Singles reviews in SOS - April 2006

Assassin - She Want A Life
Buju Banton - Beauty Queen
Studio 2000 7"/Greensleeves LP
Twice My Age riddim
Last year's early 90s revival was kicked off in part thanks to Steely & Clevie's Sleepy Dog riddim, and no one is more qualified to relick old riddims than these two grand old dukes of dancehall. Here they've versioned their own production for Twice My Age, a massive hit for Shabba Ranks and Krystal back in the day, and they look set to spawn a couple of hits again in 2006. Though very much a 21st century artist, Assassin's style is really suited to the old school productions, and his cut on this riddim - a moral tale highlighliting the dangers of teenage pregnancy - doesn't disappoint. Of course, original veteran Buju Banton is more than at home when it comes to voicing on 90s riddims and Beauty Queen continues the renaissance that he's experienced over the past year or so.

Elephant Man - Gangsta Rock
Shaggy - Nicer Than Yard
Voicemail - Get Crazy
Birchill 7"
Gangsta Rock riddim
Elephant Man drops the title cut on producer Christopher Birch's rolling Gangsta Rock riddim, all fat bass and skipping hi-hats. The clown prince of dancehall continues his long and seemingly unending run of writing tunes based around calling out the latest bashment dance moves, while also incorporating a neat anti-violence message and a pinch of humour: "put down your Glock and do Gangsta Rock now...who say gangsta don't dance? You must be silly". Living up to his Energy God moniker, Ele brings mad energy to this tune, making it a surefire hit. Meanwhile, Shaggy is on top form again with his tribute to Jamaican - which is simultaneously also a tribute to Admiral Bailey's 1980s classic Old Time Something, celebrating the very same Caribbean island. Voicemail, dancehall's latest boy band following in the footsteps of the likes of Ward 21, T.O.K. and Innocent Kru, are also featured on Gangsta Rock with their sweet harmonies blessing an uptempo dance tune.

Beenie Man - We Set The Trend
Busy Signal - Think Dem Bad
John John 7"
Nukie riddim
Produced by Lloyd 'John John' James (King Jammy's eldest son), the Nukie riddim is a super minimal slice of brand new bashment, taking its inspiration from the classic early 90s ragga sound. Comprising of just a couple of kick drums and a tinkle-tinkle synth melody, Nukie sounds cheap at first, but it's got an infectious swing that makes it bound to be a dancefloor killer. Beenie Man's We Set The Trend is the smash hit on the riddim, currently riding high in the dancehall charts around the globe. Cheekly for an artist of his stature, Beenie's vocal style and pattern is lifted pretty much wholesale from Cham's Ghetto Story - even the nostalgic, back-in-the-day lyrical content is the same. However, while some will see this as a cynical move to grab a piece of the hype surrounding Cham's tune, Beenie Man's effort is strong still and there's space for both tunes in the dancehall. The other stand-out cut on the riddim is from the fast-rising bashment newcomer Busy Signal. Eschewing a standard verse-chorus structure, Busy flits between styles, including a ridiculously good fast chat segment that cements his reputation as one of the new breed of Jamaican artists to watch. Other big voicings come from Sizzla, Buju Banton, Cecile and 80s veteran Tonto Irie.

Posted by Gabriel Heatwave | Monday 03 April 2006 | Add a comment

News round-up for SOS - April 2006

The biggest news in the reggae world this month has to be the sale of UK-based label Greensleeves Records, one of the pillars of the industry and home to top artists like Sizzla, Vybz Kartel and Anthony B. The label also has an interest in eight songs on Sean Paul's current album The Trinity, thanks to its close links with Jamaica's top producers. Independent music publishing group and record label Zest has bought the label for £3.5m, presumably with a view to further exploiting its massive catalogue of classic reggae and dancehall.

It was announced earlier this month that widely respected rocksteady legend Alton Ellis will be inducted into the International Reggae and World Music Awards Hall of Fame this year. Ellis recorded hits for both of the pre-eminent reggae labels of the 1960s - Treasure Isle and Studio One - and tunes like Dance Crasher and Get Ready Rock Steady have kept his name alive into the twenty first century.

Elsewhere, the legacy of reggae's golden era remains controversial - the bassist from Bob Marley's band The Wailers has taken his claim for a £60m share of the late reggae singer's estate to the High Court in Londn. Aston 'Family Man' Barrett claims he is owed the royalties from a contract signed with Island Records in 1974, plus earnings from songs co-written with Marley. The bassist was a member of the band from 1969 until Marley's death in 1981. Barrett - who has reportedly fathered 52 children - alleges that he was only paid a proportion of the amount owed to him after Marley's death.

In more up-to-the-minute goings on in Jamaica, the artist Spice, who has come to prominence through her work with Dave Kelly (she voiced two wicked cuts on his massive Eighty Five riddim), has denied Bounty Killer's claims that he 'discovered' her. While the warlord has tried to take credit for the career of one of the island's hottest up and coming artists, Spice has been quick to set the record straight: "Bounty Killer neva know mi from nuh weh, him nuh know mi, him jus si a likkle girl come up pon di stage, weh him stay an discova mi?"

Heatwave Chart

1. Cham - Ghetto Story (Mad House - Eighty Five riddim)
2. Ding Dong - Badman Forward, Badman Pull Up (VP Records)
3. Beenie Man - Politrix (Free Willy - Jah Rainbow riddim)
4. Sean Paul - Trinity (Chalwa - Game Time riddim)
5. Gyptian - Mama (No Doubt - Triumphant riddim)
6. Daddy Yankee - Rompe (Universal)
7. Mr Vegas, Alozade, Hollow Point & Richie Spice - Sensi Spice (Nuffwish - Family Affair riddim)
8. The Fugees - Fugee-La Rock (Guantánamo - Real Rock riddim)
9. Sweldaag - Gold Diggar (White label)
10. Busy Signal - Think Dem Bad (John John - Nukie riddim)

Posted by Gabriel Heatwave | Monday 03 April 2006 | Add a comment