Review: Mr. Vegas - Sweet Jamaica (2012)

Artist: Mr. Vegas
Album: Sweet Jamaica (Double Disc)
Genre: Reggae/Dancehall
Label: VP Records
Release Date: May 26th
RIYL: Beenie Man, Lady Saw, Elephant Man, The Harder They Come Soundtrack
Rating:
Overall: *****
Dancehall Disc: *****
Reggae Disc:  ****
      
Mr. Vegas' "Sweet Jamaica" is a tribute to Jamaica's 50th anniversary of independence.  It is a double disc-- split between a CD of dancehall and another of reggae.  This arrangement is rather strong.  Each disc stands fairly well on its own and neither seems to need more variety outside of the genre they are focused on (usually its a really good thing when an album has a mixture of dancehall and reggae to break things up, but here that's not the case).

The dancehall disc is a bonafide masterpiece. If it was released on its own would easily be one of the best of its kind this year.  The album features a variety of styles from different periods of the genre's history, but the most satisfying thing about these recordings is that they are almost 100% pure dancehall, which is great to hear as a change from the hip-hop influence on dancehall over the last ten years.  "Let the Music Play" recalls late 80s ragga and King Jammy style production replete with a marching drum line and bubbling synth.  "Black and Proud", a response to Vybez Kartel's bleaching scandal from a year ago, uses the "Bam Bam, the Sequel" riddim, a fresh mix of the classic "Stalag" riddim.   Tracks that throw back to dancehall in the 90s, when Mr. Vegas started his career, include the lover's tune "Something About You" and the hardcore "Certain Law".  Fresher material includes a lot of Mr. Vegas' hit singles from the last few years.  "Bruk It Dung" is a crucial energy hit that repeatedly builds to a huge climax, only to pause, end in a drum roll, and start all over again.  "Honey Girl", on the "Dancehall Pull Up" riddim, and "Call Me", on the "Aurora Skies" riddim, are two other solid songs that have been previously released. Other material, like the addictive summer-flavored, "God on My Side" and "Dancehall Queen", featuring a synthesized horn line, are huge songs that are original releases for this album.  The weakest song here is the mellow "Talk is Cheap", whose choruses walk the line of cheesiness, but this track manages to remain enjoyable thanks to masterful toasting by Mr. Vegas during each verse.  This CD closes with a live version of "Blessing", a gospel and bluegrass flavored tune that captures all the energy of dancehall with live instrumentation.  This disc is a major feat in dancehall energy--there hasn't been a dancehall release this consistently lively since Elephant Man's release from last year.

The reggae disc, in accordance with the anniversary theme of the overall album, is a tribute to the musical history of Jamaican popular music.  Almost all of the tracks are covers or versions of classic reggae and rocksteady music.  Direct covers include Alton Ellis' version of the Motown song "You've Made Me So Very Happy", Jimmy London's version of the classic "A Little Love That's All I Want From You", Hopeton Lewis' "Take Your Time", and the Maytal's "Sweet and Dandy".  Reactions to these covers may be mixed.  Mr. Vegas, who is not the most gifted singer, is covering songs from the golden era of rocksteady, when many would argue Jamaica had its most talented male vocalists.  However, those listeners who are more forgiving of imperfect singing and can appreciate a unique Jamaican voice (most reggae fans), will appreciate the sincerity of the references.  Mr. Vegas also covers the Beatles, "Ob-la-di Ob-la-da"; appropriate as the song was originally a tribute to reggae's growing popularity in Britain.  Other songs are less direct in their nods to reggae history, many borrow classic riddims or snippets of melodies that experienced listeners will recognize.  The huge title track, "Sweet Jamaica", has Mr. Vegas sharing verses with Shaggy and the legendary Lone Ranger over the classic "Lecturer" riddim.  "Can't Stop (Love You More Everyday)" features Jovi Rockwell singing classic melodies with Mr. Vegas to the "You Don't Care" riddim.  "Roses In My Garden" bubbles to the "Cherry Oh" riddim.  "Gimme a Light" and "Say You Bad" are lyrical transformations of Desmond Dekker's "Israelites" and the Slickers' "Johnny Too Bad".  Unlike Busy Signal's moodier reggae throwback album featuring  dub influences, Mr. Vegas, drawing more cues from rocksteady, serves up a much brighter, celebratory tribute album for the summer.

As most dancehall artists struggle to release one album with enough good material to be enjoyable all the way through, it's a major feat to create this excellent of a double disc.  Highly, highly, recommended.



Disc 1: Dancehall:

1. Beautiful Life ****
2. Champagne Rose ****
3. Certain Law *****
4. Let the Music Play *****
5. Bruk It Dung *****!!!
6. Dancehall Queen *****
7. Party Tun Up ****
8. Whine for Me Baby ft. Patrice *****
9. Call Me *****
10. Something About You ****
11. Talk is Cheap ***
12. Black & Proud *****!
13. Honey Girl *****
14. Get Ready to Whine Up ft. Tifa and Ms. Kitty ****
15. God On My Side *****
16. I Am Blessed ****

Disc 2: Reggae:

1. A Little Love ***
2. You've Made Me So Very Happy ***
3. Alive & Well ft. Luciano ****
4. Things Ruff ****
5. Sweet Jamaica *****!!!
6. Gimme a Light ****
7. Take It Easy ****
8. Roses in My Garden *****
9. Magical ft. Nadine Sutherland ****
10. Whenever You're Lonely *****!
11. Can't Stop (Stop Love You More Everyday) ft. Jovi Rockwell *****!
12. Say You Bad (Johnny You Too Bad) ****
13. Sweet and Dandy ***
14. Ob-la-di Ob-la-da ****
15. Above the Water ***

Review: Romain Virgo - The System (2012)

Artist: Romain Virgo
Album: The System
Genre: Reggae/Dancehall
Label: VP Records
Release Date: May 10th
RIYL: Tarrus Riley, Gyptian

Rating: ****


For Romain Virgo's sophomore effort, the music is stylistically similar to his debut from 2010, but there's a bigger emphasis on conscious social lyrics here than last time.  Another improvement is the lyrics, which are better overall.  The acoustic version of the title track, "The System", made the final cut onto the album versus the initial version; it makes for an excellent opener.  "Food Fi the Plate" transitions into "Dem A Coward", a version on the same riddim.  It's a cool effect you don't hear much on reggae full lengths, and it works well here.  "Not Today" is one of the weakest songs--its production and feel sounds a little too much like cheesy adult contemporary music--but it doesn't offend too much.
The album is well organized thematically with all of the lovers songs grouped in the second half beginning with "I Am Rich in Love", a summer instant classic that shouldn't be missed.  "Fantasize" is another strong number with echoing dub effects.  The one guest spot on the album is filled by Busy Signal on "Broken Heart".  However, his appearance somewhat awkwardly enters the track to toast for a little under a minute and then disappears.  It sounds as if Busy Signal was phoned in; like he was briefly recorded at a different studio and mixed in as an afterthought.  He doesn't add much to it, but the song is good enough without him.
"Press On", the most dancehall flavored of all the songs in terms of production, closes the album as one of its best songs, possibly because it offers a little variety to the more purely reggae songs.  It's a shame it's pushed to the end of the set, and there's not more of this stylistic variety to break things up in the middle.

This album seals Romain Virgo's position as one of the best current neo-roots reggae singers.  With artists like Gyptian and Gappy Ranks autotuning their voices over their roots productions with various success and failure, it's to Virgo's benefit that he lets his excellent voice shine unaltered.  Maybe the best "pure reggae, no dancehall" album this year so far.

1. The System *****
2. Minimum Wage ****
3. Another Day Another Dollar ****
4. Food Fi the Plate ****
5. Dem a Coward ****
6. I Know Better ***
7. Mama's Song *****
8. Not Today **
9. I Am Rich In Love *****!!
10. Ray of Sunshine ****
11. Fantasize *****!
12. Fired Up Inside *****
13. Don't You Remember **
14. Broken Heart ft. Busy Signal ***
15. Press On *****!

Review: Busy Signal - Reggae Music Again

Artist: Busy Signal
Album: Reggae Music Again
Genre: Reggae/Dancehall/Dub
Label: VP Records
Release Date: April 10th
RIYL: Romain Virgo, I-Octane, Gappy Ranks

Rating: ****

Busy Signal's fourth album is a departure from the contemporary dancehall that he is known for.  The album is filled with reggae and dub tracks. Some fans may be disappointed by the lack of any contemporary dancehall, but Busy has continued to release dancehall songs digitally during the creation and after the release of this album.  It's clear this isn't meant as a change in direction for his career, but more of a passion project.  The two singles are massive numbers: "Come Over" (Missing You) is an incredibly crucial lovers tune; the title track, "Reggae Music Again" is a solid dedication to the album's overall theme.  Busy doesn't have the most beautiful singing voice, but he is far form unbearable. "Fireball" features Busy toasting quickly over a bright sax melody by Dean Fraser closed by an extensive instrumental, bass-led dub.  Other tracks, such as "Kingston Town", bubble with a echoing dub texture and a darker tone.  The tracks featuring guests are some of the most exciting: "110", featuring Anthony Red Rose and a growling Joe Lick Shot is a throwback to early 90s dub-heavy roots dancehall with the three artists passing between different styles; "Running from the Law" features Esco Levi and a effectively auto-tuned Romain Virgo. The last third of the album doesn't have the same punch as the rest, and none of the songs here are as excellent as their predecessors.  Production is full and excellent throughout and in some places it gets downright exciting to hear live instrumentation.  Most productions are from Shane C. Dove (Juke Boxx), with a couple tracks from Donovan Germain (Penthouse), Kirk Bennett (Kirkledove Records), and Wayne "Unga" Thompson (Notice).
Overall the album feels current while honoring the past.  Most tracks are memorable, while only a few are less than successful.  It's interesting to consider how a variety album with the best songs from here mixed into Busy's biggest dancehall tracks from the last year (something akin to Konshen's recent release) would sound, but that shouldn't effect the judgement of what is a cohesive and solid album on its own.  Recommended.

1. Busy Thoughts: Positive Music (Interlude)
2. Run Weh *****
3. Modern Slavery ***
4. Reggae Music Again *****
5. Come Over (Missing You) *****!!
6. Royal Night ****
7. Kingston Town ***
8. 110 featuring Anthony Red Rose and Joe Lick Shot *****
9. Fire Ball *****
10. Wicked Man ****
11. Running from the Law ft. Romain Virgo and Esco Levi *****!
12. Busy Thoughts: Music from the Heart (Interlude)
13. Jah Love **
14. Part of Life ***
15. Sweetest Life ***
16. Comfort Zone Acoustic Remix ***
17. Busy Thoughts: My Intention (Interlude) 

Review: Konshens - Mental Maintenance

Artist: Konshens
Album: Mental Maintenance
Genre: Reggae/Dancehall
Label: VP Records
Release Date: February 28th/March 6th
RIYL: Chino, Assassin,

Rating: *****


This is Konshens debut album.  Konshens has been a DJ to watch for approximately three years--since the release of his first big single, "Winner".  This record showcases Konshen's versatility, it features reggae, dancehall productions, and hip-hop flavored club bangers.  The album opens with "World Citizen" a conscious reggae tune with a flowing acoustic guitar melody.  Konshens shows his singing abilities on this and other tracks throughout, although he is probably most effective as a DJ when toasting verses in between is sung choruses.  Immediately after this solid opener, we have "Represent" a massive chune that sets the standard for the next 6 excellent numbers. "Simple Song" is a bubbly synthesizer-fuelled dancehall track which is distinctly contemporary while also having a wonderful 80s feel.  This flows well into "Rasta Imposter", a remix of a hit song from early in Konshens in career.  This, and songs from Konshen's earlier repetoire ("Last Drink", "The Realest") are greatly refreshed by being remixed.  "Rasta Imposter" moves effectively through a dubbed out atmosphere, Konshen's vocals are pushed into the distance as a soundscape of effects and echoes bubbles over them; punctuated by guest appearances from Tarrus Riley, Sizzla, Darrio, and Wrath Riley.  "Do Sumn", the single of the album, is an instantly addictive dancehall track.  "Bounce" leans more into the realm of hip-hop, yet is equally addictive and a great club track.  The album closes with "She's Happy", a sincerely felt song about Konshen's concerns as a parent. Less effective is the romantic number treading into R&B territory, "Wanna Be Done", yet it is far from unbearable. "Mental Maintenance" also features a number of somewhat annoying skits, however, generally the album flows quite well from song to song despite featuring such a variety of moods and styles.  Konshens is definitely one of the most talented DJs of his generation, and it shows on this album.  Stylistically, the album effectively conveys the variety of genres available in Jamaican popular today. An early runner for best reggae album of the year.  Highly, highly, recommended.

1. World Citizen ****
2. Represent *****!
3. Simple Song *****!
4. Rasta Imposter [remix] ft. Tarrus Riley, Sizzla, Darrio, and Wrath Riley *****!
5. Do Sumn *****
6. Bounce *****!
7. Pop in My Headphones ***
8. Last Drink ft. Voicemail *****
9. Homewrecker ****
10. Leave Your Side ***
11. Gal Dem a Talk *****
12. Only Jah ****
13. Wanna Be Done (Mi Love Har) ***
14. No More Tears ****
15. Love This Life *****
16. The Realest [Remix] ft. Bounty Killer ****
17. She's Happy *****

I-Octane - Crying to the Nation

Artist: I-Octane
Album: Crying to the Nation
Genre: Reggae/Dancehall
Label: VP Records
Release Date: Feb 14, 2012
RIYL: Jah Vinci
Rating: ***

Crying to the Nation, is roots dancehall artist I-Octane's debut album, although he has been a star on the dancehall circuit for approximately four years now.  He is likely one of the most promising of a new line of roots dancehall artists, including Jah Vinci, prepared to carry forward the torch of seasoned veterans such as Sizzla and Capleton. I-Octane's album features a variety of styles, largely focused on a general neo-roots feel but also featuring more dancehall oriented tracks produced by Cash Flow Productions ("Nuh Love Inna Dem", "Puff It", "Missing You").  I-Octane is a great singjay who is as comfortable with toasting as he is at providing a solid sung chorus.  The album is extremely nicely organized in terms of grouping songs by specific themes and styles, whether it be lover's tracks, darker dancehall, or roots oriented pleas for peace.  The dancehall on the album is generally mediocre. None of these songs really come off as a hit.  With lover's numbers, however, I-Octane truly shines.  "L.O.V.E. Y.O.U." is an incredibly catchy tune with a addictive synth line.  This is follow by Missing You, a wonderful duet with one of the best current deejays, Agent Sasco (aka Assassin) who is complimented wonderfully by I-Octane's singing.  I-Octane falters lyrically with some of his songs about love and peace; songs such as "All We Need is Love" featuring Tarrus Riley and "Space for All of Us" featuring Alborosie are as nauseatingly cliche as their titles betray (although it's hard to dislike a song accompanied by Riley's excellent voice).  This is balanced by the excellent and heart felt, "Lose a Friend" and the powerful title track.  Although it's a big year for VP records with many albums announced, this is a strong start to their 2012 catalogue and certainly one of the better roots dancehall oriented reggae albums of recent years.

1. Rules of Life ***
2. Help I Please *****
3. Vanity Will Come ***
4. Nuh Love Inna Dem ***
5. Puff It **
6. No More Violence****
7. System a Beat Dem *****!
8. Zion Awaits ***
9. L.O.V.E. Y.O.U. *****!
10.  Missing You [Remix] ft. Agent Sasco (Assassin) ****
11. Once More ***
12. The Master's Plan **
13. Lose a Friend *****
14.  All We Need is Love ft. Tarrus Riley ***
15. Space For All of Us ft. Alborosie **
16. Crying to the Nation *****!

2011 A Year in Review of JA Music

It's that time of year for the end of year post. I haven't been updating this blog as much as I'd like, but I still have managed to update with a review of every new reggae or dancehall album I listen to (all of two of them this year). Unfortunately, the music industry continues to suffer and reggae has been hit particularly hard. The only publisher I know of is VP records and they continue to cut back on new releases. The internet and mp3 downloads are the only real option for keeping up on what's going on in dancehall. Although dancehall has always primarily been a singles genre, it is still sad to see physical albums not being made.

With that said. Chino's Self Titled and Elephant Man's "Dance and Sweep" were both awesome releases we saw this year. The highlights of both albums featured productions by Jamaica's star producer, Stephen "di Genius" McGregor. Chino's album was filled with great lovers tunes and feel good dancehall. The single "Leaving (Seal the Link)" was one of the best songs of the year. Elephant Man reasserted his namesake as Energy God with his best album in years, a perfect dance and party album. The album contained the first album release of the classic, "Nuh Linga" as well as "In Jamaica" and "This is How We Do It" featuring Bounty Killer. An album I was excited about but did not get to hear was British deejay's Gappy Ranks' sophomore effort, "Thanks an Praise". Both singles "Tun Up" and the album's title track were solid. Albums VP put out I didn't hear at all that I could care less about included Richie Spice's "Book of Job", Alborosies "2 Times Revolution", I-Wayne's "Life Teachings", Ziggi Recado's self titled. I would have liked to have heard Etana's "Free Expressions".

Major shifts in dancehall news included Vybz Kartel being charged with murder as he and everything Gaza related continues to fall off harder than a kid on his first bike. Seriously, the best riddim the group put out was Summer Time and I feel like Popcaan sweeped that one from Vybz. Although to Kartel's credit he has tried to release some songs reasserting his lyricism and deejay skill such as "The Lyricist". Unfortunately, that doesn't make up for the mass of ridiculously bad songs with lyrics about his horrible lifestyle and generally being a despicable human being. Hopefully, his mass of insane loyalist fans we start to wane in the coming years. Jah Vinci, who probably was the most talented member of Gaza, left this year and I'm excited to see him be able to participate on the best riddims without the baggage of being in Gaza. He's probably my favorite sing-jay out right now.

Mavado continues to be solid although his output seems to be getting a bit monotonous. I wish he had a few more hardcore tunes instead of pop-oriented songs (his song on the Darkness riddim being a notable exception). Assassin remains my deejay, he can't make a bad tune, and is loyal to true dancehall. "Badda" is probably one of the hardest dancehall songs of all time. Konshens continues to grow as an artist and has also become a favorite. "Buss a Blank" may be the best conscious tune of the year. I look forward to his album dropping in February 2012. Tony Matterhorn was putting out a lot of consistently solid material for the first half of the year, but I personally haven't heard anything from him since (maybe he's on tour). Demarco has really made his name known this year as a feel good ladies man with a score of hits; "I Love My Life" being one of the best singles of the year. Tifa is probably my favorite female deejay this year. Her "Nah Stop Shine" was a massive one. Romain Virgo dropped a few strong singles for 2011, solidifying his position as one of the best in the contemporary lover's arena (especially with Gyptian not having too many good songs). These included "I Am Rich in Love" and "System". Khago has blown up this year. I'm not sure I really get his appeal but, I'm not particularly offended by his existence either. "Tun Up Di Ting" on Overproof Riddim is super catchy. In general, I wish there was a new deejay out who could really do some hardcore toasting. It seems everyone wants to write catchy pop songs. It would be a horrible day when everyone sounded like Popcaan.


My favorite producers this year were Big Ship Productions (Pepper, Bad Acid, Wildlife, Iron Belt) and Good Good Productions (Young Money, Life, XXX). Washroom entertainment also provided two of my favorites (Matrimony and Bubble Gum).

With all that said, here's a bunch of lists:

Best Albums:

• Elephant Man's "Dance and Sweep: Adventures of the Energy God"
• Chino's "Chino" (2011)

Best Riddims:

• Pepper
• Iron Belt
• Wildlife
• Bad Acid
  
• XXX Riddim
• Young Money
• Life Riddim
• Matrimony
• Bubble Gum
• Bus Stop
  
• Deep Cover
• Overproof
• Summertime
• Belated Earth Strong

Best Singles:

• Assassin - Badda (Wildlife)
• Assassin - Gallis Wine (Blaze Fia)
• Assassin - Talk How Mi Feel
  
• Busy Signal - We Nah Dweet (Bad Acid)
• Beenie Man - Cah Puff My Chest (Warmonger)
  
• Chino - Seal the Link (Leaving)
• Demarco - I Love Mi Life
• Di Genius - Bounce a Gyal (Pepper)
• Di Genius - Only God Can Judge Me
  
• Elephant Man - In Jamaica
• Gappy Ranks - Tun Up
  
• Gyptian - Wine Slow (Rio)
• Jah Vinci - Mama Love (Eternal)
• Jah Vinci - No Love (Life Riddim)
• Khago - Tun Up Di Ting (Overproof)
  
• Konshens - Buss a Blank (Fresh Medz)
• Konshens - Represent (Island Vibes)
• Konshens - Forward (Bus Stop)
• Mavado - Tump
• Mavado - Delilah
• Mavado - Settle Down (Overproof)
• Munga - Mi Nuh Know (Young Money)
• Munga - One Call
  
• Popcaan - Right Now I'm Ravin (Summertime)
• Romain Virgo - Rich in Love
• Tifa - Nah Stop Shine (Mento)
• Tony Matterhorn - Dancehall Duppy
  
• Vybz Kartel - The Lyricist
• Wayne Marshall - Real Love (Bubble Gum)
  

Well, that's my take on dancehall in 2011. Might make another year end post for other music, but this is what I mostly listened to.

Music Video: Buju Banton - Make My Day (1993)

Goddang. Buju is looking fresh to death in this video:

Chino - Chino (2011)

Artist: Chino
Album: Chino (2011)
Genre: Reggae/Dancehall
Label: VP Records
Release Date: May 31, 2011
RIYL: Bramma, Gappy Ranks

Rating: *****

This album is a project from two sons of legendary reggae artist, Freddie McGregor. The first being "Chino", the artist and vocalist on all the tracks. The second, from behind the scenes, is Stephen "Di Genius" McGregor, arguably the best producer working in Jamaica right now creating dozens of incredible riddims on his Big Ship label. Together they co-wrote all the material with "Di Genius" handling the production. What results is an excellent dancehall record that moves through a variety of styles. The opening song, "Never Change" is a guitar solo driven reggae number. "I Am" is features a dancehall riddim that sounds like little that's come before it. Drum claps and a driving Tetris-like synth line are accompanied by accordion and samples of French that remind one of a stereotypical view of Parisian street life. "Yeah Yeah", is a solid effort from Chino on his brother's bubbling "Pepper" riddim. "Badness" and "God Nah Sleep" features Chino singjaying Rastafarian and conscious lyrics over one drop rhythms--an effective meeting of roots and dancehall that would make Buju proud. But ultimately, its the lovers songs that dominate on this release. "Mus' Come Back" and "Ruff It Up" find themselves comfortably within the ever popular dancehall/r&b/hip-hop fusion. The stand out single, "Leaving (Seal the Link)", is easily one of the best lovers tracks to come out of dancehall in a while. A digital dancehall rhythm that sounds like something from the early 90s shuffles underneath Chino singing the irresistible hook as an almost-too-perfect horn line accentuates every measure. Just like the rest of the album, despite drawing from many points of reggae and dancehall's songbook, in "Di Genius's" hands the song remains undeniably fresh and new sounding. There's even "Driving Me Insane", a throwback to all those amazing 90s lovers dancehall tracks, like Mad Cobra's "Flex" or Shabba and Maxi Priest's "House Call". A few songs fall flat compared to the rest, particularly "Protected" which is a piano driven number with quick toasting and electric guitars that just doesn't quite come together. But overall it's a fantastic collection of songs and likely one of the best reggae releases of the year. Highly recommended.

1. Never Change (From Mawning) ****
2. Protected ***
3. Pon Your Head ****
4. I Am *****!
5. Yeah Yeah *****
6. Build a Vibes (Free Style Skit) ****
   
7. Badness *****
   
8. God Nah Sleep (Rise and Fall Story) ***
   
9. My Soul ****
   
10. Leaving (Seal the Link) *****!!!!
    
11. Ruff it Up *****
    
12. Mus' Come Back *****
    
13. Driving Me Insane *****
    
14. Before Dem Gone *****
    
15. Work ***
    

Upcoming 2011 Releases

Two albums I'm giddy for include Chino McGregor's third album, a self titled, being released by VP records in late May. This album is going to be co-written and entirely produced by Jamaica's best producer and Chino's brother, Stephen "Di Genius" Mcrgregor. Here's a sneak peak:



Also, my favorite deejay out right now, Assassin, may be releasing an album at some point this year. Since beginning his own production company, Boardhouse Productions, the artist has somehow continued to excel with his abilities. Here's recent track:

Elephant Man - Dance and Sweep (2011)

Artist: Elephant Man
Album: Dance and Sweep: Adventures of the Energy God
Genre: Reggae/Dancehall
Label: VP Records
Release Date: Feb 14, 2011
RIYL: Beenie Man, Bounty Killer

Rating: *****

After 2008's rather disappointing crossover attempt, "Let's Get Physical" (released on Sean Comb's Bad Boy records), Elephant Man returns with a purely Jamaican effort for 2011. The album immediately benefits from being shorter than your average dancehall outing (compared to his 2002 album "Higher Level", which had a total of 23 songs clocking in at 76 minutes). These are almost entirely strong tracks--five of which are produced by Jamaica's current hottest producer, Stephen "Di Genius" Mcgregor, including the utterly addictive "Party Up In Here", and the dance anthem, "Step Ova". Also featured is Elephant Man's absolutely crucial island hit from 2008, "Nuh Linga", another massive dance anthem. "How We Do It" is a party boast featuring dueling vocals with fellow dancehall veteran, Bounty Killer. The album stays true to the current dancehall scene, with the only pure hip-hop elements being provided by the rapper, Kardinal Offishall, on the mediocre track, "Clear". Lyrics tend to stay party oriented which has the benefit of Elephant Man avoiding saying anything offensive (likely a well calculated marketing move by VP) but it is a shame one doesn't get any real content from the artist concerning island issues (which is fairly common among his recent island singles). What's left is an album of pure escapism. 40 minutes solid of excellent dancehall music and one of Elephant Man's best records to date.

1. The Genisis (The Energy God's Introduction) [Intro]
   
2. How We Do It (feat. Bounty Killer) *****!
   
3. Party Up In Here ****
   
4. In Jamaica *****!!
   
5. Nuh Linga *****!!
   
6. Dance and Sweep ****
   
7. Clear (feat. Kardinal Offishall) ***
   
8. Sweep **
   
9. Wine and Dip ***
10. Dip Again *****
11. Swing ****
12. Step Ova *****
13. Shake It ***
    
14. Let Me Be the Man ****
    

Music Video: Super Cat - Dem No Worry We ft. Heavy D (1992)

Championship Riddim Mix

I'm a mixing beast. This is a 11 Minute Championship Riddim mix produced by Stephen "Di Genius" McGregor:
http://soundcloud.com/prince-banton/championship-riddim-mix-1

Favorites of the Year (2010)

Last year, I was somehow able to make a list of my favorite albums of the year from a variety of genres. Granted I had only heard one or two albums from each of those genres. This year I've pretty much buckled down on listening to dancehall and reggae; I barely have any idea what's going on in the rest of the world of music. I also realized that I have not even given a total of ten albums a decent number of listens to be able to see if they really are favorites. I've only really done that for eight. So here's my eight favorite albums of the year in ascending order of greatness:

Favorite Albums:

8) Gappy Ranks - Put the Stereo On
7) Sizzla - Crucial Times (reissue of old never before released material)
6) Coffinworm - When All Became None
5) Bobby McFerrin - Vocabularies
4) Daisycutter - Invertebrate 7"
3) Romain Virgo - Self Titled
2) Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here
1) Gyptian - Hold You

Here's a list of other albums that I've heard this year which I enjoyed but haven't listened to more than 2 or 3 times: Mulatu Astatke's "Steps Ahead", Carolina Chocolate Drops "Genuine Negro Jig", No Bunny's "First Blood"

I also listened to a lot of stuff off of my good friend's Indiana punk label, Midwestern Decline. In particular I've rocked Karloff's and Close Only Count's EPs multiple times, and those releases have taken a good part in my listener ship for this year. Another highlight from their young discography is Cloud Rat's LP. Considering that they've only been around for a short while it's pretty impressive to think all these releases came out in the last year.

Favorite Mixtapes:

Assassin mixed by Shadyville Carribean - Assassin is Agent Sasco Mixtape
Young Jeezy - Trap or Die 2

Favorite Riddims of 2010:
Bad People Riddim
210 Computer
One Day Riddim
Cosa Nostra Riddim
Baheba Riddim


Favorite Live Shows:
Holy crap. I've been to a lot of shows this year. These are only the particularly awesome/good ones.

-Fresh Ben et al. for Cerebral 1.0 at C2G
God dang people going nutty for Ben's set and getting half naked. I danced SO hard. Worst part was people not showing up until late.
-Close Only Counts Release Show at Dash-In (Support the Troopz, Castles)
First time seeing Support the Troopz and the first time seeing Castles in a long time. A good show.
-Emi Knight and Toby/Theo/Ryan
This shit was touching. Perhaps I need more folk/singer songwriterness in my life?
-Coffinworm, Charnel House, and Slam Dunk at the Bishop
Goddang. Coffinworm was awesome.
-Beast in the Field at Berlin
Probably my 5th or 6th time seeing Beast in the Field. They closed with "Discovered: Large Iron Core" and I head banged real hard.

Harrison House Shows:
-Deep Shit and Pizza Hi Five w/ Sick to Deth, Karloff
I remember the singer for Deep Shit wearing a dope Bell Div Devoe shirt at this show.
-Karloff's Second to Last Show [?] (Balaclava, Bob Denver)
I hadn't seen Karloff for while and all of a sudden they had a posse of fans and kids went nutty at this show like I hadn't seen before
-Desperate Measures and Guide
Both of these bands were sweet.
-Greedy Mistress (an Italian hardcore band)
Those dudes were real goofy, I remember the singer drinking maple syrup between songs. Afterwards we were just hanging so late in front of the house with Fresh Ben reading stupid stuff to us from the internet on his new phone. Good time.
-Inter Arma, Bastard Sapling, and Daisycutter
Inter Arma destroys.
-Grind the Night Away
Ok, it hasn't actually happened yet but yuh already know it's gonna be the best



Fests:
-Culture Shock 2010
Not as good as 2009's but still some sweet acts. Really enjoyed Native. Best Coast was a bit disappointing considering how much hype they have now, I thought they were pretty lame.
-Bayfront Reggae Music Festival--Duluth, MN (Headlined by Michael Rose)
First ever time seeing reggae music live. Danced with this real sweet older Jamaican American in a circle of sorts. Mykal Rose performed "Real Jamaican" and I flipped my shit.
-Free Flow Electronic Music Festival 2010 at CS3
A lot lamer than 2009's (thanks to TRF not funding it) but it was still way fun. Was very flattered when I got hit on by a transvestite.
-XRA Fest at Russian Recording/Bishop
Sweet fest made way sweeter by my dude, my guy Grey coming down for it.
-Stay Young Fest at Pint and Slice
Arguably the best $10 ever only diminished by it's low attendance. Frontier(s) was incredible and Into It Over It was the best dude ever. We chanted some rude women out of the show.

Anyway can't say that the year has been too bad to me musically nor otherwise. Have a happy holidays everybody.

1 Hour Sleng Teng Mix

Here's a one hour mix I made for broadcast on WIUX of sleng teng and it's various offspring:

http://soundcloud.com/prince-banton/1-hour-sleng-teng-mix

I've also decided my selector/DJ pseudonym is Prince Banton--adopting Buju's name, so if you see stuff with that from this point on that's why.

Bob Marley: The Transformative Sound of Selling Out

This is a nice article by Dmitri Vietze on the Wailer's work with Chris Blackwell on Catch a Fire:
http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/bob-marley-the-transformative-sound-of-selling-out.html

Gyptian - Hold You (2010)

Artist: Gyptian
Album: Hold You
Genre: Reggae/Lover's Rock/ Dancehall
Release Date: July 20th, 2010
RIYL: Beres Hammond, Everton Blender

Rating: *****

Gyptian's newest effort is a fantastic album that moves effortless about a number of styles. Unlike his prior 2008 release, "I Can Feel Your Pain", all of the production here contains a level of reggae or dancehall influence. The farthest reaching from it's Jamaican roots, is the rolling "Tease Me" which features a synthesized drum line that recalls current hip-hop trends, but regardless of this inclusion, a pounded snare and bass rhythm underlays the entire song in a classic dancehall style. These touches create an extremely contemporary listening experience that still remains distinctly Jamaican. Autotuning is also very tastefully used here, not as a crux (because Gyptian's singing voice is excellent) but as a tool to create interesting effects. This is most apparent on "Call Gyptian" in which an autotuned echoed version of the lyrics follows the original unedited version of the vocals. Autotuning is used as an electronic accent that further deconstructs dancehall music into an digitally textured genre.
The album is also commendable for it's large variety of styles that maintain the listener's interest from start to finish. Some of the songs like "Na Na Na" fall back on a classic reggae rhythm, including soaring guitar solos that don't feel the least bit cheesy. "Tease Me", as mentioned, is in a contemporary dancehall/hip-hop style, while "Leave Us Alone", featuring the Diseases riddim, acts as a throw back to the 90s. The title track "Hold You", featuring a sparse piano rhythm coupled with marching snares, even after becoming an anthem of the summer and hearing it a million times remains excellent if given a fresh listen. Gyptian's emphasis on singing rather than toasting (not that there aren't hints of it here) while including many dancehall rhythms reminds one of Everton Blender's fusion of roots and dancehall of the 90s. Extremely impressive is the dub styled "Where You Belong", featuring an addictive trumpet line and a sharp dub attack that turns instrumental at the end of the 5 minute 30 second song. The album is held together by an overarching lyrical theme of lover's numbers, with few exceptions in the two closing tracks. Much of it's success can be chucked up to the production. This isn't to discredit Gyptian's songwriting or singing which has been great on less enjoyable prior albums, but it is likely at it's best here. Massive album, highly highly recommended.

1. To Be Held [Intro]
2. Beautiful Lady *****
3. Call Gyptian *****
4. All In You ****
   
5. Hold You *****!
6. Nah Let Go *****!
7. Tease Me (Haffi Easy) *****
8. L.U=V0.E [Interlude]
9. Rendezvous *****
   
10. So Much In Love ****
    
11. Na Na Na (A Love Song) *****
    
12. Drive Me Crazy ***
    
13. Where You Belong *****!!
14. Leave Us Alone *****!
15. Selah ****
    

A List of Reggae Labels

Here's a brief list of modern Reggae labels that I've compiled (I'm not including the classic Jamaican labels (such as Studio 1), these are more the heavy hitters with global distribution that you would come across searching for reissues and contemporary CDs). I'm sure the list is insufficient even with that standard, but it is merely a list of ones that occurred to me as important, and I will expand it if necessary. Also the "Major Artist" lists are very incomplete, and there's a lot of crossover (almost all of these artists have had releases on 2-4 of these labels) but it's more to give a little flavor of what kind of material the label represents.

VP Records http://www.vprecords.com/
VP records is the largest distributor of reggae today, and the label for many major dancehall artists particuarly. VP also releases Soca music as well as Jamaican music.
Founded: 1979
Founders: Vincent "Randy" Chin and Patricia Chin
Location: Queens, New York
Major Artists: Mavado, Elephant Man, Busy Signal, Gyptian, Sean Paul, almost all of the major dancehall artists today
Wiki Bio: "The VP Records label was founded in 1979 by the late Vincent "Randy" Chin and his wife Patricia Chin, Chinese Jamaicans who owned the Randy's Records in Kingston, Jamaica (as seen in the 1978 film Rockers) as well as the Studio 17 recording studios. In the mid-1970s, the Chins moved to New York City, setting up a record store in Brooklyn called VP Records in 1975, from which they sold and distributed records. In 1979 they relocated the store to Jamaica, Queens. In 1993, the record label was formed after the success of the retail store. The name of the label is a product of the first letters in the founders' names, hence the title "VP"."

Greensleeves http://greensleevesrecords.blogspot.com/
Greensleeves is now part of VP records, but has a huge back catalogue.
Founded: 1975
Founders: Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick
Location: Isleworth, London
Major Artists: Huge list (Dr. Alimantado, Eek-a-mouse, Sizzla, and Vybz Kartel just to name a few, most recently Gappy Ranks)
Wiki Bio: "The company was founded by Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick and started as a small record store in West Ealing, London, in November 1975 and is based in Britain... Greensleeves Publishing has the largest catalogue of reggae songs in the world, including the copyrights of Shaggy's "Oh, Carolina," Sean Paul's "Get Busy", and "Break it Off" among over 20,000 copyrights.
In February 2008, Greensleeves was acquired by VP Records, the largest reggae label in the world."

Island Records http://www.islanddefjam.com
Island records today specializes mostly in rock and pop records. But it was originally founded in Jamaica and brought Bob Marley (and by extension, reggae) to a global market. The record label "Tuff Gong", founded by Bob Marley, is a subsidiary of Island.
Founded: 1959
Founder: Chris Blackwell
Location: New York City
Major Artists: Bob Marley and the Wailers, Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come" soundtrack
Wiki Bio: "Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group. The label now operates as a division of The Island Def Jam Music Group in the United States (where it is now a largely rock-oriented label) and as a standalone label in the United Kingdom (also known as Island Records Group or Universal Island)"

Trojan http://www.trojan-records.com/
Trojan records is a British record company that originally was a major provider of reggae music to the skinhead and mod subcultures in Britain during the 60s. Today they are well known for their "Trojan Boxsets" that release themed compilations of crucial hard-to-find tracks.
Founded: 1968
Founder: Lee Gopthal
Location: United Kingdom
Major Artists: Desmond Dekker, Ken Boothe, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Horace Andy
Wiki Bio: "Trojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary RecordsTrojan comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck that was used as Duke Reid's sound system in Jamaica. The truck had "Duke Reid - The Trojan King of Sounds" painted on the sides, and the music played by Reid became known as the Trojan Sound.
Trojan Records was founded in 1968 by Lee Gopthal, who had previously run a record store called Musicland, and before that collaborated with Chris Blackwell of Island Records on mail order sales... Trojan's main function was not to develop new artists, but to serve as a sister label for Island Records... The music became especially popular in British youth subcultures, such as the mods, skinheads and suedeheads.
In 1972, Island Records pulled out of its partnership with Trojan Records. Around the same time, there was a declining interest in Jamaican music among British youths, who ventured towards other genres when Rastafarian lyrics and slower tempos entered the music...By the late 1980s, Trojan was unearthing and compiling many ska, rocksteady and reggae recordings and re-issuing them for the first time in 25 years... They also started the popular Trojan Box Set series, which usually feature 50 songs on a 3-CD (or vinyl record) set in a simple cardboard package. In 2001, the Sanctuary Records Group purchased Trojan Records. The deal gave the label leverage to buy music rights controlled by other vintage reggae labels, secure worldwide distribution, and enact slicker marketing campaigns."

Shanachie http://www.shanachie.com/
Shanachie is a label with many releases under it's belt. They have held the rights for many classic releases from the 70s and done reissues on CD. They also release traditional folk and world music, as well as jazz and blues.
Founded: 1975
Founder: Richard Nevins and Dan Collins
Location: ? United States
Major Artists: The Mighty Diamonds, Culture, Max Romeo, Augustus Pablo
Wiki Bio: "Starting as a label that specialized in fiddle music, they began releasing work by CelticPlanxty, Clannad and The Chieftains groups such as ...Shanachie Records is first, foremost, and most famously known as a Reggae label... Shanachie was also the U.S. liaison for the UK-based Reggae label, Greensleeves Records until about 1987. Shanachie also issued material for Augustus Pablo under the Message imprint of his company, Rockers International. The label is named for "shanachie", an Irish 'story teller'."

RAS (Real Authentic Sound) http://www.rasrecords.com/
RAS records has a dedication to positive reggae, and thus releases material by many roots oriented artists. The label is likely inactive as the last release provided on the website was in 2005.
Founded: 1979
Founder: Doctor Dread
Location: ? United States
Major Artists: A huge list again: Charlie Chaplin, Dennis Brown, Israel Vibration, Sizzla, Culture, Black Uhuru to name a few.
Wiki bio:"RAS Records was founded in 1979 by Doctor Dread. In his travels to Jamaica he created a network within the reggae artist community there."

Heartbeat
Heartbeat Records is another solid distributor and has many important reissues as well as originals. It appears their website has disappeared and the fate of the label is questionable.
Founded: 1981
Founder: Duncan Browne and Bill Nowlin
Location: Burlington, Massachusetts
Major Artists: Big Youth, Michael Rose, Everton Blender, Mutabaruka, Burning Spear
Wiki Bio: "Founded by reggae music enthusiasts Bill Nowlin and Duncan Brown, the label's first release was a vinyl LP reissue of Linton Kwesi Johnson's Dread Beat an' Blood (1981). In 1989, Chris Wilson was hired as VP of A&R and the label began their association with Studio One label founder Clement Dodd and released Best of Studio One... Heartbeat has released over 60 Studio One albums"

Music Video: Tony Rebel - Sweet Jamaica (1993)

BOOOOOOOM!

Gappy Ranks - Put the Stereo On (2010)

Artist: Gappy Ranks
Album: Put the Stereo On
Genre: Reggae/Dancehall
Release Date: Aug 24, 2010
Mood: Feel Good, Positive
RIYL: Tenor Saw, Buju Banton, Romain Virgo

Rating: ***

The British deejay, Gappy Ranks' full length debut presents a dilemma. It is an album composed of original toasts by Gappy Ranks over old school pre-ragga riddims (a number of which are Studio One classics). Of course this recycling is an integral part of the reggae culture and it's music industry; the difficulty is not the reuse of old riddims but rather the fact that the music here is nearly indistinguishable in most respects from dancehall created 20+ years ago (Gappy's toasts are generally arranged in a very old school singjay style here to fit the riddims). The problem lies in the fact that the main distinct contemporary element of Gappy's album is his use of autotuning on five of the songs (under half).
Ultimately, I think the throwback element of this album is wonderful, the whole work becomes a very cohesive listen with it's consistent dedication to early riddims. But I wonder about the use of autotuning. Generally, I am less aggravated by the use of autotuning then most purists; I quite enjoy it on a number of other contemporary dancehall albums, such as Busy Signal's Loaded. However, when coupled with old riddim classics it just doesn't seem to go over as well. "Heaven In Your Eyes", despite being an excellently written song, does not sound as good as many of the excellent tracks in which Gappy left his voice unaltered. Yet, I can't seem to fully dismiss the autotuning on this album altogether. The title track, "Put the Stereo On" is one of the best songs here and doesn't seem to suffer from it's use. Overall though, the rest of the songs that do use it (there are three) make up some of the least engaging moments on the album.
Beyond the question of autotune, Gappy Ranks shows that he is an excellent songwriter. His singing is solid enough to be satisfying (without the autotuning) and his toasting is superb. Lyrics are positive throughout, whether serving up culture chunes or lover's numbers. Besides using old riddims, the album contains numerous looks backward at reggae's history. The packaging contains information about Pekings records' history, which is also mentioned in the title track. "Pumpkin Belly" is a cover of a classic cut by Tenor Saw originally over the Sleng Teng riddim. "Rude Boy" is a dedication to Bob Marley consisting of lyrics composed largely of his song titles impressively strung together. "Soul Rebel" is a Marley cover spiced up into a dancehall style that recalls Tony Rebel's version "He's a Rebel" off of "Rebel with a Cause" (1992). Regardless of the slight grating of the autotuning, this album is a solid listen and a refresher in a dancehall market a bit oversaturated with hip-hop and militant trends. Expect good things from Gappy Ranks in the future.

1. Mountain Top ****
2. Heaven in Her Eyes ***
3. Put the Stereo On *****!
4. Pumpkin Belly *****
5. Happiest Day of My Life **
6. Musical Girl *
7. A Little Understanding ****
8. Thy Shall Love ***
9. So Lost **
10. Heavy Load *****!
11. Rude Boy ****
12. Soul Rebel ****
    

Gregory Isaacs passes at 59.

Gregory Isaacs died yesterday from his battle with lung cancer. The king of lover's rock, he was one of my all time favorite reggae singers. A remix of "Night Nurse" was one of the first reggae songs I remember falling in love with; the full length album of the same title was one of the first reggae albums I purchased. It remains a favorite that I listen to regularly. Certainly one of the best performers (among a list of many) to work with the Roots Radics. Rest in peace.