The Best Reggae Albums Of 2025

Let's do it! 

{Note: No compilations, no Soca}

#10. "Dub Of Serenity" by Marcus Gad & The Zion I Kings [Lustre Kings Productions]

I was debating on whether or not I would slap a review on this album prior to placing it on this list and I ultimately decided against it (although I did start to write it, so you may get it at some point in the first few months of this year) because I thought that it would speak more to the overall quality of it were (like one more entry here) the VERY first time I ever said a word about it declaring it one of the best albums of 2025. "Dub Of Serenity" is a dubbed out version of a five year old album ["Rhythm Of Serenity"] that, to be completely honest, I wasn't thrilled with. It was OKAY but absolutely nothing that I would call special or anywhere near special. HOWEVER, "Dub Of Serenity" STUNNED. Some of the music on this album was flooring and it's gotten to the point for me that "Dub Of Serenity", on the rare occasions when I'm not really listening to anything, is WHAT I'M LISTENING TO. If I need noise - this is it. It shouldn't come as a surprise, given the fact that the music comes via the lock-reliable Zion I Kings (who you'll see again here at a very high position), but what they were able to do here, with Marcus Gad's old album has to be considered some of their finest Dub work to date. You won't see this album on any other such list (and, normally, I exclude dubs and instrumentals from my list as well but I HAD to include this one), of that I'm sure, but I don't give a damn. This thing was gorgeous. 

#9. "Sibusiso [Blessings]" by Perfect Giddimani [GIddimani Records]

Much like the first entry on this list, the MUSIC on "Sibusiso" was fantastic and it, too, would spawn a Dub version (literally, like a couple of weeks later) and with good reason. The Sinky Beatz guided set spoke nearly as much to the power of its producer as it did to the most unusual gifts of its most peculiar star, Perfect Giddimani. The presences of top notch peers, Lutan Fyah (may or may not be hearing from him again, later) & Anthony B only added to the soaring vibes of "Sibusiso", as did Perfect reaching with tunes such as the fantastic opener, 'Another Marcus Garvey', 'Jah We Pray', 'Selassie White Horse', 'Him Presence' and the MAMMOTH, ALL-CONQUERING 'Africa Mother Land' ["Mi chop off di chain but mi nah cut di African link"].

#8. "Treasure Self Love" by Lila Iké [Ineffable Records]

Unless I'm really overlooking something here, Lila Iké's full debut release, "Treasure Self Love" would have been the most purely popular album featured here and that's no surprise. It's star has proven to be a compelling story both in and out of the studio and then there's the matter of the actual music... "Treasure Self Love" GLOWS. Iké's style, inherently is one that makes for a certain beautiful sound (I'm convinced she can probably make pretty much any type of genre and her results would be of high quality. Her singing in the shower is probably better than a few honourable mentions for this list). She did manage to incorporate a few different styles throughout the album but it never drifted too far away from Reggae. A FINE example of this would be 'All Over The World' which featured Protoje (who produces) and 'He Loves Us Both', with H.E.R. They were not alone on the high end. I don't know what the hell 'Sweet' was but it GOLDEN, so was 'Brighter Days' which is probably the best song on this album, 'Scatter' and the delightfully nostalgic 'Romantic' which brought in Masicka and Patra whose 'Romantic Call' was remade sorta/kinda to a towering effect. 

#7. "Star Of The East" by Yeza [Rorystonelove + Black Dub]

I semi-alluded to "Star Of The East" previously in talking about "Dub Of Serenity" because I THINK its appearance here will mark the very first time that I've ever mentioned it but the lyrical CLUBBING that Yeza gave to us all on "Star Of The East" was unignorable. Yeza channeled Jah9 (and did so, coincidentally, with Rorystonelove who also helped bring Jah9 to prominence) but turned up the aggression just a little. In doing so, she provided  2025 with its punch in the face. She kicked us all about a bit and we did not complain at all. The fairly straightforward project, basically, served as a platform for which Yeza to display her often devastating talents on and, in that, "Star Of The East" was almost perfect. Yeza SCALDED listeners with the title track, 'Road Runner', 'Ism Schism', 'Piss Up' ["Hotflashes like menopause"], 'Preacher Man' and 'Real Heavyweight' but she also cared for us a bit with 'Edge Control' and, in a strange way, 'Rude'. Yeza announced herself here to stay with "Star Of The East" and it's time we all got used to her being around. 

#6. "Just Giving Thanks" by Glen Washington [Tad's Records]

Certified and verifiable VETERAN Mr. Glen Washington essentially did what he always does with "Just Giving Thanks".... he just gave thanks, made some love songs, slapped a cover on it and called it an album and WE LOVED IT! His next album will be exactly the same and so will the one after that. If it ain't broke... "Just Giving Thanks", for as basic and expected as it may have [it was] been did a wonderful job of putting on a full, vibrant display of precisely what Washington does best. You won't find smoke and mirrors on winner such as the title track, 'Heart Attack', 'Dreadlocks Conqueror', 'Square One', 'Seeking Jah Love' and, of course, 'Oh, To Be Like H.I.M.' What you will find instead are quintessential and vintage vibes from one of the greatest to ever do it and someone who has earned their own stripes and, obviously, enough for more than one generation. One of Glen Washington's best albums EVER. 

#5. "Worthy 2 B" by Jah Myhrakle [Gold Den Arkc Records]

If Belizean chanter, Jah Myhrakle piqued my interests with his contributions to what  turned out to be the second best compilation that I heard last year, "Heart Of One", he full-on made a fan out of me with his album, the weighty "Worthy 2 B". This album, in retrospect, has two very large things in its favour. The first of them is also its most identifiable quality (for me) and that's the fact that it is, EASILY, one of the finest WRITTEN songs of 2025. Myhrakle has a very clever and colourful way of making his points. He takes the proverbial "scenic route" in his writing and absolutely EVERYTHING is available for the sake of analogies so we, as listeners, are best off having some form of knowledge before going in (and he clearly expects that of you, otherwise much of Jah Myhrakle's work probably won't make much sense to you). The other thing that you notice on "Worthy 2 B" that really sets it apart is that there is something SUBTLY and CAREFULLY important sounding about this music. The best of it sounds like exactly what you would think it is: Music for a King. 

#4. "Andromeda: Sign Of The Times" by Sydney Salmon & The Imperial Majestic Band [Irie Sounds International + Imperial Majestic Productions]

I'm going to reference #7 on this list in regards to how an album can have such an open and inviting sound to listeners. In that particular case, Lila Iké did combine a few different genres beneath the umbrella of Reggae music. Sydney Salmon & The Imperial Majestic Band, on the other hand, accomplished the same results without stepping a foot 'outside'. On "Andromeda: Sign Of The Times", Salmon & Co. charted a sound which was entirely Roots Reggae of a modern and old school variety - no question about it; but I'd make the case that, as a result, they also made one of the most OPEN and APPEALING albums of the year. Maybe I'm biased (I am, there is no "maybe") but I have a very difficult time imagining how someone is incapable of appreciating something on this album. This is what I would think most people set out to make when they embark on making a Roots album these days: For it to end up sounding like "Andromeda" and being able to find an audience amongst fans of the genre, new and old, and if someone who isn't at all a fan just happened to come into contact with a clip of it in some way, they'd also want to hear more. 'Africans Alive', 'Blessed', 'My Banner', the TWO eponymous tracks... I could go on and on. The entire album is brimming me with BEAUTIFUL 'best case scenario' Roots Reggae music.

#3. "Stay Up" by Spectacular [Carabeo Records]

When everything is finished and all of the scores have been tabulated, I'm not expecting to see Spectacular's "Stay Up" on too many lists such as this one, despite that I'm ranking it so highly. This album has a large and glaring issue and to ignore it would be irresponsible, AT BEST. "Stay Up" is too damn short. It just is. It's nine track and not even forty minutes long. So by the time you REALLY fall into it... that's about it. You've already heard the entire thing. What it manages to achieve in its brevity, however, is... yeah. It's spectacular. Spectacular's style can be one that's somewhat difficult to adjust to. He can be aggressive to an almost overdone degree at times (I'd reference UT Ras but there is no way in hell you're familiar with UT if you don't know who Spectacular is) (Jah Thunder would be another one). He can be HARSH but when you find a vibe that suits him, like the Forward Ever Band does throughout "Stay Up", you can mine gold! Try the brilliant opener, 'Jump Ina Fyah' or the downright exhausting 'Justice' ["I play Nyabinghi inna di middle of the street. Play Nyabinghi because it sound so sweet!"] (or both of them) as FLAMING examples of this. Want more? 'The System' might do it for you and so might the SMOOTH 'Hardcore'. More still, Lutan Fyah (who dat???) and Lymie Murray show with contributions and I haven't even mentioned 'Bag A Weed', which is the album's single finest tune altogether.... ALL OF THAT IN JUST NINE SONGS. Were it just a bit longer, no position on this list would be outside of the reach of "Stay Up" but that's just my opinion. 

#2. "Guardian" by Dezarie [Dezarie]

Dezarie brought her spellbinding and dazzling form of Roots music to 2025 in the form of her brand new album, "Guardian", and accordingly, awakened her legions of most passionate and loyal fans and certainly made some new ones as well. "Guardian" was as THICK and HEAVY as you knew it would be but, despite also being a relatively brisk (and for the sake of comparison, "Guardian" is one song and one minute longer than "Stay Up" and it is rated ONE spot ahead of it), this album has the feel of a much longer release. In my opinion, even scratching the surface of the gifts "Guardian" has to offer requires at least three or four listens, on the lowest of ends. If you want to receive EVERYTHING?... I'm still working on that and I'll let you know if I ever feel like I've accomplished it (I will not). Tunes like 'Back To The Future', 'Criminal', the EPIC 'Immortal Combat', 'Lion Is Lion', the title song and several others (I say "several others" after naming five songs on an album with only ten) (....so pretty much the entire album) develop more and more as you tune in what Dezarie is actually saying. In 2025, Dezarie demanded that we all step up our game and if you did, you realized the absolute GEM that she left for us in "Guardian". 

#1. "Strength & Resilience" by Lutan Fyah [I Grade Records]

It's the Zion I Kings who are bookending this list with Marcus Gad at #10 and crowning it with the second album they've done with the great Lutan Fyah, "Strength & Resilience". CLEARLY something is happening here as the first time artist and producers collaborated for an album, on 2017's "Music Is Life", the results were also special (and likely would have been the best album that year from us, were we not on hiatus at the time) but I'd argue that they even outdid themselves there as "Strength & Resilience" reached and IMMEDIATELY headed for the stars. I'm partial and biased in both cases. I've been a fan of Lutan Fyah's from, basically, the first time I heard his music and I've also enjoyed the work of the ZIK, collectively and individually for maybe even longer (coincidentally, the first time I heard the "K", Lustre Kings Productions, was probably on a compilation album by the name of "Culture Dem" and WHO HAD THE VERY FIRST SONG ON "CULTURE DEM"????) ["All man on earth should know, who is King Selassie I!"] (BOOM!) and I don't want to overly-dramatize the matter but years and years of chemistry was crystal clear throughout "Strength & Resilience".

Two guesting artists being two of the greatest of all time for me certainly didn't hurt things either, Queen Omega lent her monstrous talents to 'Days After Summer', while the immortal Vaughn Benjamin added to the infectious BOUNCE of 'Just The Time' ["BUT I CAN FEEL IT NOW!"]. Also present was a gentleman, in a very good form, by the name of Chronixx who delighted on 'Freedom Sound'. The album also featured extremely high caliber instrumentation (DUH!), which goes without saying on a ZIK release but (I have a point I'm making so give me a second. It'll all make sense) I don't know that I can recall a single album where the music was as.... all-encompassing as it is on "Strength & Resilience". There is a genre here. This is truly modern Roots Reggae music; but there isn't a centering sound, necessarily. It covers EVERYTHING. It's moody & brooding ['Pieces of Broken Soul', 'Strength & Resilience', 'Tomorrow From Today'], it's vibrant and lively ['Protect Your Energy', 'African Children'] and it's also everywhere in between ['Drain The Swamp', 'Leader Before Me']. In terms of an actual artist's album and not a Dub album, which they're very fond of making (as we've already established today), "Strength & Resilience", MUSICALLY, may be the single greatest piece of work that I have EVER heard from the ZIK, in retrospect. 

For his part, Lutan Fyah meets and matches the might of his maestros with a magnificent lyrical display (DUH AGAIN!) and, again, you have to qualify that because he's ALWAYS in a fine form, lyrically, for me (the standing critique of Lutan Fyah is that he doesn't have the greatest command of melody -- and he does not and he never will -- but his craft with words has long been beyond question for me) (not REALLY, if he started speaking nonsense, I'd say so). What he manages to do on this album, however, as a complete body of work has a seat at the table in the conversation of being his greatest performance as well. "Strength & Resilience" was also THE greatest performance from anyone last year and THE BEST REGGAE ALBUM OF 2025.... and all negativity banish from within. 

Best Case Scenario: A review of Sibusiso by Perfect Giddimani

Roses. I'm not talking about the very first time that you hear a song from someone that you think is talented and has something about them that you want to hear and learn more of; but maybe after a few songs, a hit or even a full album from someone new to you, I tend to start projecting -- entirely incorrectly -- on just who they might turn out to be, musically. Almost immediately I'm thinking about them working with this artiste or that producer and going on some riddim from back in da' day. You can liken it to sports, where someone comes up and you start thinking of what they may do and, specifically, where they may end up or what they could do if paired with a certain team or coach. All of that stuff is going on in my mind, somewhere. Musicians are like the rest of us and many won't reach their full potential for one reason or another, some will and others still, will even "overachieve". While I don't think that I can make the case, fully, that today we're dealing with an overachiever (because he did show so much promise around his nascence but we're definitely going to look at someone who, as we examine it these days (or at any point over the past decade or so), has seemingly gotten every OUNCE out of his potential and capabilities. Keeping bona fide super stars out of the equation (because that's just too damn easy, isn't it?), I think of individuals who've charted similar courses with regards to their talents. The name, oddly enough, that immediately came to mind was Tiwony. Whether or not you've paid him much attention at all, at this point TIwony has had a FANTASTIC career. He's made some exceptional music and, at least in my opinion, has well established himself as one of the greats in all of modern Reggae music but on the French and FWI scene, specifically (and he's continuing. Check his new album, "Reggae Frequency"). Tiwony's was a name that came to mind especially because there hasn't been a point in his career since I've been following his work (twenty years now) where he has NOT demonstrated a high level of ability and though there may be levels of popularity that he will not touch, there is no one in Reggae today who enjoys a noticeable gap over him in terms of what they are capable of. Others such as Bugle and, of course, Lutan Fyah have CLEARLY made the most out of what they've been given, though each and every thing that they do may not have the widest reach (and the result of that is that you can HAPPILY find yourself going through their catalogues and finding EXCEPTIONAL work that you missed at released). 

Someone else who not only fits into that group and that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE writing about is the always compelling sitting King of the Chalice Palace, Perfect Giddimani. I've spent years describing Perfect as a kind of a volatile Roots Reggae chanter and I stand by that, still. What I mean by "volatile" is that he can be damn unpredictable in terms of what he's going to do with a song. You never really know what Perfect is going to do from verse to verse and he does have the aptitude to FLAME without notice and he is at least proficient with everything he tries. What results is an often thrilling brand of the genre and, even when he keeps thing toned down, still a very solid display of his skills. When you take that and put it with how I think most people probably initially came into contact with Perfect -- a little tune called 'Handcart Boy' from about two decades ago now -- I do not see how this gets much better on his end. Were you to have told me, back then, that I would be, in 2025, HAPPILY writing a review for album #whoknows (I really don't feel like counting). And while they haven't all been roses ("Karma" might just be THE worst album I have ever reviewed on this blog), Perfect has produced some BEAUTIFUL projects over the years and, apparently, the end of his reliability is not in sight. 

Remember this one???

Most recently was the lovely "Ah Mi Yard" from 2023. That set, surprisingly, came via the also ultra-reliable I Grade Records & Zion I Kings, but if you take a minute and go through the type of work that Perfect has done.... you run into gems and just SOLID pieces such as "Journey Of 1000 Miles" ["DON'T WORRY NOR PANIIIIIIIIIIIC"], "Back For The First Time", "French Connection", the debut, "Giddimani".... "Better Off Dread"... I could go on... "Over The Top"! One of the biggest and most satisfying products of writing reviews like this is that I have to do gather 'ammunition' to write them. I have to do some research and remind myself of certain things and, in doing so, I go back and listen through some of an artist's previous work and IT HAS BEEN SO MUCH DAMN FUN doing that in this case - refamiliarizing myself with some of Perfect's, perhaps, overlooked output (you'll find some DIAMONDS, buried on some random album from a dozen years ago ["RIDE OUT! RIDE OUT! Natty Dread ride out! With a big, fat, high-grade spliff inna mouth"]. Now, at the end of the first quarter of 2025, Perfect adds to his more than respectable lot with the latest addition to the catalogue, "Sibusiso [Blessings]". Like almost all of Perfect's recent work (in one way or another), "Sibusiso" comes via Giddimani Records, though production is handled by Sinky Beatz, with whom the chanter has been working extensively in recent times. Like much of the world with good sense, Sinky Beatz caught a  deadly case of Reggaemylitis ("it is incurable") (biggup Peter Tosh) and the Spanish born ace has made an outstanding contribution to the music, particularly finding a good level of chemistry with Perfect and, though I'm not sure about this at all, it would seem as if the plan was always to build towards releasing an album, given the amount of work they have done together over the last couple of years or so. Perfect has been afforded (and deservedly so) the opportunity to work with many of the finest in production in Reggae during his career but he has clearly struck a chord in working with Sinky Beatz. How do I know that? Let's talk about "Sibusiso".

Going through so many of those old albums in research for this review - and it occurred to me JUST HOW MUCH I've actually written about Perfect's music over the years. Off the top of my head, without reading some of those reviews, I don't even remember writing some of them (evidence of my senility??) but once I actually dive into the material, it gave me this BEAUTIFUL nostalgic experience, going through some of the classics. Perfect Giddimani now attempts (....he succeeds) in adding to that lot with his brand new release, "Sibusiso", which comes out swinging with a pair of its heaviest hitters. The first, 'Another Marcus Garvey', SOARS. I absolutely loved this tune because of the types of 'ground' it covers. It does things both specifically and broadly, using the umbrella-ing theme of Garvey to not only honour the man but also use his teachings and ideologies in ways which are applicable today. Perfect also places this in a GORGEOUS package (one which is forty-five seconds longer than any other on "Sibusiso"). The opener is just an all-around satisfying offering. It's probably been a minute since I've said this about an album, but the very next song, the second on the entire album, hits the highest mark altogether in my opinion as you will not find the equal of 'Africa Mother Land' on this album.

"Africa, bless Africa, mi Mother Land

A weh mi sister and mi brother from

Africa, bless Africa, mi Mother Land

Hail Emperor Selassie I, no other one

Africa, bless Africa, mi Mother Land

A weh mi great-great grandmother from

Africa, bless Africa, mi Mother Land

Never give away and continent

Babylon you invade Mama, with your English grammar

Trick many with cotton and silk

And then you took my ancestors on a ship named Jesus

And nuff a dem drowned or sink

And to make it through the middle passage, saltwater mi drink

Dem separate us, a eyewater mi blink 

NO MATTA WHAT NO SLAVEMASTER THINK:

MI CHOP OFF DI CHAIN, BUT MI NAH CUT DI AFRICAN LINK

A mi yard

For those at home and those of us abroad

No matter if you have a yellow or green card

America- dem ah dream hard

Now dem turn inna nightmare, watch dem ah bawl

So right ya now, ya back against di wall

Look from how long Africa ah call

Mi tired of di prejudice war

Every black man a star

But if you don't know where you from, you don't know who you are

Remember dung a Ghana, Senegal and Dakar

I man deh yah inna di west but mi travel from far because of slavemaster boy Caesar

DEM DRAIN DI SWAMP AND LEAK OUT DI RESEVOIR 

Police shoot mi bredda with an old slr

And di ghetto youths ah draw bad card"

Perfect does not put A TOE (forget about a foot, NOT A DAMN TOE!) wrong lyrically on this MAMMOTH track which if you are of African descent... of if there is even anything on the continent that you REMOTELY find enjoyable, is sure to give you a jolt of pride. 'Africa Mother Land' is one of the single finest songs that I have ever heard from Perfect. Period. 'Ethiopia Sunshine' is kinda/sorta what you might be expecting with such a title. Its presence helps to make an atmosphere on the album but it doesn't do much (it doesn't even try, really. I'd be surprised if there was much planning behind it. It sounds like a vibe for this beautiful riddim). It's just a nice way to spend a few minutes. We head back to the stars courtesy of previous single, the rocketing 'Selassie White Horse'. I'm going to say something further about this one a bit later but the riddim on 'Selassie White Horse' is BEAUTIFUL! It is otherworldly level material (it's literally perfect) and Perfect uses it to to deliver a message of imagery and perception of how we identify certain things IMMEDIATELY and more progressively ["Jah no dead... The Lion Of Judah is doing well"] on one of the finest moments "Sibusiso' has to offer. Again, the tune does something in its latter stages which we'll get into a bit later, but you will listen to this entire thing in the name of enjoying one of the most unforgettable recent selections from Perfect altogether. The wholly golden 'Worthy For Jah' might also be familiar to your ears as it released as a single a year ago or so. This one was just RIPE of discussion items but what I ultimately took from it was the idea of having standards (if not for yourself, then for The Almighty) and at least making the attempt to be a better person.  

"Finally

Clean up the temple inside of me

Jah loving is primary

Never put your trust in vanity"

In general, however, 'Worthy For Jah' is IMMENSE music. It is of extremely high level and at the risk of sounding redundant (...and you know I don't give a damn), it also ranks amongst the album's finest offerings. The first half of "Sibusiso" wraps up with a pair of solid pieces in 'High Grade Mi Love' and 'Automatic Sibusiso [Blessings]'. The first is the album's ganja tune [DUH] and although it most certainly is not great (Perfect has done much better on the subject which is one of his favourite), at this point I think Perfect might, literally, have to try to make a bad tune on the topic for it to be something subpar. 'High Grade Mi Love' is not such a crack. 'Automatic Sibusiso' also doesn't hit the highest levels here but what it does have going for it is it sound. It may not do much and it isn't the best written piece that Perfect has done but there is a charming... almost 1980's style R&B appeal to this one --somewhere in there-- which my ears heard in its midst and stuck to. What results, very subtly, may actually stand as a changeup for the project and just a nice touch, in any case.

While perhaps not as glaring as its antecedent, the album's second half does have quite a bit going for it including a pair of BIG combinations, featuring a two BIG names as well as some otherwise STELLAR efforts. 'Zion House' would have taken a bit of time to grow on me but I was glad that I didn't just pass on it as average or such because it is stronger than that. The sound here, at least in my opinion, is a little odd. The tune is quite skeletal (a term I used to often use to describe Vaughn Benjamin's music, meaning that there is a lot of SPACE in it) and while it doesn't do a great deal, what it does manage to accomplish is provide a nice vibes. 'Zion House' is a nice listen and I will mention it again, shortly, in celebration of something even stronger. Perfect nearly returns to set form of "Sibusiso" with the following 'Him Presence'. The chorus on 'Him Presence' sits alongside some of the most infectious and well done on the album and the rest of the song benefits greatly from the course that it sets. Built on somewhat of a biblical structure, this one has an air about it that might give it a feel slightly exceeding its actual quality, but it won me over, ultimately. 'Him Presence' is lovely. The well traveled first of two aforementioned combinations is in, 'Champion in Action', tapping increasingly oft Perfect collaborator, the great Lutan Fyah. This one is just a good time [!] with the two linking up in vivid celebration and exaltation of the Dancehall and Dancehall culture. Part of the attraction here is the atypical nature of things. You have two GRIZZLED, turban-clad Roots chanters doing this type of piece, showing that, in there somewhere, is a little kid dreaming about being the baddest in the Dancehall when they grow up. Later joining is superstar, Anthony B, for the more predictable but absolutely delightful 'Rescue Me' [biggup Original Nine Fingers, Xkaliba] (Xkaliba's best tune ever is called 'Jah Rescue Me'). I do wish there was a bit more of Anthony B through 'Rescue Me' (after the beginning, he's only really heard on the chorus) but in judging this one on what it is, it is sublime, reaching across a theme that is, again, predictable but no less potent and well presented here. The legendary Nesta does NOT make an appearance on "Sibusiso", but Perfect brings him in via another way, via tribute (not really) 'Bob Marley Reggae'. In a kinda/sorta way, this is the Roots side to the Dancehall that was 'Champion in Action' and it scores, arguably, even heavier.

"Everybody move, everybody get ready

This a Jamaican music wi call it Reggae

Remember Bob Marley - mek a sacrifice fi dis

That's why Giddimani nah stop fight fi dis

Rumour dem ah spread

Who ah tell lie bout Reggae dead?

Shut up yuh little crazy baldhead

A REGGAE PUT DI BUTTER PON GHETTO YOUTH BREAD"

Check the cool closer, 'Joburg', a loose ode to Johannesburg, South Africa. This is a track which just displays a very nice sound and does so with more of an easy foundation but it well finds a home on a set such as "Sibusiso", both in terms of sound and direction. Finally (until that other thing), 'Jah We Pray' is golden in more ways than one, as high sonic appeal and heavy message link up on common ground in the name of reminding the masses that no matter what or who may stand against you, living a good life ensures that you will always have someone in your corner. 

And then we have a [good] [VERY, VERY GOOD] problem. Two weeks following the release of "Sibusiso" (just two or three days ago by the time you read this), Giddimani Records sent out its dubbed out counterpart, "Sibusiso In Dub".... and you could make the case that "Sibusiso In Dub" is even stronger than "Sibusiso"! Featuring dubs for all fourteen tunes, it is an OUTSTANDING version of the album and if I didn't have an instrumental album on my plate to write a review for sometime in the next few weeks, I might've actually slapped a review on this one. Standouts are numerous but I'd tell you to pay a special attention, in particular, to the track that I alluded to, 'Selassie White Horse Dub'. EASILY it ranks as one of the finest of its kind that I've heard recently and, again, it is not alone here. Also riding high are the likes of 'Another Marcus Garvey Dub', the GHOSTLY 'Him Presence Dub' (THAT ONE is better than its vocal version. It isn't even up for debate in my opinion), 'Automatic Sibusiso Dub', 'Worthy For Jah Dub' and one that I was really looking forward to hearing that turned out even better than I thought it might, 'Joburg Dub'. However, with that being said, from beginning to end, "Sibusiso In Dub" is a significant winner and I would expect any fan of Dub music of any experience level to find ample material here worthy of their time. As I've said in the past (and recent cases includes albums from the likes of Norris Man, Akae Beka and Horace Andy), things like this REALLY show that the producers behind the music had a great deal of confidence in their work and wanted to put it in the spotlight. In this case, they were right to do so.

Overall, the fact that a dub version of "Sibusiso" does speak to a point that I didn't want to spend too much time on during the review because I could use that album's existence to express it more vividly: Sinky Beatz' work on this album is very high level. Musically, "Sibusiso" is one of the more impressive Roots album that I've heard over the past couple of years or so, without question. For his part, Perfect is in fine form, although he isn't as explosive as we've come to expect at times (which isn't a first). I do thoroughly enjoy the kind of 'freer' way that the album centers, directly, around Africa --and I know what you're thinking, they ALL kinda center around Africa-- but with tunes such as the title track and 'Joburg', the impression is definitely that Perfect had it in his mind to make Roots Reggae album about Africa: Mission accomplished. "Sibusiso" is another log on the burning fire that is Perfect Giddimani, one which has been scorching since it was ignited many years ago. 

Rated: 4.35/5

Giddimani Records

2025

What [ELSE] I'm Listening To

'Addicted' by Khalia [Ineffable Records]

Ladies first this week as, headlining a number of big names is the deliciously (and I do mean DELICIOUSLY!) difficult to avoid Khalia who is back, already, with another lovely single, this time for Albion Muzic, 'Addicted'. If you've been following the work of Khalia lately, then you'll know largely what to expect from 'Addicted' as it is just another syrupy sweet piece of modern Lover's Rock which finds the vocalist tackling a classic riddim which sounds like a cut of the Queen of The Minstrel Riddim to a near perfection. Khalia is quickly cornering the market on just.... BEAUTIFUL, SENSUAL (though not necessarily sexual, although she does have her very clever moments) (it's never completely obvious, it takes a little thought) Reggae music and there's nothing wrong with that. Earlier this year she blessed us with "Stay True", her wonderful EP and I wouldn't be surprised at all if its followup (maybe even in full form) is set to follow sometime in the remaining six and a half months of 2024. 'Addicted' is sublime. 

'Tear No Man Down' by Perfect Giddimani [ChinaMan Yard]

Next we have a single that definitely had to work on me quite a bit before I really began to tune it in, 'Tear No Man Down', which comes from the always welcome and always most compelling Perfect Giddimani, alongside ChinaMan Yard, who is literally out of China, as part of their Higher Grounds Riddim. Okay, I'll tell you what I heard initially that I didn't particularly care for: The.... pacing of this tune?? I write it as a question because I'm not entirely sure if I'm explaining it correctly (highly unlikely). 'Tear No Man Down' had (and still has) an unusual kinda 'hitch' to its sound to my ears (and maybe (probably) I'm the only one of that opinion but it's something that took a bit of overcoming. What helped in that is an unmistakable CHARM that the tune also carries. You know how you can talk to someone on the phone and you can still kind of HEAR them smiling when they talk? It isn't exactly the same, but there're portions of 'Tear No Man Down' which just gives the vibe that Perfect FELT REALLY GOOD IN SAYING WHAT HE IS SAYING at that given time. It radiates throughout this one and, from personal experience, I can tell you it is a quality that takes a song that I'm rating as "okay" early on and transforms it into... something maybe a little special.

'Dem A Murderah' by Anthony B [Green Lion Crew]

I probably could have put the whole of the outstanding Extra Heavy Riddim for this next one (but TECHNICALLY it hasn't released yet as a full unit) from the increasingly venerable Green Lion Crew but, instead, we're focusing on the track's finest moment (but they're all really good), Anthony B's 'Dem A Murderah', which finds the original fyah man putting the golden track to the sword... I'll probably do a track by track for the Extra Heavy when it releases. It is absolutely lovely!

'Trust H.I.M.' by Lutan Fyah [Truesounds]

A big credit goes to one Truesounds for laying down their very creative Roll Call Riddim for the great Lutan Fyah to provide vocals over and, listening to this one.... MASTERFUL! There is an infectious flute that dominates the vibes here and the Fyah uses it with this style darting back and forth in his delivery with a fittingly fiery lyrical display. 

'Yeah, while you're living hail The King cause that's di thing

If you're corrupt, you get di judgment and di fyah that it brings

Dem ah put on a show fi go tek picture

Fi a while now dem skanking but now dem style it up fi wealth but that a babylon thing"

I don't know if Lutan Fyah has a bigger fan than I, PARTICULARLY OF HIS WRITING, over the years and my attraction for his words has not diminished in the slightest. At his absolute peak, the chanter from Spanish Town has VERY FEW equals.

'Nuh Afraid A People' by Pressure Busspipe [Digital One Music]

If you're stocking up a bit of frustration and need to it let out somewhere in this post, I'm sorry, no, you'll find no Soca here, but check this SCALDING tune from Pressure Busspipe and Digital One Music, 'Nuh Fraid A People'. The tune was recently (relatively recently) released as part of DOM's "Trichotomy The Album" which featured a trio of well solid Dancehall tracks (two of them, especially) and it showed a more AGGRESSIVE side of the chanter who also continued to display a level of ultra-heightened skill, regardless of the topic at hand. 

The Seasons Riddim [Don Corleon Records]

Perhaps you can figure out why the roughly two decades old Seasons Riddim has come back to my radars and if you can't, I'll gladly let you know whenever I finish my next review (as it now takes me one (or TWO) weeks worth of attention to write something which, not too long ago, literally just took a few hours) (getting old..... no fun!), but I've been enjoying this set which probably should be regarded as a classic these days. The Seasons Riddim, along with the Drop Leaf helped to put its creator, Don Corleon into a different stratosphere and he went from one of the most influential Dancehall producers of his day (and that era would have been a mighty one with the likes of Steven 'Lenky' Marsden and Di Genius also shining at the time) into being the same for the entire genre of Reggae music. Absolutely saturated in hits, these days tunes like 'Love Is' from Jah Cure, Alaine's STUNNING 'No Ordinary Love', 'Thanks & Praise' by Fantan Mojah and DEFINITELY 'Far From Reality' from Natural Black rank as not only genuine hits of the time period but... really some of the finest work from those particular [well decorated] artists entire careers.... and that's what I'm listening to. 

LET HIM IN!: A review of Deep Medz by Eesah

Hand off. We may have fully passed such a point an even before it wasn't such a heavily monitored topic in Reggae music because of just how [under]valued albums tended to be in the genre in general, but for me there still remains something particularly SWEET about a really good debut album. Just a couple of reviews ago, I told you about such a release, "I-Frequency" from an artist from out of Trinidad by the name of Mosiah. In his case, like so many others prior, though I was familiar with his work, the album put everything in a very nice and CONVENIENT package and, because the once far more common practice of, essentially, compiling albums (meaning just taking a heap of previously released (and rinsed, in some cases) singles, putting them  together and slapping a cover on them) has been at least tempered and artists tend to actually try to make decent impressions on albums, the introduction exercises a bit more in the way of 'quality-control'; making a deliberate attempt at giving the listener a healthy experience. Even these days, where in trying to provide content for this blog, I tend to pay more attention than I would were I not writing, that big album and debut album, in particular is always very welcomed. Historically speaking, there was another added aspect of interest as debuts typically (and this is strange, so be careful) arrived at/around the beginning of an artist's career (like I said, STRANGE), so following along or even tracing back was always fascinating to see not only the cultivation of their talent, but also the various twists and turns they may have demonstrated working alongside various producers. These days, things have changed dramatically, though they're not less interesting as, again, because the target may not be an actual album release at all (EVER), if/when it does eventually reach, the individual may be any number of years into their career before album #1, having already attained a level of respect, if not full-on stardom to some degree, prior to its release.... biggup Aidonia. I suppose one of the benefits of having an artist further along in their career before delivering that first album is that they're further along and, whatever and whoever they are going to be, musically, they're closer to being it following that earlier gestation stage (and, ideally, the ENTIRE career is a period of development, but the changes you see later on tend to be more subtle and less glaring than in the early days).... so maybe THAT can at least help to explain why we see what we encounter in the curious case of Eesah.

The name -- probably one of the better in all of Reggae -- has been around the scene for the better part of a decade (and maybe even longer, actually), having managed to impress a variety of different sources in a number of different ways, yours truly included. If you do trace back Eesah's story, he was an engineer at one point before being encouraged by friends to pick up the mic and do his own thing and, a few years on, it is crystal-clear that he made the right decision. When I first became aware of the artist, he was something of a disciple of Chronixx and was someone clearly influenced by the all kinds of gifted Chronixx. His style is slightly more singing-heavy, but Eesah also typically employs that unusual 'darting' vibe as well (they chant, they sing, they deejay.... almost all at the same time in some instances). It also helped that he was very gifted lyrically and what has resulted has been a fantastic and nearly unavoidable run.

2018

Previously, Eesah has had a number of EP releases to his credit (it literally may be like four or five in total by now), with the most recent being 2022's "Timeless", but a few years ahead of that was 2018's most fittingly named "Masterpiece" which, with tunes such as hit 'Tell No Lie', 'Marijuana' and others definitely would live up to its title. Personally, I've also heard several interviews with Eesah and he does seem a very nice person as well as someone who just has a very good head on their shoulders. His COMMON SENSE seems on a very high level and Eesah really has that feel to him I've seen present on many top Reggae stars.... they just seem to know what they want to do and how to get it done. It's a very HUMBLE CONFIDENCE (if that makes any sense) which drips from him. He's also been very active and consistent with his releases. He's quietly become one of the genre's more dependable of performers. All of that has well risen Eesah's profile and heightened expectations and he's now checked something wonderful off the list as he now delivers his debut ALBUM, "Deep Medz". The set comes courtesy of King I-Vier Music, with the US based Loud City handling production. Eesah has been working with both frequently in recent times, clearly in preparation for this very moment and, were he going to be releasing an album, King I-Vier and Loud City would figure to be amongst the obvious links (previously, he's released material through Evidence Music as well and I'm pretty sure you can expect more production from that combination as well). I tend to favour looking at material which  goes beneath the proverbial radar and bringing it a little to the forefront in my own way, but that isn't at all what's going on here as the early buzz surrounding 'Deep Medz" has been very impressive in Reggae circles from what I've seen. On the surface, there's a relatively easy explanation for this which we'll get into more in just a second, but something VERY nearly special plays out in this instance and I'm hoping (and THINKING) that we're looking at a very big deal in "Deep Medz" because it seems to be positioned so well to end up turning more than a few lukewarm fans of Reggae music into diehards and maybe even making fans out of someone whose experience with the sound begins and ends at Marley. "Deep Medz" QUICKLY shows itself to be an exceptional release and I have no problem at all labelling it one of the finest debut sets that I've come across in a VERY long time. Let's talk about it.

As I alluded to, if you just take a glance at the tracklist for this album, there's something that will immediately leap out at you and I'm thinking it's going to get the attention of a more casual fan and draw them in.... and then they will stay. There are five combinations on "Deep Medz", four of them feature names ranging from BIG to full-on LEGENDARY. When it isn't overdone (and five combinations out of seventeen in total is not overdoing it in my opinion), just seeing such a thing can be a very attractive quality for an album. You know what else is very nice to 'see' on an album??? EXCELLENT MUSIC! This part of things get started with the ABSOLUTELY GOLDEN opener, 'Behold The Conquering Lion'... You know what? Let's do this in triplets because all three of the beginning tracks from "Deep Medz", 'Behold The Conquering Lion', 'Jah Give Me Strength' & 'Jah No Dead', come through on a very similar [the exact same one] topic. The first of these is one SWEET praise of His Imperial Majesty. Blessed with a riddim given a touch of the divine (it is heavenly), 'Behold The Conquering Lion' comes through so nice easy and effortless that it stands as the type of selection you could very well listen to hours on end without even REALLY noticing just how much time has passed all the while. That being said, a good case could be made (and I'd probably be amongst them making it) that 'Jah Give Me Strength' is even stronger. While Eesah's giving praise here, he will keep your head and feet moving (literally doing it right now). This will lead me into a point that I'll make in closing but there's something so attractive about a song and, furthermore, an entire project that has a vibe like such but, like I said, we'll get into more of that in a bit. Finally (HUH?!), 'Jah No Dead' is a lyrically dazzling effort which is cared for by one LUSCIOUS backing track.

"The Devil love and work fi idlers

Cah when dem inna trouble, then dem run to di bible lost" 

The tune also serves as the first combination from "Deep Medz", linking Eesah with Garnet Alkhem (son of the immortal Garnet Silk) and ultra-talented T'Jean (whose father, Mikey Bennett, you'll also know) (and, T'Jean has also released his own new project for this year. A terrific EP by the name of "Ancient Intelligence" which I may tell you about, more in-depth, at some point). 'Jah No Dead' may just be the best of the opening lot but any way your preference goes amongst the three, you have truly SENSATIONAL work at the head of "Deep Medz" and you know what??? It stays that way throughout. 

While Alkhem and T'Jean are definitely names you need to keep an eye on going forward, the batch of vocal guests enlisted to join Eesah here is mightily impressive, as I alluded to. Check the fun 'Red Alert' which taps veteran Swedish DJ, Million Stylez. This one is a social commentary within a [LEGIT] Dancehall tune and I LOVE how it breaks up the vibes. Pieces like this one, really add to the colour of an album (it almost gives you a little jolt if you're just casually listening through and come across it) and it makes for such a stronger listening experience altogether, in my opinion.... and, of course, it doesn't help that it's damn good also. The very next drop in, 'Rasta Corner', was a big single release just ahead of the album, itself. This one, RIDICULOUSLY (and I mean that in a GREAT way) finds Achis Reggae favourites Perfect Giddimani ["High grade, that better than liquor. Dat a roots inna cup, strong back mek it bitter. LOCKS PON MI HEAD TOP, DAT A MY TRANSMITTER"] and Pressure Busspipe joining Eesah and, as you would expect, the trio absolutely causes DAMAGE together. As strange as it will sound: 'Rasta Corner' is the most glaring example of my primary criticism of "Deep Medz" (more on that later), despite the fact that it is also one of the best songs that it has altogether. You bring in talents like this one, separately, and you're going to have something potentially special on your hands. When you do it ON THE SAME FUCKING TUNE... problems! The artists link under the umbrella-ing theme that not everyone belongs everywhere, particularly when they cannot meet the minimum requirement to be there. This is the type of music I was directly referring to drawing in the more casual head. On the heavier end, if you see THAT level of talent on a song even prior to hearing it, it definitely captures attention and what results is eons away from a disappointment. The one and only Sizzla Kalonji also makes an appearance, making his presence known on a remix of the plodding 'In The Ghetto' (don't think I've ever head the original). I do not love this tune (that chorus is.... tough), but it is solid. I've made my feelings on the latest incarnation of Sizzla crystal-clear and what he does here most certainly is oceans away from his vintage levels but it's also considerably higher than at least some of what he's done as of late.

When I first saw the tracklist of "Deep Medz" my attentions focused on the presence of one potential all-conquering effort by the name of 'The Beginning of Time' which, almost comically, features BOTH Capleton & Lutan Fyah.... why you'd need those two on at the same time is well beyond what little good sense that I have, but that is exactly what Eesah does while managing to make a space for himself on that sublime old school riddim. The direction here goes back to our openers with a massive observation being paid to His Majesty between them with all three finding their own time to shine but taking top honours, to my opinion, is the mighty King of Fire. Still, with all that being said the single best combination and tune altogether on the album (although the opener is running EVEN with it) is 'Police & Badboy' which taps one of the most lyrically proficient lights Reggae has seen in a VERY long time, the Grammy winning Kabaka Pyramid who is in a typically DESTRUCTIVE mood during his contributions.

"Murder capital, dem nuh murder fi capital 

Gunman will kill people fi some reason weh not even practical 

Police nah tek sabbatical

Dem full you up a shot

Mek all di doctor dem struggle fi identify inna di hospital

Badman dem nah play play

Man ah shoot like Braithwaite

Murder you with a straight face

Graveyard haffi mek space

Bad cop dem have red eye and di good cop dem ah save face

When di ak dem ah spray, spray-

Another man life fade way

Another bloodstain upon di concrete

Another mother bawl for her son

So when you si di gunman or police, well try no bodda run"

FLAMES! EVERYTHING IS ONE FIRE AND NO ONE CAN PUT IT OUT! This tune blazes, crumbling absolutely everything it encounters.

Besides the combinations, another interesting musical angle found on "Deep Medz" is the presence of several pieces which are either of the lover's variety or just, generally, giving credit the most honourable women of the planet and they are ALL at least nice songs. The first of them is the fine 'Nubian Queen', which is chased by the even more charming 'The Girl I'm Searching For'. The former is slightly more specific as Eesah, seemingly, is talking to his own special woman as opposed to women in general, but it's still very relatable and exquisitely performed. 'The Girl I'm Searching For' brings in a more of a 'positive edge'. It has some heat on it. Though, again, more on the specific side (arguably even more so than 'Nubian Queen' with the semi-running dialogue of the lyrics), 'The Girl I'm Searching For' reaches greater heights and, yes, you will find better on the subject on the album (I'm about to tell you about one of them) (make that two, actually), but this thing soars for what it is. 'Empress Menen' broadens things out and, in doing so, impresses immensely. 'Empress Menen' (delightfully) has an Afro Beats vibes about it to my ear and it's just this BRIGHT, all-encompassing and INCLUSIVE track which is done in a way not only hailing Her Majesty but also relating all upful and positive women to her. On a similar level in terms of sound is 'Girl Like You', which veers back towards the Reggae spectrum and is a very nice straightforward love song. I think 'Girl Like You' has something special about it and could do some damage if given an opportunity (and I do not expect it to be given that opportunity). I was surprised for the good in seeing so many such tunes attached to "Deep Medz" because it certainly gives the album an added dimension that you do see present on so many others but not to this extent. Clearly it is favourite topic for Eesah and I would expect him to go on and continue to make winners of the lover's variety.

The artist continues to mine gold on his own and on just about any topic he touches. One of the most glaring examples of this DEFINITELY comes in the most appropriately licked pair 'Irie' and 'Easy Skankin'. With its easy vibes, the former struck me 'all in the feels' (do people actually still say that??) as it's simply about having fun and enjoying yourself in a distinctly Caribbean way. 'Irie' is one of the better tunes here altogether and not very far away is 'Easy Skankin' which has more of a musical focus ('Irie' is more spread out, dealing with more cultural things, slightly).

"Kick off ya dancing shoe

THEN FIND A GIRL AND HOLD HER TIGHT

NUH MEK BREEZE PASS THROUGH

It's a skankin Reggae party

Watch mi drop it, one-two"

Together 'Irie' & 'Easy Skankin', again, add such a fun abd WARM element to "Deep Medz" and one which you might not expect to hear going into it but certainly makes more sense as the vibes develop (particularly with all of the love-ish songs being present). 'Push On' has a similar sound to the two tunes I just told you about (and it directly follows them, making for one lovely COOL block at the end of this album), but its subject is on a more serious theme as it's all about perseverance and thriving through the hard times life deals us all at times. It does have a spiritual edge at its heart but, for the most part, anyone going through anything can call on a song like this for some inspiration. 'Push On' is another selection that, at least for me, reaches near the pinnacle of quality for "Deep Medz". It is IMMACULATE and just such a mighty addition to this project. 'Uprise' is a track with something immediate about it. There is a certain infectious urgency to it which cannot go ignored.

"Tell dem a 'one aim, one destiny'

Black people fi free so just let wi be

Whether by air or wi tek di sea

Black Star Liner seal di prophecy

Fully camouflage when they si mi roll out

NO LONGER SHALL I TIE MY BROTHER NECK WID NO ROPE

'Africa fi Africans' a dat di legend dem quote

ETERNAL FYAH FI DI ONES WID NO LOVE

Every youth great like Nelson-

Mandela did ah beat dem wid a belt 

Nuh mek dem trick yuh bout slavery it done

Wi come from di land, but wi own"

Perhaps if you thought back to 'Behold The Conquering Lion' and added some spice and some flames to it, you might come up with something quite similar to what 'Uprise' turns out to be and it nears that same well lofty levels in my opinion. Finally is a piece that did take a little time to grow on me, 'Liberation' (biggup Turbulence) (allllll these years later and 'We Need Liberation' is still one of the first Turbulence tunes that my mind goes to). When I first heard 'Liberation' (and when I second heard it and probably third, fourth and fifth as well), I initially thought it somewhat uneven and while I still may not regard it as the most well put together piece of music that I've ever heard, it is fairly close to being outstanding. 'Liberation' almost sounds like a freestyle that became a full song at some point with that title/punchline never really being  played out to completion... but you won't care. 'Liberation' is a very fun time and, though all over the place, lyrically very strong as well.

So what is wrong with "Deep Medz"?? This is simple: The album features seventeen songs and has a run time of just under forty-seven and a half minutes. By my [surely inaccurate] math, that puts the average track-length at less than two minutes and fify seconds. By contrast, the last review I wrote was for an album by the name of "Levite" by Zacheous Jackson (biggup Zacheous Jackson). By my (again, completely WRONG) count, the average song length of "Levite" is nearly four and one third minutes. The most glaring piece of evidence supporting this is "Rasta Corner", a tune with THREE DIFFERENT ARTISTS anddddd..... it checks in at a very thin two minutes and eleven seconds. RIDICULOUSLY it is THEE shortest song on the whole of "Deep Medz". Still excellent, although somewhat crowded and I don't know why (incidentally, you could say the same for 'The Beginning of Time', and it is twenty-two seconds longer than 'Rasta Corner' and still a little cramped. In general, you wish they would have just slowed things down as, far and away, the largest critique I have of this set is that it seems to come and go (both in full and in several cases individual tracks) FAR too quickly. 

Overall, you could certainly have bigger problems than your audience wanting MORE and there simply isn't much more than that to complain about in regards to Eesah's debut album. The 'pros' in this case absolutely smash the 'cons'. They beat the hell out of them! Something struck me in the course of listening to "Deep Medz" that I've noticed before on albums from other artists but it's rarely been to this extent: "Deep Medz" and Eesah are very NEW. This is a definite NEW SCHOOL ROOTS sound, even when it does pull in some old school type of vibes. This is very much a clip of the music in the 2020's and it is a FINE example of that sound. Debut albums may have (they have) lost some luster from an older time and you can even argue that they've never REALLY been that important in Reggae music but if they do still hold any value in 2024 as they do with me, you won't find much better material than Eesah on "Deep Medz". Yes, I do wish there was more of it and, hopefully, "more of it" won't be too far away but, as it stands, "Deep Medz" is one of the strongest debut sets I've come across in quite awhile. EXCELLENT. 

Rated: 4.65/5

King I-Vier Music/Loud City

2024

Haile Unlikely?: A review of Ah Mi Yard by Perfect Giddimani

Structures. Despite all of the blabbering I may do -- and am about to happily do more of -- there is a certain special something at the core of it all when it comes to music, at least in my opinion. It is the most basic of questions we, as fans, subconsciously ask ourselves each and every time we hear a new song: Does it sound good? Of course what exactly qualifies as "good" varies (and vacillates) between individuals, but that is the bottom line. Is it an attractive song? On top of that, depending on the genre, we can get into other things such as themes, meaning, significance and such, but even if you don't go that far, when the music is truly good, you're able to listen to it casually and THOROUGHLY enjoy yourself. To that end (it's no actual end, it NEVER ends, but that's the expression), I try to make a concerted effort to give credit to things when they do come in with a very pleasing nature. A riddim alone, for example, can bring you a great deal of joy playing continuously sans a vocal artist and, perhaps, even an artist who can go on it, despite not being terribly gifted lyrically, can also do the same thing if they're capable of finding a nice melody and pacing of their words. It's music. You should be able to enjoy it and demonstrating that capacity in even the most basic sense is commendable.... sometimes. HOWEVER, if you are to take a next step and go beyond what is basic and begin the process of linking that which is pleasing to the ear to that which is fulfilling and challenging to the mind, there is when you arrive at something potentially special. Even before there, still (and we will there in just a bit) (trust me) (....or don't. I don't care), is the very fascinating case we take a look at today as, within the scope of modern Roots Reggae music, we have a matchup today which brings together undeniably two of the most ENTERTAINING 'structures' that we have ever seen. While one of them brings a flare, dynamicity and an UNRIVALED level of unpredictability for the genre (you may look at a song title and be able to successfully predict what it will about; but you will have NO SHOT at guessing how it will actually sound), the other brings a level of professionalism and attention-to-detail that we have rarely heard. The producer in this instance has made some of the finest Roots Reggae compositions that we have ever heard --and I do think that we have arrived at the point where we can begin to place their work onto some type of historical context-- and they have steadily churned out these beautifully DEEP and refined diamonds of riddims that many fans such as yourself and myself continuously find so much joy in listening to, regardless of the vocalist. So much so is that the fact that this same label has also become CONSISTENTLY one of the most powerful names in modern Dub and, at least for me, have become a personal favourite on that front as well. Now what happens when that firebreather and these scientists link up???

Well, they make sweet, sweet music together. DUHHHH! To put names behind labels, of course I am referring to the most honourable Sir Burnhard Spliffington himself, St. Ann'z native [!], Perfect Giddimani as the artist and the Laurent 'Tippy I' Alfred and the wonderful folks at I Grade Records with the Zion I Kings as the label (I should probably come up with a cool way to call them artists as well) (...so we'd have 'vocal artists' and 'instrumental artists'? That works for me). In the case of the former, it's really gotten to the point where I not only look forward to their work, in general, but I'm always so interested in with whom they end up working in terms of full releases. Besides their usual roster which includes the likes of Akae Beka, Pressure Busspipe, Danny I and other staples from the Virgin Islands Reggae scene; I Grade has also branched out and worked alongside The Nazarenes from Ethiopia ["Meditation"], Yahadanai from out of Guyana ["One Atonement"] (a downright PERFECT release nearing twenty years old from someone who has probably become one of THE most mysterious artists in Reggae history), US born & based Toussaint ["Black Gold"] and most recently, the great Lutan Fyah ["Music Never Dies"]. Within that lot, though the music has been of a similar nature (meaning the same genre), as you can see the backgrounds of the artists have been incredibly diverse and, to my opinion, the label can lay a significant claim to having consistently made THE best Roots Reggae music over the past quarter-century or so. 

And the work continues. Unless I'm overlooking something (and I'd be quite disappointed if I am), I don't think that I Grade released a full project in 2022, but they certainly didn't go exactly dormant either. They released a big new tune from longtime collaborator, NiyoRah, by the name of 'Scatter Dem' and they also released a remix of 'Black Carbon', a tune featuring the legendary Akae Beka alongside Jamaican star, Chronixx (how crazy is it to think that, with as long as he's been around, Chronixx is still only thirty years old! He has a birthday coming in a few weeks from this writing, but he's assembled TONS of experience for such a young age, definitely), by Eric Hilton ["My son, your son, mi son"]. Also, WONDERFULLY, IGR has been in the process of reissuing much of the great Vaughn Benjamin's earlier work -- done as Midnite -- under the name Akae Beka, which he assumed later in his career; a practice which they continued in 2022 (and are still at work on this year with "Rule The Time"). They're also the "I" in the Zion I Kings, so anything you've seen from the ZIK also features the handiwork of Alfred and company. For his part, Perfect has been as active and as durable as ever. Just this year, he's released a very steady stream of singles (check out the cool herbalist tune,  'A Little Different', from the recent Sanity Riddim, as well as a couple others in the MASSIVE 'Third Eye' ["Third eye! I ah watch dem through mi bird-eye"]and 'Bless Me', a big combination featuring Ras Attitude, in particular). 2022 would deliver his latest set, in the form of "Wait In Pain", an eight-track EP release. While musically varied, "Wait In Pain" would bring a few nice moments such as 'LiLLY' and 'TGIF' featuring Anthony B. Perfect's last full album, the solid "Live My Life Again", came back in 2017 via the venerable House Of Riddim from out of Austria (and, apparently, "Live My Life Again" was very successful). Perfect also isn't a stranger to the ZIK ecosystem as way back in 2011 he did release "Back For The First Time"with the "Kings", Lustre Kings Productions ["I gotta picture on my wall with Selassie I smiling"] [BOOM!]. That set is probably best known these days for carrying 'Hold On Buju', Perfect's tribute to the then very troubled Reggae great and it featured quite a few very strong other selections ('HIM Smile', 'Eye Wata' and 'Lion Haffi Roar' amongst them) (also had a great interlude called 'Homeless' which just makes you feel good when you hear it) and it stands in fairly good standing in regards to the quality of the chanter's entire catalogue to date. So, perhaps we might look back at "Back For The First Time" as an indication of what might happen were Sir Spliffington ever to return to the ZIK pack to work again. Well it may've taken a dozen years, but Perfect, alongside I Grade Records have given us "Ah Mi Yard"! I tried to illustrate (and I think I wrote it poorly) just how happy I was to see this link. I'm generally excited to see what either is doing alone, but you bring them together and you've DEFINITELY gotten my attention. Ultimately, after this release I'm left thinking one prevailing thing and I'd love to tell you about it if you have a few minutes (or a couple of hours, who's counting).

As is the case with just about everything Perfect releases these days, "Ah Mi Yard" does come as a product of Giddimani Records in association with I Grade Records. You see that more and more these days with artists attempting to take more control of their work and what becomes of it and the case could be made that Perfect has done it better than almost any of his peers as, like I said, damn near EVERYTHING he does either comes exclusively from his label or 'in association' with it (including the aforementioned "Live My Life Again" from six years ago now). Giddimani has also produced full riddims featuring other very talented artists including the usual likes of Lutan Fyah and Norris Man, but also favourites of ours such as the aforementioned Ras Attitude and even Rob Symeonn and Arkaingelle, so Giddimani Records are WELL established at this point in their own right. Perfect's latest project, "Ah Mi Yard" is constructed in a way (not too dissimilar from other recent ZIK records) where it features both original, voiced, tunes along with their dubs and we get seven of each, in full. The first of these is Perfect's pandemic response, 'Never Give In'.

"We were warned by the prophets

These days were coming

I don't know what has happened, but there is something

Wanna stick with a needle

Hurt I for nothing

But I never give up, never give in"

I have to say something about this song and I want to do it in a way that is respectful of the message: During 'Never Give In' Perfect talks about numerous things in regards to COVID, including where he feels its origins truly are and how he feels we should proceed and protect ourselves ["Commune with nature, turn off the smartphone"] and he makes a lot powerful and salient points on what is a very well written track. HOWEVER, the first time I laid ears on 'Never Give In' (and on each subsequent listen including the one I'm having right now), the thing which most stands out for me is just HOW DAMN SWEET IT SOUNDS! The sonics on this one require much more of fitting adjective than the "hypnotic" one which I would typically reserve for it. It is STUNNING and you know what I was thinking: I cannot wait to hear how its dub sounds. Big opener. The unifying title piece is in next and I was very happy when I heard in which direction the focus of it went because in saying, "ah mi yard", Perfect is saying THERE is my home. All of these beautiful, wonderful African places are HOME both literally and figuratively. Perfect goes onto delve into things such as the African Diaspora and where it sits today ["I hear the barbarians calling I & I a alien"] (a most brilliant line!) and it is packaged together in this lovely vibe which doesn't dominate the tune at all but, instead, backs it snugly - making for one of the most outstanding moments on the whole of "Ah Mi Yard". Perfect then goes on to channel the great Akae Beka with 'Same Boat' ["Imagine how significant the sentiment is!"], another lovely selection. This is another piece where one of my most immediate thoughts was to wonder what was going on with that riddim and how much I was looking forward to digging in on its dubbed version. Despite being fairly straight-forward and being and being based around a very serious topic, 'Same Boat' is FUN! It has a very loose vibe behind it and, again, while he does manage to push something that you very well should pay attention to, Perfect also seems to very much have been caught in the moment and here we see his often downright spectacularly free-flowing nature really ignite. 

"Travel over land and sea so far - 

And yuh caan forget bout who you are

No sell outside fi house nor car

No freak away yuh life a rum bar

BETTA YUH LIGHT UP A SPLIFF YAH STAR

Bless Africa, West Africa The Five Point Star

Marcus Garvey - the man popular

Black People so spectacular 

But if we all came on the same boat

Why aren't we on the same note?" 

So while it does take itself seriously in an effort, presumably, to maximize its effect, 'Same Boat' is sure to have heaps and heaps of people like me and hopefully You happily singing right along. 'Hard Ears' proved to be a winner, but it took a bit of time to grow on me in order to reach that point. On the surface, it is a solid selection with a nice vibe (and an extremely catchy chorus) but when I began to dig into it more and more, what grew on me, specifically, was the SOUND. Somewhere along during its middle portions 'Hard Ears' LEVELS UP. It goes from being slightly above average to considerably better. You will find better songs on "Ah Mi Yard" without a doubt (already told you about three of them, actually), but 'Hard Ears' is not to go overlooked, in my opinion. Maybe you [I] felt a little odd about enjoying the poignant opener as much as you [I] did, but you'll have no such concerns for 'Woosah' which is more lighthearted and intentionally so. Sometimes you need to stop taking things so damn seriously and kick back and relax and enjoy yourself. That is at the core of 'Woosah' and for your listening pleasure Perfect thought you'd like this nice song which comes complete on another of the standout riddims found on "Ah Mi Yard" and also serves as a more specific ode to music and its effect on us and the role it serves in..... just making us all feel a little better especially when we're a little down ["A likkle bassline nah hurt yuh. I man know dat fi certain"]. Much like what I heard from 'Ah Mi Yard', I delighted by what was waiting on 'Give Me My Flowers'.

"Give me my flowers

Before it is too late

Give me my flowers

Before my glory days

Give me my flowers

If your love for me is rare

And everytime I think about it, that's how I feel"

I'm so big on ideology like this. When someone is dead and gone, we pay a tribute to them and that's fine, but it's also for US and maybe those who didn't know/know of that person; but that individual who is gone can't do anything with it. They're gone. So, if you love someone make sure they know it. If someone does something for you, TELL THEM THANK YOU! You don't want to wait too long to show appreciation when you can show it and make someone who has done good by you feel so good RIGHT NOW! The final vocal on "Ah Mi Yard", 'How Many Mornings', is another slow burner but, in this case, it is a HUGE one. I'll surely give Perfect his credit for what he does here but there is just... something about 'How Many Mornings' that is so damn powerful in its feel. It is a praising piece but it's rather broad and Perfect goes on to eventually kinda/sorta turn it into somewhat of a social commentary as well to some extent ["Say a prayer for the ones in the ghetto, living in the heart of Soweto"] but what I took from it, ultimately, is the idea that giving praise and thanks makes things so much better and the more we do it, the more it could possibly help. With that being said, again, 'How Many Mornings' GLOWS, musically. The thing is hot! Whatever device you use to play it will be warmer when it is on!

And then there are the dubs. As I mentioned (or at least I hope I did), I was REALLY curious about the sound of the dubs of quite a few of the dub versions of these tunes and likely none more than the opener which is  now 'Never Give In Dub' and it did not disappoint. What is wholly gorgeous initially hits an even higher peak around two minutes in when this kind of stuttering sound (I am hopeless in attempting to describe this but the song should be right on top of this paragraph, you  go to two minutes and you'll hear exactly what I mean) chimes in briefly. It is DEVASTATING! I go back to that part so often when I listen to this track - it is absolute candy! When it does give way, what remains seems to be an ever so slightly more chilled cut of the early stages, making for one dazzling composition - my favourite on "Ah Mi Yard". 'Ah Mi Yard Dub' is built on a foundation best remembered by its lyrical impact for me, but musically it has no difficulty at all standing on its own and, in fact, it thrives. The vibe here is just so delightfully EASY just as you would hope it would be given the familiarity and comfort that was so crucial in backing Perfect's message. 'Same Boat Dub' doesn't do anything too special, for the most part (and that sounds bad, but hear me out) (well it doesn't sound "bad" (it sounds mediocre), but I'll make it better, give me one second) but what it does do is to IMMEDIATELY find its peak and remain there throughout. Even with what comes just ahead of it (and despite the fact that I favour at least one of them, if not both, over it) as soon as 'Same Boat Dub' comes in I get HAPPY. My head starts bobbing and I get this excellent vibe. It does hit such a nice level of consistency that I think its creators knew PRECISELY what they had on their hands so they just allowed it to play and what resulted was a piece over a minute longer than the vocal version! Again, you'll find more dynamic and catchy material here, but 'Same Boat Dub' may hit you in places that even stronger tracks cannot.

I hate to say it because of the fact that I so enjoy it on the original version, but 'Hard Ears Dub' didn't.... do much for me! Of course the musicianship is top notch (that goes without saying... even though I just said it) and it does have its moments -- especially when things get more streamlined -- but there seems to be so much going on with 'Hard Ears Dub' that I found myself struggling to find THAT one sound which I gravitated towards and stuck with, There almost seemed to be like three or four of them I had to sift through to arrive there. No such issues were present on 'Woosah Dub' (just as a said on the original. I LOVE when I can make parallels like this one! I'm a nerd!), however, which builds upon (and it sounds like it has a GOOD TIME doing it) the wonderful simplicity of 'Woosah' by just continuing that strong and simple vibe. Particularly during its latter stages (after it's nice and warmed up), 'Woosah Dub' SOARS and hits one of the highest highs that you will find on the entire album. 'Give Me My Flowers Dub' has to sacrifice the punch of the lovely ideology of the version with lyrics and it doesn't rank as a favourite of mine on "Ah Mi Yard" (it almost has a Country sound to it at times and it doesn't 'repeat' enough for me (almost surely that's a poor usage of that term, but it's close as I can get. It changes too much is what I'm clumsily attempting to say. Right when I enjoy it, it changes again)) but, again, what you will find is world class players of instruments which is a quality that shines through even when you do not LOVE what you hear. Sending us out is certainly another highlight in 'How Many Mornings Dub'. This piece has a certain amount 'firmness' to it and it is ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR! What an incredible vibe it produces and sitting here listening to it now (at 9:20am) and I'm feeling every bit of it! I also want to mention that I generally like to pay attention, on dubs, to specifically how much vocals they do use when it's like this - different versions of an original with words, because I think that, like different sounds, the words can also add to the general FEEL of the vibe and what they do with 'How Many Mornings Dub, is nearly perfect. You will hear from Perfect relatively consistently throughout the first half, but he is nowhere to be found later on and, at least for me, that is a very cool way of showing a progression or an evolution of the vibe.  

Overall, I WANT MORE! That's the "prevailing thing" I'm left thinking about in regards to "Ah Mi Yard". Technically, I suppose they did the right thing as albums which're twenty songs or so in length are almost always just too damn long and bloated, but not only could they have done that in this case, I think they should have. Had they gotten this one to ten original vocals and then ten dubs on top of it.... I mean.... that would have been a very nice thing to do. Judging it just on what it is, however, and we still have a very strong release here. I spend so much time in attempting to describe Perfect's spontaneity because I feel like it is not only one of his greatest traits as a musician, but it's also one of the coolest talents in the genre right now. You simply cannot be sure what that man is going to do when he goes into a track - I don't even know if he has an idea. Maybe he writes the tune and then decides how he will delivery it at a later point; but whatever the man is doing it is FLAMING for him these days and "Ah Mi Yard" is even more proof of that. Giddimani and I Grade Records and the Zion I Kings all come together produce a winner on the lighter side, but a winner without a doubt still. 

Rated: 4.15/5

I Grade Records + Giddimani Records

2023