YOU. I've either been really fortunate or maybe I'm just old as hell, but one of the things that I find myself most enjoying in writing these things for as long as I have is that I have gotten to not only witness as a fan, but document in several cases just how someone's career has progressed over the years. To see how I've personally gone from seeing a new artist as a prospect, then to a contender and to a full-on champion is incredibly fascinating and it's been the case for a number of incredibly interesting individuals, both directly and indirectly. I'm thinking of someone such as the amaz ..read more

A truly ridiculous collection of talent is to be found on 'Love & Inity', the GIANT new tune bringing together the finest Reggae talent from out of Belize (unless I'm REALLY overlooking someone), Ras Indio, and VI supernova, Pressure Busspipe. "While enough a dem caught up inna dem vanity Mi look around, boy, a just insanity There's no love at all amongst humanity Dem no listening to di words of His Majesty Hey mystery babylon, don't you intervene Mi si you ah try fi slow down di youths dem with yah terror scene But a fyah bun when mi dash di gasoline And then drive pass di whole a dem in ..read more

Okay so, in case you did not pay any attention (and you probably did not) to the Carnival season in Grenada this year, I just wanted to let you know that you screwed up. You made a mistake, but I still love you and I have your back. Spice Mas this year produced some TRULY big tunes and, because your missed out, I thought that we'd catch you up on some of the biggest of them all from some of the island's (and Soca's, in general) most talented stars. Here is a very brief look back at one of the best seasons of music that Grenada has had, in my opinion, in quite a few years: Spice Mas 2024. 'S ..read more

Solidified. Perhaps the methods that we use to measure things like success and accomplishments need to be more individualized for different cases. In music we may look at things such as a general popularity which is reflected via several ways: How many times your music is played -- how many hits you've had -- once upon a time it would have been album sales and maybe even the number of people who attend your live performances and, fittingly, those are all fair points. People do make music as a career and if you're hitting all of those marks, chances are pretty good that you're making a good li ..read more

Over again. It tends to be easier to remember certain things when there is a significant moment or occurrence tied to them. If I were to ask you what you remember about some random year that you lived through, perhaps you'd have something specific to say or perhaps not, but if I then reminded you that it was the same year that someone you knew died or that someone else was born, then maybe it might bring back waves and waves of specific instances that you could suddenly recall... because you now you have something in particular to give you a timeframe to attach them to. For example, do you re ..read more

Snap back. As much as I have belaboured and will, very committedly, continue to belabour the fact that one channel of this amazing music has undergone such a significant shift that it is no longer recognizable as what it is still, ridiculously, being referred to as; another area, delightfully, has remained largely and wonderfully unchanged, by comparison. Dancehall may not be Dancehall anymore but for anyone who is even remotely in looking for it, Roots Reggae music is alive and well and, again, should not sound particularly dissimilar in 2024 from what you've known it for being over the ..read more

"See It Deh" by Ras Shiloh [Reggae Vibes Productions] 1. 'Endless Joy' 2. 'Righteousness' 3. 'Hail The King' 4. 'Happiness' 5. 'Here I Come' 6. 'Long Live The King' 7. 'Never Be Enough' 8. 'On My Ship' 9. 'People Be Free' 10. 'See It Deh' 11. 'System' 12. 'Tears From My Eyes' Were the prospects of a new album from Norris Man not enough for you for this week (GREEDY!), then the sweet and divine Reggae powers have something else that you just may be interested in as yet another well GRIZZLED veteran is set to release a new album of his own (and his first featuring original material ..read more

Okay so, I've had this idea for awhile but I've always found myself too stuck on a review or between ideas to actually get to working on it, but now is the time. "Signatures" is very simple: It's an album-style (meaning somewhere in the range of 12-16 tracks) list of my absolute favourite songs from a particular artist. The idea originally came from noticing that, despite the fact that he has... I don't even feel like counting now... DOZENS of albums to his credit, no one has ever put together a 'greatest hits' type of compilation for the great Vaughn Benjamin that I know of and it's und ..read more

'Addicted' by Khalia [Ineffable Records] Ladies first this week as, headlining a number of big names is the deliciously (and I do mean DELICIOUSLY!) difficult to avoid Khalia who is back, already, with another lovely single, this time for Albion Muzic, 'Addicted'. If you've been following the work of Khalia lately, then you'll know largely what to expect from 'Addicted' as it is just another syrupy sweet piece of modern Lover's Rock which finds the vocalist tackling a classic riddim which sounds like a cut of the Queen of The Minstrel Riddim to a near perfection. Khalia is quickly cornering ..read more

'Never See Us Fall' by Marlon Asher & Sizzla Kalonji [VAS Productions] First up this month is a tune which brings together two [THREE] very big names as Marlon Asher links up with the great Sizzla Kalonji.... on a Don Corleon produced track [!] for a big new tune, 'Never See Us Fall'. At the risk of becoming a 'prisoner of the moment' (what I care), I'm going to go ahead and say that 'Never See Us Fall' is the single best tune I've heard from either artist in a minute. On paper, such a combination is truly ridiculous and when you put a wizard at the helm what you expect becomes giant ..read more