The Vault Reviews: The Bellyas Riddim

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seems so many times that, once you've gotten used to something and maybe have started to enjoy it, that thing is gone, outdated and we've moved on to the next.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

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

Ward 21 & Greensleeves

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

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

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

"....my yute, yuh cellie

'Tell dem fi call back'

But my yute, a Kelly

Mi nah tell her nothin, better you come tell it

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

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

"Gal weh have baby like puppy

DAT NUH MEK IT

Big big man weh fraida duppy

DAT NUH MEK IT

Man weh have stinkin foot

DAT NUH MEK IT

Gal weh too hype and can't cook

DAT NUH MEK IT"

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

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

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

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

Rated: 3.5/5

Greensleeves Records

2001

Distinguished: A review of Endeavors by Spragga Benz

Heavier. As is the case with virtually anything else, when it comes to music, respect is a thing that is earned, first and foremost. Whether or not it is lasting in any particular case is another question but when you receive the respect and the deference and the adoration of fans and your peers, you have to be doing something right. On one scale, we could look at the status of a 'one hit wonder' who could, conceivably, attain a level of immortality via one big tune (and you could probably think of songs from... fifty years ago now, which are eternally linked to the name of one individual). That is a type of respect: You made a giant song and it made a lot of people feel good - THANK YOU! Going beyond that, we can look at individuals who, while they aren't amongst the absolute biggest of stars in any certain genre, they have achieved a level of acclaim and distinction which, again, has made them unforgettable in the eyes of many. Not too long ago, we did a Signatures feature on Jah Mason and he's a pretty good example of that. I was prompted to write that feature in reaction to seeing someone refer to the Mason as a one hit wonder (insanity) but when you really get into the rest of his career, you realize that he's been SO MUCH MORE than just one massive tune and his been a very consistent soldier of Reggae music for a very long time. I look at several of Jah Mason's Roots geared peers such as Bushman, CHUCK FENDA, the late Determine and others in the same light. These are long-tenured artists who have given us endless enjoyment through the years and while they have peers whose names are more widely known, their contributions are not to go overlooked or underappreciated. As I have discussed in the past, on a personal level, there are those who, for one reason or another, have charted a very high level of appreciation and reverence for me and not just on the strength of their music (though primarily) and another, still, whose names just carry a lot of weight with me. Aside from the lot that you're expecting (i.e. Mark Wonder, Norrisman, Queen Omega...), I'm thinking of people such as the fantastic General Degree, Mad Cobra, Ras Batch and I've come to realize that Spragga Benz is definitely amongst these. 

2019

These're artists who may not be very active for the most part (in the case of Degree and Batch, not hearing a single thing from them over the course of an entire year is not a rarity at all) and that surely helps; but I find myself so damn interested in hearing what they're up to when they do finally reach with something. Their names carry such a weight with me and I'm just HAPPY to see them attached to some project. Gone are the days when the Dancehall heads amongst them would hop on any riddim (I don't know how old Batch is but Degree, Cobra and Spragga are all sixty within the next four or five years) and, of course, the genre has changed to a large degree in that aspect; so I appreciate when they're out and contributing. On top of that, as you might expect, I don't get to write about any of them very often, so I also stay looking for opportunities to do so in order to celebrate what they've given us previously but are also still currently up to. 

2020

Taking a look at these specific cases: I THINK the last time Batch made an album remains 2017's "Rootz & Kulcha" (need to do something about that), I haven't a clue when the General's last studio project released (I THINK there was an EP maybe a year or two ago) and Mad Cobra's last album is probably STILL be "Snypa Way" which is damn near twenty years old at this point and was likely one of the first reviews I ever did on this blog (and it was not completely new even then). Spragga Benz, on the other hand, has been downright prolific, by comparison. Spragga's most recent album release was 'just' five years ago in 2000's very well received "The Journey Chosen". That set, though very varied (what!) was SOLID, fun and featured guest spots from the likes of Kymani Marley, Konshens and Wayne Wonder. The year prior to that was "Chillagon" which was even more diverse and though less of an album than "The Journey Chosen", was an okay set and did a decent job of showcasing Spragga's talents, albeit in spurts. What is Spragga Benz good at and how did he earn his stripes over the years?? I'd make the case that what really draws me to his style is just how FREE it is when he's at his best, with this LARGE, beautiful voice. Spragga has this way of... doing damn near anything that he wants, lyrically, without falling too far away from the subject at hand. It's very loose. For contrast, take General Degree. He's very SHARP and to the point and CLEAN (Degree's music is awesome. It's just so damn fun to listen to), and I would also include people like Beenie Man, Buju Banton and the likes who, if ever there was a school of delivery, they attended and were the top scholars. Someone else who would fit in there BUT has a hint of something else is Agent Sasco who took a grand amount of inspiration from his mentor, Spragga Benz and, at least for me, Assassin is one of THE most gifted lights the Dancehall has ever produced. PERIOD. You do hear that kind of spontaneous and rough-around-the-edges approach from Sasco though on occasion and I owe that to Spragga. If you remember Mega Banton and how BRILLIANT that an could be but it never sounded too well situated or planned out, that's always where I've put Spragga Benz. Whatever it is, it's worked for him, historically, and it's still working for him as 2025 sees him on a new project, "Endeavors". The album comes via Red Square Productions [DUH!] as well as Lamar Reynolds who handles production via his LMR PRO Productions outfit. As has been his norm in recent times, "Endeavors" is a blend of several different styles and had I written this review a month or so ago, it probably wouldn't have been this positive. As it is, while I do not LOVE everything I hear, it does prove to be a compelling and colourful piece by its end. Not doing anything at the moment?? I'd love to tell you about it. 

Along with being well respected amongst fans, Spragga Benz has also made a name for himself with his peers and he's able to pull in three huge ones to feature on "Endeavors", including one VERY special guest.... so we might as well start there! There is an all kinds of interesting tune here by the name of 'Shoot Down That Drone' which features the late, great Calvin Scott, bka Cocoa Tea who we lost earlier this year. The tune has been billed as the final recording of Cocoa Tea and I've even seen it suggested that the tune may've been done via AI. Cocoa Tea doesn't sound his typical self in the vocals (I've also read that it may've been recorded (or at least partially) from his deathbed), Spragga, on the other hand, is absolutely dominant in one of the finest displays on the whole of "Endeavors". 

"Countering system weh wi call Drone Killa

Wi need some dung a Tivoli and need some up a Villa

And send some fi mi thugs a Trinidad & Anguilla

So wi disrupt every signal weh dem fly ova di hill yah

Haffi link up Raggamuffin, haffi link up Gongzilla

Cause di ting is like a little monkey vs a gorilla"

The anti-surveillance (or is it pro-privacy???) track stands as a legitimate highlight here not only for its background circumstances but also for its quality as 'Shoot Down That Drone' makes a heavy impact in its brief time. On the very next tune up, the very THICK praiser 'Teach Them', things go even higher as joining Spragga this time is Sizzla Kalonji. BOOM! You may recall a couple of albums from a year that I don't feel like looking (had to be almost twenty years by now) up, by a label called Drop Di Bass (didn't have to look that up) - "Prototype" & "Addicted". I think they were both released on or around the same day and they were full albums from Spragga Benz and Sizzla Kalonji, respectively ("Prototype" was average and "Addicted" was horrible, if I recall correctly. "Addicted" is probably THE worst album Sizzla has ever done in my opinion, even still). Both of those albums featured two or three combinations between the two and none of them were noteworthy and they've had at least one other song together and you've surely seen them on stage more than once as well; so, obviously, they're very good friends. 'Teach Them' is the best song they have together in my opinion and, by the slimmest of margins, it's also the best song "Endeavors" has as well. While Spragga remains on top of his game ["And when mi use mi weapon Jah Jah gimme a reward. But dat weapon yah no kill you, but it help. DI WEAPON YAH CAN MEK YOU FIND DI GOD INNA YUHSELF"], Kalonji also shows flashes of the brilliance that you know is still somewhere in there (just wish he'd bother digging it up more often than he does these days) ["Judge mi by my character and that is all. Cause me and the devil ain't no friend at all. This can't be duplicated, I'm not easily manipulated. Rastafari you're the greatest, we ever stand tall. And mi seh now would be the right time: Turn from evil, change yuh lifestyle. Stop hurting people when a night time. Praise Rastafari with a bright smile! Don't you sell your soul, you've got an option. And don't you go mix inna corruption. Better stand firm at the junction, cause babylon system ah malfunction"] making for a GORGEOUS display and one which well draws you in to this release. A lot happens in what turns out to be a relatively short time at just south of three minutes. The star power continues on the lovely 'Believe In You' where Spragga taps Tarrus Riley to beautify the vibes and, of course, he serves that purpose to near perfection. Perhaps it's getting redundant to say how well Spragga performs here (BOOM!) but both reach similar grounds (high, WAYYYY up in the hills) on the inspirational/praising offering. Along with pushing names like the Rileys, Sizzlas and Cocoa Teas, of the world, Spragga also shines some light on some names that, perhaps, you should begin to get better acquainted with, such as that of the sweet singing Lucian, Ashley Skerritt. Skerritt has a VERY interesting voice it's... hypnotic... it's Sade-esque. She's very chilled but has an excellent way of conveying emotion in her tones and is just SO nice to listen to. She leands her infectious talents to a song which is a bit stronger than I originally gave it credit for being, 'You And I'. You already know what this one is about and in what direction it goes and I'm not going to blow it up and say that it's amazing and one of the album's best but don't just run through it thinking that there's nothing to see there because it's better than you're probably thinking. The other combination aboard "Endeavors" finds Spragga linking with a couple of his own artists, Bittah Sosicka & loooooooong time spar (who I THINK might be related to Spragga, actually) the talented Briggy Benz who all come together on a very intense (and clever) social commentary, 'Monsters On The Run'. You typically hear these songs in a done which is saying that it's best to change your ways before The Almighty comes but 'Monsters On The Run' goes on the attack (they literally say, "God may forgive you piece of shits but we won't") and it is a very nice change of pace from the norm because I was clueless as to what to expect from this one based on its title.

Quickly, I saw a clip of a review that Spragga Benz did to promote "Endeavors" and he mentioned that there were "no gal tunes" and the interviewer (who had done his homework), corrected him by saying there were a few (there're three, technically, if you include the aforementioned 'You And I'). It speaks volumes that Spragga forgot them and when get into them, 'She No Happy' & 'No Ordinary Girl', you see why. Both sound similar to one another, both are horrible and that's that. He didn't remember them and you shouldn't either.

Sans those two songs, while Spragga is on his own throughout "Endeavors", he puts on a strong show.... shit, pretty much the entire album is some kind of decent besides 'She No Happy' & 'No Ordinary Girl'. Check the towering opener, 'Mountain'. Despite its rather awkward beginnings, the tune hits its zenith fairly quickly and becomes something DAMN impressive. It's a dual meaning here with it kinda/sorta being a ganja tune of sorts but also one that serves as an inspiration (therefore, discussing two different types of HIGH-NESS). When I saw (heard) what was going on with 'Mountain' and the lumbering 'uniqueness' began to grew on me, the lightbulb over my head popped on and I realized that we had something special there. Lagging not too far behind at all -- figuratively and literally -- is the album's second selection 'Busy Like Bees'. There's something really GRIMY about 'Busy Like Bees' and though it does have somewhat of a dark edge to it, that isn't quite what I mean. The song never seems to FULLY consummate the marriage of riddim and lyrics (they just don't perfectly lock up) but it comes very close and the fact that they DON'T sync up is almost an attractive quality here. Spragga is enjoying his status and all that he has managed to achieve and, to some extent, in an almost ghoulish way, 'Busy Like Bees' seems to be a celebration of that. Spragga basically chooses to SING his way through 'Brotherly Love' and, by its end, it's clear that he chose properly. It isn't the first time he's done such a thing. On one of my favourite Spragga Benz tunes, 'Sleep With Angels' [TEARS!], he does the same thing and 'Brotherly Love' may not have a seat at THAT table, it is a very nice song that grew on me after awhile. Here, the artist openly wonders what has become of a certain way people used to treat one another and it comes through on a tune that has this GIANT sound that doesn't sacrifice melody or any general appeal (it's pleasant to listen to) that it has at all. Sizable of a different kind (only quality) (the most important kind), is later tune 'Them A Chat'. Hundreds of years ago, Spragga once had a song of the same title [basically] ("them" = "dem") on the Amharic Riddim, which was ridiculous in every single way and I mean that in a great way. This one isn't quite up to those lofty levels but it isn't lagging too far behind either. A swipe at jealousy and envy, 'Them A Chat' is on point, entirely focused ["All weh dem do is watch another doing what dem caan do. Chat people business from dem limited angle"] and it is ACTUAL DANCEHALL music. It's a Spragga Benz specialty and it's mere PRESENCE on this album makes "Endeavors" better, in general and far more fun as well. 

I don't love 'Best Friend' but, who cares what I think because the tune was actually chosen as the album's most recent single as far as I can tell. It's kind of an R&B song without the singing (in terms of its sound and subject) and though I don't dislike or think it bad (it is farrrrr better than 'She No Happy' and 'No Ordinary Girl'), it's just kind of average and I think that even if it was your goal to capture the attentions/affections of a non traditional Reggae audience, there was at least one better choice to be made (called 'You And I'). Finally (one of the easiest to write reviews I've had all year. I had started it a few weeks ago and put it down but just picked it back up YESTERDAY and here we are) is the title track (when's the last time that happened??) which might be another choice as a future single if you're looking at reaching a broader audience. 'Endeavors' didn't work for me initially so I poured some time into it (probably have listened to it more than any other selection here) and I never arrived at a place where I can say that I actually LIKE it totally -- the sound is kind of strange and it just doesn't work for me -- but LYRICALLY, it has its moments.

"Let's talk about manners

Some seh 'wah dat?' all dem know a just dollars

Love take hits and ah boast just for others

TAKE TIME, SCROLL FIND SOMEBODY FI FOLLOW"

I can appreciate something like that ^ anywhere I find it and even if I'm not crazy about the package that it's been wrapped up in (and I'm not), it is noteworthy as, again, Spragga Benz takes a look at those who have their priorities kinda fucked up.

Overall, I don't want to overrate this album and you can skip ahead to see the number grade I gave it to confirm that I am not but "Endeavors" is just an interesting and COLOURFUL release. If you do not love it, that's fine (neither do I) but I think most fans of Reggae will find something here that is enjoyable. For the most part, as I said, it catches its star in a fine form and, furthermore, Spragga has enjoyed a pretty good year in 2025. Earlier he reached with a tune by the name of 'Hallelujah' which did some damage for him and was probably one of his biggest hits in recent years. You would have thought it would have been on this album (would have made perfect sense) but even in its absence, "Endeavors" manages to hold its own. While you won't find Spragga Benz at the height of his esteemed powers here, "Endeavors" does showcase a talent still well intact after allllll these years and one well worthy of your time and respect historically and, clearly, presently. 

Rated: 3.25/5

Red Square Productions + LMR PRO Productions 

2025

Discography: Spragga Benz

Without a hint of a doubt, Spragga Benz is one of the most gifted deejays to ever pick up a microphone and his career, and all of its many twists and turns, has been one of the most successful that the Dancehall has ever seen. Now into his third decade of making hits, Benz has done what very few of his peers have managed to do in showing an intense level of consistency throughout the years and, seemingly, in every phase of his career he has also remained one of the most in-demand stars on the scene as well. His popularity has also extended to more mainstream circles where, although he may not get as much credit for it, Spragga Benz has also established his name in other areas, working with some of the biggest names in the Hip-Hop world, while not at all sacrificing his musical base. Today we take a look at the album catalog of one of the genuine and bonafide stars of the Dancehall. Discography: Spragga Benz  

The music of Spragga Benz

"Jack It Up" [VP Records - 1994]

Mind & soul. Spragga Benz' debut set, "Jack It Up" would come wayyyyyyy back in 1994 (I turned thirteen that year) via VP Records and, in retrospect, was just an extremely FUN set and still very much is, even now, almost two decades later (damn, when did I get so old!). It is, at least by me, regarded as one of the better Dancehall debut albums in the history of the genre and it really hasn't faded much for an album of its age and class - it remains quite popular to this day. Of course that shouldn't be surprising as, constructed on the quality of tracks such as the title tune, 'Could Ah Deal', 'Who Next' [Grrrr!], 'Dem Flop' and several others, the "Jack It Up" album is a classic.  

"Uncommonly Smooth" [Capitol Records - 1995]

Cross-under. Obviously encouraged by the  enormous successes of Shabba Ranks, Super Cat and others at the time, worldwide major, Capitol Records, came calling on Spragga Benz to see if he could duplicate their achievements. Maybe he couldn't, maybe he could, but I'll maintain that, despite producing an album for the label, "Uncommonly Smooth", he never really received a fair opportunity to prove himself in either way. Although it probably isn't as bad as I've always given it 'credit' for being, Spragga's sophomore release wasn't a very good album and is, without question, the single worst album that he has ever done. While it did have its more 'organic' moments, such as 'Body Good' and 'No Matey' (both of which would have fit well onto the "Jack It Up" album), this project was clearly aimed at introducing the deejay to a more mainstream and international audience and it kind of presented him as this kind of 'streamlined' romantic musician. In the process, much of the aggression, the passion and, ultimately, the FUN of "Jack It Up" was also trimmed away. Cocoa Tea, Chevelle Franklyn and others guested.  

"Fully Loaded" [VP Records - 2000]

'Weh Ya Say Star'

Conqueror. Spragga's third album altogether and second for VP Records, "Fully Loaded", in my opinion, remains his opus and if it released a year later, I would have probably slapped a "Modern Classic" review on it. Where its 'natural' predecessor, "Jack It Up", still strikes me as being such a fun listen, "Fully Loaded", as its title would suggest, had such a great deal of material to offer [twenty-one tracks] and was a fantastic display of an entirely undeniable skill and is one of the finest Dancehall albums I have EVER heard. Highlighting were a variety of tracks such as 'Wi Nuh Like', the inventive 'Weh Ya Say Star', 'She Nuh Ready Yet', 'Some Bwoy', the hilarious 'Pum Pum Conqueror', 'Peace', 'Mur-Da-Rah', 'Do It An Done', 'Too Stoosh' which featured Hip-Hopper, Foxy Brown, and, of course, the infamous 'Backshot', alongside Lady Saw. HOWEVER, with this album, Spragga would also manage to surprise and he did so in the form of the spiritually guided 'Call Upon Jah Name' and my absolute favourite track he has EVER done, 'Sleep With Angels'. TEARS! 

"Thug Nature" [Empire Musicwerks - 2002]

Clear? I don't want to, AT ALL, point you in the wrong direction: "Thug Nature" was VERY good! Skimming briefly, I can confidently say that there're only two albums here which I can DEFINITELY say I favour greater than it (both of which I've already told you about). Checking in at twenty very healthy selections, the album, although poorly promoted and never very well known, was a nice addition to Benz' catalog and it carried more than a few big songs. 'Analogy', 'Bait [Mek Dem Talk]', 'Spin Yu Roll', 'Gi Wi Dem' with Red Square and definitely my personal favourite, 'Playa' were starring moments along with several others. HOWEVER! What was so unfortunate about "Thug Nature" was the fact that (at least to my knowledge), there did not exist a version of it which was not frustratingly edited. Take that and combine it with the "Undiluted Dancehall" portion of the cover and you have a perplexing moment on an album which was still very good.  

"Live Good" [Victor Entertainment - 2007]

Rising one. Just a few short years ago, in the mid to late 2000's, it was well the trend for some of the most talented stars of the Dancehall to head to Japan to do albums. While, in the rest of the world, Dancehall albums seemed to be on a great decline (and they still are, in my opinion, with just two or three, at the most, big names doing albums annually), Japan remained not only interested in putting out such projects, but remained capable to do so as well. So, Spragga Benz would join the likes of Voicemail, Chino, Vybz Kartel, Munga Honourable and others and the result of that was "Live Good" - an album which I'm still sure isn't even known amongst some of his more faithful supporters. That is too bad because, while it wasn't the greatest and was rather fitting for its time and just a while before - where the set was, essentially, just an amalgam of previous singles - "Live Good" was… pretty good! Containing well known tracks such as 'To The Right', the dominant title track, 'Gonna Fight' and 'Guns & Girls & Ganja', there was a great deal here worth hearing for what it was. Furthermore, the album would also carry a pair of big combinations in 'One Two Order' and 'Bedroom Slaughteration', which would feature Frisco Kid and, most interestingly, the aforementioned Vybz Kartel, respectively. 

"Prototype" [Drop Di Bass Records - 2008]

Triple up. The "Prototype" album forever be remembered (at least by me) as being part of trio of releases which the label, Drop Di Bass Records, used to make their formal introduction to the world back in 2008. Released at virtually the same were "Madd Bwoy Anju" by… Madd Anju and Sizzla's "Addicted". One label, at the same, does an album from Sizzla Kalonji, Spragga Benz and FINALLY Madd Anju's debut. DAMN! That is one of the most memorable ways of making an 'entrance' that I can recall (although perhaps it is somewhat interesting that, at least to my knowledge, while they have made tracks from then, they've yet to produce another album in the subsequent half decade) (and if I recall correctly they were going to do something with Calibe, who also appears here). For his part, Spragga delivered what was, easily, the second best out of three. "Prototype", like its two siblings, was inherently somewhat odd. It contained THREE tracks which were combinations between legends, Spragga and Kalonji, none of them had any lasting value and while it did have its moments, "Prototype" was far from Spragga's best. Far, far from it.  

"Shotta Culture" [BoomTunes - 2010]

'Shotta Culture'

The piano. I think that it says a great deal about someone when they can release what is, unarguably, their most high profile set to date, more than fifteen years following their debut and do so with an album which has still never (and will never) reached CD form. That is precisely what Spragga Benz did a few years ago when he reached with the much, much anticipated "Shotta Culture". Produced by the famed Salaam Remi, the album was reportedly years in the making and there was a documentary and multiple videos and singles and really just an intense level of promotion for the project. As for the actual music, that was something else. I don't like this album as much as I once did and I also don't dislike it as much as I once did. In fact, the reason Spragga's name jumped up for a feature was because I recently went back and had another listen and was impressed again. "Shotta Culture" was solid. It was kind of DARK, with several tunes coming with a similar kind of heavy pace (including my personal favourite, the MAMMOTH 'Duppy Nuh Frighten Vampire' and two of the piece's most recognizable moments in the title track and 'Protect Your Culture'), but it had a few BRIGHT moments as well. It also had a healthy guest list, with everyone from Marcia Griffiths, to Stephen Marley, to Shabba Ranking, to Sizzla Kalonji, to rapper Nas and someone everywhere in between joining up with Spragga Benz for his most recent release to date, the very popular "Shotta Culture". 

Words of The Week: 'Protect Your Culture' by Spragga Benz

Protect Your Culture by Spragga Benz

Many years since wi ah lose it
And di rest of the world ah use it
Yea, mi ah talk bout wi culture an wi music
Na na na na
Watch yah now

Wi haffi protect wi culture
From the heathen, hypocrite and the vulture
If we watch, they’ll mash it up like a sculpture
Next dem ahgo walk wid insult ya
So bredda bredda wi haffi maintain di order
And haffi defend di boundary and di border
Mi nah talk bout di gully and di gaza
Mi ah talk from stress weh mek wi life harder
So ghetto people haffi preserve di youth dem
Cah babylon no have no reserve fi shoot dem
So educate di younger ones wit di truth dem
Tell dem no fraid di bully weh have di guns, vest and boot
And wi haffi mek a stand ‘gainst corruption
Di system will suck you in lak a suction
Becah dem inna population reduction
Rastafari promote life production

Wi haffi mek a stand
Wi all share di pressure, wi all bear di pain
But it can’t be better less we mek di change
Fall in everybody and join dis love train
An stop watch yah future juss ah go dung di drain
Cuz how can it be different when wi all doing di same?
Don’t follow nobody just use your own brain
If we all pull together, there’s much more to gain
Stop watch your future be a runaway train
Wi haffi stop all di fighting
Unite and show di youth dem di right thing
If everyday wi ah war like a viking
A destruction, chaos wi inviting
Wi haffi give wi one another upliftment
No drain yuh brother energy, you must give strength
Full courage him and mek him travel nuff distance
Nah beg yuh nothing, juss a offer mi assistance
How it so hard fi unu endorse di oneness?
And dung a yard, some only want dog fi brandish
Why it happen so? Mi caan overstand dis
A weh di lovin deh, weh Jah bless every man wid?
What mek wi caan hold it and set di standard?
What mek wi caan tek di lead lak di vanguard?
We live inna one world, wid one God, one landlord
Some man a gwan lak seh him tun girl dem a reverse,
Mi haffi move one world cah

Wi share di pressure, wi all bear di pain
But it can’t be better less we mek di change
Fall in everybody and join dis love train
An stop watch yah future juss ah wash dung di drain
Cuz how can it be different when wi all doing di same?
Don’t follow nobody just use your own brain
If we all pull together, there’s much more to gain
And stop watch your future like a runaway train

Wi haffi protect di culture
From the heathen, hypocrite and the vulture
If you watch, they’ll mash it up like a sculpture
Next dem ahgo walk wid insult yah
So bredda bredda wi haffi maintain di order
And haffi defend di boundary and di border
Mi nah talk bout no gully and dno gaza
Wi ah talk from stress dat mek wi life harder
So ghetto people wi haffi preserve di youth dem
Cah babylon no have no reserve fi shoot dem
Educate di younger ones wit di truth dem
Tell dem no fraid di bully weh have di guns, vest and boot
And wi haffi mek a stand ‘gainst corruption
Di system will suck you in lak a suction
Becah dem inna population reduction
Rastafari ah promote life production

Wi haffi take a stand
Wi all share di pressure, wi all bear di pain
But it can’t be better less we mek di change
Fall in everybody, join dis love train
An stop watch yah future juss ah go dung di drain
Cuz how can it be different when wi being di same?
An if you mek di wrong move you might lose yuh brain
If we all pull together, there’s much more to gain
Stop watch your future be a runaway train
Wi haffi stop all di fighting
Wi haffi show di likkle youth dem di right thing
If everyday wi ah war like a viking
Destruction and chaos wi inviting
Wi haffi give wi di younger ones upliftment
No drain yuh brother energy, you must give strength
Full courage him and mek him travel nuff distance
Nah look fi nothing, juss a offer you assistance
How it so hard fi unu endorse di oneness?
And nuff a yard, some only want dog fi brandish
Why it happen so? Mi caan overstand dis
A weh di lovin deh, weh Jah bless every man wid?
What mek wi caan hold it and set di standard?
What mek wi caan tek di lead lak di vanguard . . .

Taken from the album "Shotta Culture"
Shotta Culture

'The Arsenal': A Review of "Shotta Culture" by Spragga Benz

So, when there is an artist who has given the best years of their life to thrilling the fans and providing huge vibes for an entire generation, how can we possibly repay them? Of course the question is somewhat ridiculous because we’ve already paid their wages by going to their concerts, buying their albums and . . . Promoting them by writing painfully long reviews about them on our blogs (or maybe that’s just me). But money is only a portion of that and too many times what we see in music and especially in Reggae, where ‘getting old’ often means ‘getting out’ in terms of no longer being able to find an audience where you once did as an artist and having to take the leap to Europe or other places like such, is a quiet type of ’shunning’ of artists and that’s just very unfortunate. What we can do and what we’ve seen done in the very recent history is one of the most simple and easy things that an artist simply needs in order to be successful - We can pay them attention. ‘Exhibit A’ would clearly be the recent album from Dancehall Queen, Lady Saw, the much talked about and hyped, ”My Way”. After having just listened to this album and researched it, I can honestly say that there is almost NO angle on it that has been left uncovered for me. The coverage of it has been outstanding and it has been so in a very short order as the time between the news of its arrival and its actual materialization wasn’t very long at all and STILL it remains one of the most talked about albums around and this is so, despite the fact that the ‘urban’ market for forty something year old Reggae artists hasn’t historically been large at all and it’s been even snugger for equally youth-challenged Dancehall lights. Well, times must be changing. If Ms. Marion Hall didn’t show that, then Mr. Carlton Grant, bka Spragga Benz, is surely providing the evidence because the case could very well be made that, in all of Reggae, there hasn’t been a single more discussed album than the forthcoming downright phantom-like ”Shotta Culture”. It was said to have been a decade in the making, there is reportedly a forthcoming documentary (which I cannot WAIT to sink my teeth into), it’s produced by the big time Salaam Remi and over the past year or so, despite the fact that we’ve seen releases from the likes of Buju Banton (who’s about to give us another one), Sean Paul, the aforementioned Lady Saw, Vybz Kartel (twice), the first legitimate Capleton album in six years, Romain Virgo’s debut and a big mainstream piece from Jr. Gong alongside Hip-Hop star Nas (more on him later), I can honestly say that I haven’t heard more discussion in anticipation of ANY of them from hardcore Reggae and Dancehall heads than for ”Shotta Culture”. So if attention truly is that powerful then the Reggae community has certainly thanked one of our greatest champions for his massive contributions.

So why Spragga? In terms of the wider audiences, definitely Spragga Benz’ thespian pursuits in the film, ”Shottas”, a few years back will probably give him some of that attention on whatever it is that he does. Also, Spragga has never been a shy one, so a whole heap of time spent in the tabloids, attached at the hip (and the waist) with star rapper, Foxy Brown and scoring the big tune ’Oh Yeah’ with her, has clearly helped with his profile there as well. With the hardcore fans, however, Spragga is most interesting because even now his profile remains lower than some of his peers such as Beenie, Bounty and Buju (and maybe even Lady Saw to some extent), but I believe that, slowly but surely, fans have come around to comprehending just how ULTRA-TALENTED Spragga Benz really is. His own fans are incredibly passionate as well and these days running into an individual who will swear that the Benz is THE most talented artist the Dancehall has ever seen is just no surprise at all. Spragga’s fame and popularity in recent years, for me personally, is just so WONDERFUL because here’s an individual whose certainly had his heavy ups and even heavier downs, in and out of the studio, but he’s never really strayed too far from the course and he’s constantly represented Dancehall music and Dancehall culture and done so as the consummate professional. With all of that going for him (and the YEAR or so the album was delayed), it seems as if RIGHT NOW is the perfect time for Spragga Benz to jump up with what has to be his highest profile studio album to date, without any qualification whatsoever. As I alluded to, ”Shotta Culture” comes via the BoomTunes label from the internationally known producer Salaam Remi (who has worked with a whole heap of Caribbean artists in the past, most notably Rupee and Beenie Man), to whom credit definitely goes for promoting this album so immensely. And Remi also, presumably, brought in the big names that join Spragga throughout the album, who I’ll tell you about in just a bit. For his part, it is also CERTAINLY to the benefit if this project that, either just by happenstance or by some master designed stroke of genius - Spragga Di Benz has been on an absolute musical ROLL over the past eighteen months or so scoring hits with some tunes which may not have done the damage that they ended up doing in previous years as, up until late 2008 or so (pretty much after his last album, ”Prototype“ dropped which, in retrospect, was pretty bad), he hadn’t been doing that type of work and it just seemed all of a sudden that big tunes began to come in. Even more remarkable is the fact that when you REALLY look at it, there’re some very big tunes on the album, but one could’ve compiled a potential master class piece of work with tunes like ‘Hurt Mi’ (alongside I-Octane), of course ‘Tiny Tot’, ‘Style’ and ‘Badman Class’ highlighting the piece. So, anyway you choose to take it, the man has been refocused and has taken his skills back to where he is at his best. All of that certainly bodes well for the actual quality of this album - So the only question that remains is - Has Spragga Benz managed to live up to the lofty expectations and all that was hoped for with this album? Of course he has.

As far as the actual music on the album, what struck me the most is just how varied the selections are. There’re tunes and vibes going on just about everything you might imagine and while it definitely seems to have an underlying sentiment to it (it isn’t a ‘modern classic’, but the thought of writing about it as such is very appealing) which is very interesting considering the various directions. That “underlying sentiment” is the star of the show on the opener of Spragga Benz’ heavily anticipated brand new album, ”Shotta Culture” - The title track. I’ve had quite the experience with how I feel about this tune and the song’s very existence is one which is quite interesting because it seemed that almost EVERYONE was so receptive to it AS SOON as it released (and in cases like that, I tend to think that people are more enamoured with the idea of a song, or the idea of liking it, than the actual song). As for right now, however, I have absolutely no problem with hard hitting piece, it’s very solid, but it pleases me to say that there’re probably five tunes here which I like more. One of such songs might just be the next solo effort on the album, ‘More Pum Pum’. And I might be the only one saying that, but this tune is about as complex ‘pum pum tune’ (My! Isn’t that a wonderful phrase to say!) that you’ll ever hear and should you make it to the end of the tune without singing aggressively along with the tune’s chorus, then you . . . Might want to find something else to listen to. Also, I should say that with the long time span this album spent in the making, I’m almost sure that this one is a bit older, but I don’t give a damn. Big tune. And the next time we hear Spragga Benz, and only Spragga Benz, is on the dietary concerned, ‘Mutten’ (and should you take into consideration the previous tune I just mentioned - No they aren’t related). This one is fairly pedestrian, but still damn impressive and it shows a side of Spragga that is certain to be appreciated by the hardcore fans (myself definitely included), because that riddim is HEAVY and somewhere in the middle of the tune he just begins to LOCK IT OFF.

“Di Rastaman nah mix up inna folly
And Rastaman, travel over hills and over valley
And Rastaman, burn high-grade - Whether kush or whether collie
It lift the meditation mentally
And Rastaman, farm up the land and grow the veggie
And Rastaman, done conquer babylon already
So dem uniform and weapon it couldn’t get Rasta edgy
Rasta hold him own
Rasta hold a firm, steady medi”

The story on Spragga Benz’ ”Shotta Culture” from just looking at the tracklist on paper is EASILY going to be just who and how many ‘whos’ he links with. Superstars and legends from the Hip-Hop/R&B world and of course Reggae and Dancehall show up and do so on six of the album’s seventeen tracks (which is considerably less than I actually thought after first glance). Starting at the least known to me - I had absolutely no idea who the Playaz Circle was, but apparently Tity Boy is a member and he joins in the fun on the swaying ‘Get That Dough’. I wasn’t very impressed with his portion (I’m not a very big fan of Hip-Hop), but the tune itself is very good. The riddim has the very nice old school affect to it and while it turns out to be most predictable, the simple sonic appeal of it is one of the brightest on the entire album. Jazmine Sullivan (who has a lovely voice) is a name that I’ve heard before, but haven’t paid a great deal of attention to and she joins Spragga Benz and Stephen Marley (he’ll be back later) on the emotional ’Stays The Same’. This tune gives me my first opportunity to address the fact that almost exactly two years prior to the release date of this album, Spragga’s son, Carlton Grant Jr. was murdered in Jamaica by police officers and clearly this is one of the tunes on the album his Father made for him and at times it borders on the brilliance you’d imagine it to be. Next in would be the very well known and Reggae familiar Nas who joins on the HEAVY and Jazzy ‘This Is The Way’. Again, while this song was fairly predictable, the sonic appeal here is very high and on top of that, linking together two artists of this level is very impressive and in this case what you hear as the tune progresses is a VERY high level of skill and it really got to the point where I wouldn’t have, at all, minded if Nas had a bit more input on the tune, but getting Nas to play in the Reggae yard these days isn’t too hard. Big tune. The fun ‘Red Dot Special [Rhatata]’ features gets even more on the Reggae side as it features both Hip-Hop super producer (and Mr. Alicia Keys, I believe), Swizz Beats, with Canadian star Kardinal Offishal (still refusing to go ahead and drop a full Dancehall album apparently, even though he knows he wants to) and the peerless Spragga Benz. Despite the violent nature of the tune, it’s a sound boy type of a tune and the mixture of the Hip-Hop, in this case, only adds to its quality to my ears and I have to say that a fire breathing Kardinal definitely steals the show to my opinion. Queen Marcia Griffiths joins on one of the biggest moments on the whole of ”Shotta Culture”, ‘No Way, No How’. In an interview I read with Spragga, he remarked that it was his biggest honour that Griffiths had decided to do the tune with him and I’m certain he was more than pleased with the results because the two make an EXCELLENT pair, the best on the album altogether, in fact. And finally (because after it, I still have another eight tunes to deal with I believe) is the big ‘More Life’ which features Marley again, and SIZZLA KALONJI, JAH CURE and QUEEN IFRICA! The tune is fantastic, which should really go without saying (even though I just said it) and probably the most impressive bit about it is the fact that it all works together so nicely and not even the ridiculous voiced Jah Cure sounds out of place. Of course, I’m going to say Sizzla tops the tune (because he does), but Ifrica isn’t very far behind at all. All in all, definitely I wish that Spragga could’ve reunited Red Square (or at least Sasco) for the album, but the combinations here are, for the most part, very well done pieces.

Now, with alllllllll of that being said, with all of those tunes (with the exception of ‘Red Dot Special’) being nestled in on the first half of the album, it is all alone and largely on the second half of ”Shotta Culture” where Spragga Benz hit’s the hardest. Interestingly, the KO punch comes on the middle track, a tune which is at least twenty seconds shorter than any other on the album (and more than three full minutes shorter than ‘More Life’), the FUCKED UP ‘Duppy Nuh Frighten Vampire’. Riding what appears to be a clipped version of the immortal Sleng Teng Riddim, this tune is downright dominant. It’s screw faced, angry as hell, rusty nail type of busted nose Dancehall and I LOVE IT! Destined to almost certainly fall beneath the radar with all the other big tunes here, for me ‘Duppy No Frighten Vampire’ is vintage Spragga Benz and aside from being the best tune on this album, which it is, it’s also one of his best to date. Period!

The two tunes which immediately follow that piece of gold could arguably be the second and third best tunes on the album, respectively, as well. First is ‘Protect Your Culture’ which goes DEEP in making its point and because the two share a word, you know it’ll be compared with the title track, which it is SIGNIFICANTLY stronger than to my opinion. The tune primarily speaks about teaching the children traditions and teaching them right from wrong to preserve righteousness and to preserve the culture and in delivering that message Spragga goes to the heights lyrically:

“Cah wi haffi mek a stand against corruption
Di system will suck you in like a suction
Becah dem inna population reduction
Rastafari promote life production
Wi haffi mek a stand
Wi all share di pressure, wi all bear di pain
But it can’t be better less we mek di change
Fall in everybody and join dis love train
An stop watch yah future juss ah go dung di drain
Cuz how can it be different when wi all doing di same?
Don’t follow nobody just use your own brain
If we all pull together, there’s much more to gain
Stop watch your future be a runaway train”

The entire tune is similarly wicked and by its end, Spragga has definitely made his point! The other big tune here is ‘Real News’ which is downright devastating at times and it builds so fully off the tune preceding it and the message that things need to change. On top of that, the riddim on this tune sounds like something the legendary Fela Kuti might’ve done and it is KNOCKING! Good luck grabbing hold of the message on this one because it is so captivating and your head will be similarly knocking when it really gets going (just like mine is right now). The tune also features this high-tech delivery where Spragga makes the punchline of every ‘sub verse’ in a way where he just . . . Kind of starts talking at the end of it and it is something to hear if you REALLY pay attention to deejaying as a skill.

The Harlem Globetrotters inspired ‘Who In The Middle’ was a previous single release (see the videos) and it is ultimately harmless, SAVE FOR the ridiculous spill of lyrics which seems to erupt in the later-middle portion of the tune. Again, from simply an auditory perspective, it’s dazzling to hear and while the tune isn’t the a favourite of mine, if for no other reason than that, you’re going to have a hard time banishing it from my players altogether. And speaking of “not a favourite of mine”, by far the worst tune on ”Shotta Culture” is the clear freestyle tune, ‘Yeah You Know’. I’d have a hard time believing Spragga (or anyone for that matter) actually wrote a single word on this tune and I’d also think that he’d be hard-pressed to duplicate any of it from off the top of his head as well. Also, with a riddim that’s barely even there, the tune is the very definition of FILLER on this album. Thankfully Spragga rights the ship down the stretch of the album, with the final three tunes. ‘Branding’ is an FANTASTIC old school type of Dancehall vibe (mind you, by “old school”, I mean circa . . . 2002 or so), which is the type of song basically saying, ‘girl you know you hot’, which used to be so prominent. Spragga also shows love to a few different Caribbean brands and even though it’s not my area of expertise (because I pretty much dress like a beach bum everyday), the deejaying is very skillful and it provides us with the hard to forget stretch of, “dem seh dem ah wear di shit, but dem ah wear doodoo”. ‘Dread Don’t Go Down’ rides the very familiar Salaam Remi produced riddim, which backed Gramps Morgan’s ode to fallen South Afrikan Reggae star Lucky Dube, 'Always & Forever', from last year and while I still favour that tune to this one, ‘Dread Don’t Go Down’ is an excellent inspirational shot and I like the fact that it kind of has a playful demeanour surrounding it as well as a discernible edge at the same time, which is another piece of evidence for masterful deejaying (as if we needed more proof). And finally, ending ”Shotta Culture” is another big tune Spragga’s son, ‘Livication’. The prevailing sentiment on the tune and for an entire album with the name that this one does have is “LEAVE ALL VENGEANCE” and certainly that has some personal ramifications for Spragga on this most personal of tunes as well for the world in general.

Overall, I’ll spare you the comparisons of this album with the only other album that comes so close to it in terms of quality, ”Fully Loaded”, but what I will say is that it is SO nice that here we have an album which has ‘surprisingly’ gotten as much hype as this one has received and had so many people speaking about it, rather easily live up to the expectations. As I mentioned, the variety of vibes on the album goes so far across the board and covers so many different subjects (and probably because of how long it took to produce) and styles in terms of going backwards and more up to date, which is so UTTERLY interesting. Because of that, and the fact that the album is just wicked, I’m going to have a hard time hearing the argument of someone who is truly disappointed with ”Shotta Culture”. On top of that, while I’m going to eschew using words like ‘landmark’ in this case (that certainly remains to be seen what type of lasting effect the album has), you’re also going to have to really try hard to make the case that this isn’t one of the greatest albums of 2010 thus far as well. Spragga Benz is an absolute gem of an artist and while I don’t think the Reggae and Dancehall community CONSISTENTLY gives him the respect he’s earned, in this case, we’ve done exactly that. This album has been given so much attention and love and after listening to it, clearly Spragga has taken his time to ensure that the attention was unwarranted . . . Oh and yes, that cover is atrocious, simply atrocious.

Rated: 4.85/5
BoomTunes
2010
Digital
{You are most certainly going to ask me if this is going to be available on CD, I've already sent the question and when they reply to me, I'll let you know}




Shotta Culture

Check It Vol. 16.5: Spragga Benz - "Shotta Culture"

Tracklist

#1 'Shotta Culture'
#2 'No Way, No How' featuring Marcia Griffiths
#3 'This Is The Way' featuring Nas
#4 'More Pum Pum'
#5 'Get That Dough featuring' Tity Boi of Playaz Circle
#6 'Mutten'
#7 'Stays The Same' featuring Jazmine Sullivan & Stephen Marley
#8 'More Life' featuring Stephen Marley, Sizzla, Queen Ifrica & Jah Cure
#9 'Duppy Nuh Frighten Vampire'
#10 'Protect Your Culture'
#11 'Real New'
#12 'Red Dot Special' featuring Kardinal Offishal, Swizz Beats & Shabba Ranking
#13 'Yea Ya Know'
#14 'Who Inna The Middle'
#15 'Branding'
#16 'Dread Don't Go Down'
#17 'Livication'

Well shit! After postponement after postponement and delay after delay, look at what so quietly jumps up today, it's "Shotta Culture" from Dancehall ace, Spragga Di Benz! Biggup Bredz who called me and told me he was sending something in my direction because I didn't know that it even existed. But apparently the album has been released via iTunes exclusive, for who knows how long. And we checked Dutchie iTunes - it's there, UK iTunes - it's there and on the US iTunes, it's even on the front page, so there you go! Grab it up, like and enjoy. Of course the review will be up next week.