amongst the giants. And then there is the matter of those "giants". Check 'All I See Is War'. I don't know if they've made a song in the past (I doubt it, but I could be wrong) (usually am when I'm think I'm right) (I just spelled that 'right' as 'write') (....damn) but given the sure amount of time they've spent around one another and the amount of riddims and stageshows they've touched all around the world, a musical union of Sizzla Kalonji & Junior Kelly seems like a long overdue natural team-up (even if they have done it before, it was time to do it again). This is a social commentary which is quite expansive with the two looking at a variety of different topics. It also comes off like a vibe. It doesn't seem as if they did a great deal of planning to it and, instead, just went into the studio with a light topic and allowed everything to develop organically. Perhaps that is the reason why I come away from a set like this and the main thing that sticks with me is that, despite its direction, 'All I See Is War' makes me feel good! It probably wasn't the intent and is more of a 'side effect' and maybe I'm just too damn lost in the moment to appreciate the sentiments behind this one, but this song put a very large smile on my face.
Easily one of the biggest combinations on the Unity Riddim, 'My People' then came up: Pulling in Jah Mason and placing him next to Turbulence! HEAVY!
"No more mi nah go stand up and watch
Bangarang ah treat mi people like trash
Everyday our life is like wi been on di war patch
Mau mau warrior, real battle locks
When mi a battlefield, mi nah have time fi relax
NO time fi slumber, mi nah go nap
Wi nah get caught inna dem boobytrap
Mi going, mi going, mi going, mi caan stop
Check dat
My people need justice and quality
WORLD LEADERS, DEM LOSE DEM SANITY
Some ah pree material things a just vanity
And I hate to si my people die
My people need justice and quality
WORLD LEADERS, DEM LOSE DEM SANITY
Some ah pree material things a just vanity
And I hate to si my people die
That's why we'll fight for our equal rights
That's all wi know
Together wi will grow
What is peace without justice?
When poor people dem facing so much things
And di dutty system - wi cannot trust this
And if dem violate Jah Mason ahgo bust dis
Wi no really like di way they roll
The reapers of soul
Divide and control
You know wi belong in Africa-
More food fi di sufferah"
These two absolutely DISMANTLE the Unity Riddim and produce what I'm calling my favourite song on the riddim (although I reserve the right to change my mind at any point before you end up reading this) (.... which is what I just did behind the scenes, but never mind that). Also adding to the big names here is 'Word, Sound & Power', which is where you'll find both Fantan Mojah & Lutan Fyah making their mighty contributions. Unsurprisingly (biggup Lutan Fyah), this one features, arguably, the best wordplay on the riddim (which is saying a lot when you consider the caliber of lyricists present) ["Dem ah preach but dem no practice. Dem no love one another. Dem evil, mi hear seh dem ah swear gainst dem mother"] as the Fyah and Mojah step things up from an already soaring level and do so in a way which isn't 'AGAINST' the riddim. What I mean is that the song plays out in a very easily digestible way and you end up with a large message that is also nice to listen to.
The final combination on the Unity Riddim which sorta/kinda made my eyes pop was definitely 'Don't Shoot' which linked VI superstar Pressure Busspipe with Dominican firebrand, the criminally overlooked Aima Moses. Again [!], never would have thought there would have been a track to unite these two, but I ain't complaining at all about it! It almost seems kind of random planning but Moses did previously appear on both the aforementioned Love U and Danger Riddims, respectively, so he's been on May.B Unity's radar for some time and Pressure's is one everyone's radar. These two perform as high as you would expect them to as they examine those in power who ABUSE that power on a certain group of people in particular.
"Hey, di shooting of Black people, officer you betta stop
You should another unarmed citizen, for what?
And then your laws and legislation support di act
Dutty babylon system only made fi set trap
Protect and serve di people is what you have not
Everytime di ghetto youth touch di road, you keep track
No find no evidence, and still di youth dem pon lock
Overall, what do we do with this one??? Maybe I'm overdoing it a bit were I to call the Unity Riddim one of the best riddim albums I have EVER head, but I'm certainly not going too far by saying it is one of the finest of the past decade or so - it was. Along with the track, itself, being so nice, it supported a whole heap of outstanding vocal performances (which is quality a track must have. You can have a beautifully done piece of music which is so complex or different that artists can't really find a vibe or a melody on it) (or you can also just place it in the care of the wrong type of vocalists and have the same awkward at best results) and then there's the matter of those performers, isn't it. Not only does it bring in many big names (that isn't very rare, really), with the likes of Sizzla, Capleton, Luciano, Junior Kelly and others (Turbulence, Jah Mason , Lutan Fyah, Perfect Giddimani, Pressure Busspipe, Mark Wonder, Chuck Fenda....) (DAMN!), but the Unity Riddim takes that magical next step in fulfilling its name and placing them together. When they do that - it assures that a decade from now, I'll still be referencing this riddim in talking about something else (if I'm still up and ticking). That is the largest chunk of its legacy and, again, a full credit goes to May.B Unity for making it happen and Culture Studio-Maxy Production for getting it going. Roots Reggae music has long prided itself on being a vehicle used to unite people and the genre has rarely seen a more direct and tangible piece of evidence of this than the Unity Riddim. Exceptional.
And, interestingly enough, today we're going to take a look at someone
who I believe may just be a 'candidate' to do a similar thing in 2022.
While you may or may not be an actual fan of his, if you follow modern
Roots Reggae music, chances are pretty good that you've come across 'The
Man From The East', St. Thomas, Jamaica native Natty King at some point
or another. Be it during his early days when he scored with what
remains his signature, 'No Guns To Town', and several other big tracks
such as 'Mr. Greedy', 'When The Money Done', 'Environmentalist' and
'Easy Officer' ["Gwan and leave di herbs. Because a food fi di nerves,
don't disturb. You're here to protect and serve"] or if you came along
sometime after, you should be at least a little familiar with
Natty King and his giant voice by now. His career has followed that
basic course as well. After arriving on the scene and demonstrating
himself someone to keep an eye on (which we did), the Reggae world
seemed to be in the process of figuring out where he would land. I can
remember way back when he first came to prominence and the talk around
him was largely in comparing his work to that of the legendary Luciano
(more on him later), who was a big influence on Natty King's career,
because of them both having this deep, baritone voice (all of these
years later and you can really tell the difference. They literally sound
NOTHING alike) (nothing at all outside of the tone) and singing music
from a most similar source. Natty King would go onto have a very nice
career, along the lines of someone like I Wayne who also rocketed to
prominence on the strength of a giant tune and a few others around the
same time, but he wasn't the 'next Luciano'.... we were (and are) too
busy still loving the old one.
But, as we've shown, sometimes these things can change. Back in 2005, Natty King would bring forth his hotly anticipated debut album release, so named after his big hit, "No Guns To Town" (one of the finest debut albums in Reggae history in my opinion) (and I own a physical copy of it which is good considering that its creator, Insight Records, have never bothered to bring it to the digital medium) (shame on them). The singer would follow up on that four years later with the Flava McGregor produced "Trodding" and the very next year (we're at 2010 if you're bad at math) would bring "Born To Be Free" (which is important for us today). Now [!], although he would go on to see a dozen years in between album releases, by no means was it a quiet and uneventful twelve years as, Natty King would attract attention for a few wrong reasons over the years, including an arrest a few years back for.... I'm not going to tell you why, you can Google that yourself. Just last year he would also attract a curious amount of notoriety for 'Joe', a tune well away from what we were used to hearing from the singer (though I was SHOCKED that he made it, I had no problem with 'Joe', but I'm a Sizzla fan) (look up an old tune called 'So What' by Prophet Benjamin) ["What if I jam she fast? What if I jam she slow? Some seh I man should not do that because I am a Bobo"] which generated both positive and negative buzz. And, on an entirely positive note, Natty King also made headlines in 2021 when buried the proverbial hatchet and let bygones be bygones with fellow singer Bushman (who we also used to say he sounded a lot like) (he does not, but it is a lot closer sound than Luciano), with whom he had a rather surprising two-decade long feud with (I think that the thought is that they will make a song together at some point.... why not an full album???) over some garbage. Musically speaking, though he has struggled in recent years to get that next hit tune (which may explain the creation of 'Joe'), Natty King's music, at least in my opinion, has remained solid. With very few exceptions, when he's actually made songs, they've been of the typically high quality that we've become accustomed to hearing from him through the years. 'Africa Mi Deh', 'Leave Dem To Time' and 'Change' really didn't make an impact of any size, in retrospect, but were far more than decent efforts. On the album side (which is why we have all gathered here today), though we had to wait a staggeringly long time for his fourth, Natty King did deliver a few EP's between full projects with the finest probably being "Man From The East" of 2015... but where was the album? The answer to that question turned out to be in the same place that the last one was from. The previously mentioned "Born To Be Free" found Natty King teaming up with Austrian imprint, House Of Riddim, and CLEARLY it worked out so well that the first big Reggae album release of 2022, finds the link re-explored and out comes the looooooooong awaited fourth album ("Born To Be Free" released a few months before my twenty-ninth birthday, I turned forty not too long ago) of the artist's, "Rebellution". A most interesting difference between the two is that also on board with the new set is a Wellowell Production label, which IS Natty King's very own creation, so you can definitely get the feeling that he is going 'all-in' for this opportunity. Given the amount of time his name has spent in circulation recently both related and unrelated to music, I am of the opinion that should he followup on it all (with probably a lot of new eyes and ears on his work now) with a downright MONSTROUS release, perhaps in a few years' time, we may be looking back on "Rebellution" as a point when Natty King's name began to carry a lot more weight in Reggae music.
As I've often said in the past, I look forward to situations like
this --an artist releasing an album for the first time in quite awhile--
because one of the wonderful 'side effects' of the situation is that it
almost forces me to go back and have a listen to their previous work.
On this particular occasion, I'm going through "Born To Be Free" and
remembering tunes such as 'Slu U In the Open' (which has a shout for
possibly being my single favourite Natty King tune ever, although its
strongest version did not appear on that album) (you'll look up the
iLove Riddim from Rootdown Records if you want to hear it at its best)
(biggup Teka) and 'Fyah Bed', and I've recently fallen in love with
'Buzz Rock Warrior'. "Born To Be Free" didn't get a lot of spin in its
day, but it has aged quite well and more than worth your time in 2022.
Hopefully a similar fate doesn't befell "Rebellution" because it is all
sorts of excellent, a big and beautiful example of which can be found on
its very first selection, the triumphant 'Jah Is My Guide' (biggup
Tiwony, one of the best songs he's ever done (and it features ProfA)
shares that title). Natty King comes out of the gate scalding with this
big tune which tells us all to seek a most secure type of comfort under
the direction of His Majesty. The sound of this one makes it so that I
wouldn't at all be surprised to see it featured as a single from
"Rebellution" some day and, given just how nice it does come through, if
given the opportunity, I would expect it to do quite well and even if
it doesn't You and I will love it for what it is. On the very nice song,
Natty King outlines what may be happen if you do not accept His
guidance on 'Early Morning'. It really went in a much different
direction than I was expecting (I was thinking it might be a praising
tune), as what we get is this look at these morally vacant individuals
who we need to be aware of ["Dem yute nah tek no talk, be careful of di
places weh yuh walk. A some nuh know God. Dem no read bible, dem will
shoot you down wid dem rifle"]. The song is another stellar effort with a
nice and BIG sound to it which go over well with the masses. That
praising piece I was looking forward to hearing on the album's second
track makes it on the third in the form of the quite familiar 'Hail
Rasta Fari', Natty King's version of House Of Riddim's bouncy Catch Me
Riddim from 2020.
"Conquering Lion of The Tribe of Judah- Hail Selassie is the Head Creator He's my saviour He's the maker So I, babylon can't devour I man ah praise HIM every minute, every hour Haile Selassie I, you full mi up a power! Right now pure blessings ah shower King Negus nah mek mi suffer!"
The charm of this one is in its simplicity. Natty King won't tell you a
thing you have not heard before and he won't even say it in a way which
is unique really, but 'Hail Rasta Fari' will speak to your mind and and
your senses as a simply BEAUTIFUL piece to listen to. Speaking of being
nice to the ears - Back in 2018 French label May.B Unity released a very
SMART project by the name of the Unity Riddim. As its title would hint,
every single song on the riddim was a combination and we got some
TERRIFIC pairings such as... well, I'm thinking now I might want to
review that, so I'm going to save that for later, but trust me there
was some amazing links that the project made. One of them, in fact, was
'Why Sacrifice', which many people (including You and me) had been
looking forward to for years as it linked Natty King with his idol, the
aforementioned Luciano. On paper such a union is downright mighty and it
played out in an expected manner as this tune SOARED!
Easily a highlight in terms of its sound (the vocal performance is
amazing) and the attention it is sure to garner sitting on
"Rebellution", 'Why Sacrifice' speaks on the poor choices people make in
life and what they're unfortunately willing to give up for short-term
and, ultimately, meaningless gains. Luciano's is the first and biggest
of five artists who join Natty King between four different selections on
this album and some of the others also had me DAMN interested. I
figured that burning native of The Gambia, Rebellion The Recaller, for
example would turn in a big effort (because he always does) and he does
not disappoint on his contribution, 'Free Ghetto Youths'. RTR's presence
on this project probably shouldn't come as a great surprise because he
has done quite a bit of work with House Of Riddim through the years and
is clearly a favourite of theirs, so, presumably, a combination with
Natty King would be an easy one to make happen and 'Free Ghetto Youths'
is a BIG social commentary saying that we all need to be better at bring
forth the next generation. It does get fairly broad at times, which
isn't bad an actually gives it a more organic and less stereotypical
feel with a vibe which tells you that the two had a great deal of fun
making the song. And then there's the MASSIVE 'Prayer a Day', which had
me all kinds of excited as joining here was another big artist who's
spent a few nights, here and there, at the House Of Riddim, TURBULENCE.
WHAT! A Turbulence & Natty King tune??! DAMN! Turbulence appeared on
a recent riddim of HoR's (more on that in a bit) and the label also did
work on his own most recent album release, "Remedy" (and he's also
performed with the HoR band, apparently), and as I have said in the past
(and will say many times in the future), when you catch Turbulence in a
good form, you have the potential for something special. 'Prayer a Day'
is "something special".
"Bun up, bun up, dem corrupt, corrupt Pure almshouse, dem come and stir up Dem nah no heart, dem no waan fi live up PURE DUTTY HABIT DEM WAAN FI PICK UP Dem no clean, dem dirty And when you run dem file, dem no worthy Di vampires blood thirsty Mi bun dem out cause dis a no nursery Tell Lucifer, seh wi nah no soul ah sell A Turbulence: The Future dis, alongside Well O Well DEM CAAN DRAIN MI ENERGY, NAH TRICK MI NEURO CELL MI STRONGER THAN DEM DURACEL!
Instead of take up a gun, I rather take up a bible and go pray I remember what Jah say about a prayer a day Even though temptation often come my way I man nah give in, nah mek dem lead I astray"
BOOM! DAMN AGAIN! You talk about (I talked about it) being attractive
"on paper", this one grabbed me immediately because it had never even
entered my mind as being probable somewhere along the way but someone
had a clear moment of genius in deciding to bring these two together and
whoever you are out there: I THANK YOU! NOW! With that being said - we
have Turbulence and Luciano and RTR, THE combination and song, in
general, that I was most looking forward to hearing on "Rebellution" was
definitely 'Africa Calling'. This one features veteran Dancehall DJ,
Mr. Peppa (who last year had a big tune on Wellowell, 'Nah Worry'
["Success and progress a dat dem no like. Vex when a next youth ah sort
out him life. Fly out and fly in and do as wi like. Buy couple house,
couple car, couple bike"] and someone who we've been talking about for
the entire life of this blog, basically, THEO NYEEMIYA! The also St.
Thomas native and former Prince Theo dropped a HUGE debut (and,
unfortunately still only) album way back in 2004, "Set The Captives
Free" (a personal classic for me), which we reviewed back in 2009 and I
said the following about:
"I’d also like to see him do a combination with Natty King who would be his neighbour in ’the East’"
It only took thirteen years (technically eighteen), but here it is and,
unsurprisingly, I absolutely love it! If you are unfamiliar with Prince
Theo's work, he is another artist along the same lines as Natty King,
Bushman and Luciano - a wonderfully RICH deep voiced Roots singer (and
he does actually sound a bit like Natty King in my opinion) (comparing
the two, Natty King kind of has a slight 'spice' or a 'rasp' to his
voice and Theo a kind of an 'echo' to him) (I'm terrible at explaining
that, I know, but I did my best) and, given their origins, I suspect the
two may've either long been friends or, at worst have been full-time
admirers of one another. And while I suppose I shouldn't be SHOCKED
that they linked up for a song, if I ever did see it coming, I surely
did not envision it with the 'Gangsta Guerilla', Mr. Peppa on board ["Mi
haffi teach dem mi roots. Draw fi mi sword and mi gideon boots. Teach
dem fi win, too long wi ah lose, cah di demons out and di beasts dem
lose"] . All three shine throughout as they take a look at the African
diaspora in its past, present and future and, yes, I am likely as
partial as anyone can be, but 'Africa Calling' is my favourite song on
the whole of "Rebellution" (and check the horns on that tune,
particularly during the latter portions (right around 3:10), they are
amazing! Courtesy of Everton Gayle).
I called 'Africa Calling' my favourite song on the album, but if one
song (more like two or three of them, probably. I think 'Prayer a Day'
is also in that conversation for me) gave me a reason to pause that
opinion, it would be our title track.
"Mi seh I'm talking to the heads of government Hey can't you see that the people need strength? I see di things weh dem ah gwan wid from wah day, Rasta know seh that no mek no sense Hey, di whole a dem sit up inna di House of Parliament And dem making a retirement Some go in, some go out and I know dat no mek no difference
Hey, it's gonna be a revolution Cause dem no si seh poor people ah bawl Yes, a revolution Because a dem, alone, want it all Yes, a revolution! Cause dem fi si seh poor people ah bawl Yes, a revolution A dem, alone, want it all"
Amongst the finest written and presented pieces on the album,
'Rebellution' kind of reminds me of, 'Hail Rasta Fari'. Though they
sound nothing at all alike, they both succeed largely due to a straight
forward simplicity which, in their own respective ways, is very
appealing. The title track is a call for a change all over the world
amongst the powers that be (before the people get together and change
YOU) and, again, is very finely written so be sure to pay attention to
what is being said on this one in particular. Not lagging far behind is
the thunderous praising song, 'Powers'. I hear this tune and I feel passion . I feel Natty King pouring his heart into the space and,
when he does, we're treated to a fittingly 'powerful' demonstration of
his gifts (like that voice). Across HoR's recent Serious Time Riddim
(big riddim, also featured Turbulence (as I alluded to), Rebellion The
Recaller, Perfect, Chuck Fenda, a really big tune from Anthony B and
others), Natty King opines on the current state of the world on a song
which has already generated a little buzz, 'Plandemic'.
"No sah, this a plandemic You no si ah plan, dem plan it Now di people dem ah bawl, Lockdown, dem caan stand it Who build it fi kill it Mi know dem intention- Dem ah try to reduce di population Dem ahgo vex when mi talk But Wellowell ah talk up, mi nuh feel good ah mask up"
I don't want to dwell on the topic much, because it is EXHAUSTING at
this point, but 'Plandemic' is a good song and I'm actually happy to
have seen so many different opinions on the subject in Reggae music. It
hasn't been (at least not for the most part) what I would have expected
to have heard, we've seen people with varying ideas and points of view,
which is always healthy. And finally check both the lively 'Hungry Days'
and the even livelier 'Smiling Face', which're two of the biggest
pieces on "Rebellution" in my opinion. 'Hungry Days' is
semi-autobiographical as we hear Natty King basically celebrating and
giving thanks that he doesn't have to struggle in the ways he did as a
youth and aspiring artist ["Hey di ting change yah know. Wellowell
banner it ah wave yah know. Natty King di whole world a say yah know.
'No Guns To Towns' yah know. paved di way yah know. Life sweeter know.
Start tour yah know. Material things mi ah hold yah know. Spend mi owna
cash and mi nah owe yah know. Give thanks to Jah cause mi ah glow yah
know. So hear mi now!"]. 'Smiling Face' is the artist saying that you
need to be careful who you call friend and mind what they're doing
behind your back (and sometimes right in front of you) because things,
and people's true intentions are not always so crystal clear. I'm not
expecting either 'Hungry Days' or 'Smiling Face' to receive a great deal
of spin, but you listen to either and they're top notch and more than
earn their place within this "Rebellution".
Overall (despite being nineteen songs long, this was pretty easy to write, only took a couple of days), a very strong case could be made that "Rebellution" is Natty King's strongest release to date, with the only question being, of course, "No Guns To Town" (which I still favour, but it has the advantage of time on its side. Ask me again in a decade what I think). This is an EXCELLENT release and at what may just be such a critical time for his his career, Natty King turns every stone and does precisely what you would have hoped he would do. It also sounds really, really good and you can clearly see that several individuals cared for it, nurtured it and had enough respect for the project to pay attention to the smallest of details to make it a winner and WIN it does. I should also mention just how fine Natty King's voice is throughout. Jah Cure has the best voice in Reggae music (he has the best voice in any music), but were I to come up with a list of the next bests (isn't a bad idea, actually), Natty King would have a strong case for being number two, at least for males, and maybe anyone. I don't know if we'll see the music of this one take him back to where he came from and, ultimately, to an even higher level of prominence but we cannot ask for more as, with "Rebellution", Natty King and House Of Riddim deliver the first great Reggae album of 2022.
Rated: 4.65/5
WelloWell Production + House Of Riddim Productions
1. 'Jah Is My Guide' 2. 'Early Morning' 3. 'Hail Rasta Fari' 4. 'Why Sacrifice' featuring Luciano 5. 'Universal Love' 6. 'Plandemic' 7. 'Powers' 8. 'Trees' 9. 'Ganja Smoker' 10. 'Old Crosses' 11. 'Free Ghetto Youths' featuring Rebellion The Recaller 12. 'Hungry Days' 13. 'Smiling Face' 14. 'Prayer a Day' featuring Turbulence 15. 'Lovey Dovey' 16. 'You Bring Joy' 17. 'Me She Want' 18. 'Africa Calling' featuring Theo Nyeemiya & Mr. Peppa 19. 'Rebellution'
If you're reading this, congratulations! Chances are slightly better than average that you've made it to the new year. Its 2022 and we're not dead yet! That, alone, is enough to be thankful for and, very early in this new year, veteran vocalist, Natty King, is giving us all something else for which to show some gratitude as 'The Man From The East', the Environmentalist returns with his brand new album (his fourth, by my count) and first in over a decade, "Rebellution". Like the one before it, "Born To Be Free" from way back in 2010, the jam packed "Rebellution" comes via Austrian outfit, House Of Riddim, and figures to be a BIG release.
Rather surprisingly, Natty King has spent more than his fair share of time in the spotlight over the last decade for subjects other than his music (which, wonderfully, includes making peace with singer Bushman after years of the two being less than friendly to one another) (that's on the VERY high-end of Natty King news) but, if you have followed along, you know that, when he's been active, the singer's actual music has not suffered AT ALL because of it (he had a big tune a couple of years ago that I LOVED called 'Africa Mi Deh') ["Mi tell dem bout Africa and dem no waan hear dat. Then go bleach dem skin colour, cah dem no waan look Black"] and his voice, one of the greatest that Reggae has ever heard, remains as golden and as MIGHTY as ever.
I'm going to save pretty much everything I have to say in regards to the quality of "Rebellution", because I am DAMN looking forward to hearing it and reviewing it, but looking through the tracklist, two tunes in particular, completely new to me, definitely stand out (some interesting combinations on this one). I HAVE A VERY GOOD FEELING ABOUT THIS ONE. Am I right? Is it really good? Join me and find out when "Rebellution" by Natty King reaches later this week, on the 7th of January.
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.
