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