Reviews

There have perhaps been more talented and more versatile dj's than Bounty Killer. There have been tons of lesser talents who have garnered more attention, both at home and abroad. There have been artist's who have even made their name off of Bounty Killer's career, and although he is the crowned Warlord, he has not won EVERY single battle, although he has won every war.

Almost instantly the world of music becomes a much better place the second Luciano releases a new album. The vibes are always amongst the strongest of the year, and despite routinely releasing upwards of 4-5 albums a year, Luciano always seems to exercise a great deal of quality control on his albums. Combined with the fact that he is without a doubt the most consistent roots reggae singer of the last decade and one of the most classy, I always look forward to hearing a new Luciano album.

At the young age of 22 Ryan Alcantara has already produced a number of underground mixtapes and has already created a name for himself as a talented producer with a keen ear for music, with very smooth mixes and innovative refixes. One of his mixtapes, "Soca Extreme 2k6" (visit D'Sound engine Room) was nominated for an award at the 2006 International Soca Awards.

Going on 2 years now! I've been waiting on an album release from Marlon Asher. From the first time I heard the big big song Ganja Farmer, I wanted to hear a full length studio album from Asher, and was definite sure that he wouldn't fade away and become a one hit wonder. That wasn't the case at all, as subsequently, the Trini native has proven to have some serious vibes and even having his first album at 31, he definitely has a long and healthy career ahead of him.

Meet Gyptian! The latest in a long and constantly updated roster of amazing roots voices emanating from Jamaica. The 22 year old from St Andrew follows most recently such artists as Warrior King, Jah Cure, Fantan Mojah and of course, I Wayne. His hype has nearly equalled them all and his debut album for VP, fittingly titled My Name Is Gyptian, has been one of the most eagerly anticipated albums of the year. And it has a hard time living up to its own hype, but ...

Just about 2 and a half years ago Tanya Stephens returned from her self-imposed musical 'exile' to Sweden to drop the finest album of her career, Gangsta Blues. GB caught many people by surprise and set Stephens in rare air as a complete female dancehall artist, who had yet to crossover, but could still sell albums. For a dancehall album, on an indie label (VP), Gangsta Blues did amazing, reportedly selling over 100,000 copies.

The debate of great dancehall producers must begin with one name. King Jammy. The King of the Dancehall, has ruled the dancehall since the early 80's shift to the ragga/digital style, and to this day is one of the (if not the most) most influential men in all of the dancehall.

In today's world of computer technology, all it takes to create music is a good music programme. To create good music, however, requires a good ear and particular skill. Sebastian Legall, producer of It Is Crop Over Vol. 2 has both, and if he maintains his current course, he will become one of the top names in music in the region. A first listen to this 2K6 release is enough to convince anyone of his growing talent.

Ah wait and ah wait, ah count corbeaux on meh neighbor roof and sip mauby in de hot sun, and ya know what? It was well worth de wait. The CD "Pan have We DNA," is already ah essential for all Trini's and Calypso lovers. Hogging 4 kaisos that holding de prestigious title of Trinidad and Tobago Calypso Monarch winners; "Fish Mongrel" and "Trinidad in the Cemetery" for 2004 and "I in Town Too Long" and "Ah Doh Rhyme" for 2005. So getting the 2006 release should be a given.

Its a mighty difficult decision I go through every year deciding whether or not to buy the Reggae Gold album. On one hand, they'll usually give you only a track or 2 that you probably can't get anywhere else on a (LEGITIMATE) cd, just one or two songs, but these songs will be HUGE. And on the other hand, the other 15 or so tracks will be so familiar that by time the album drops, you'll already be tired of ...