ALL FRUITS RIPE
Forty-six years after its independence from England, the island nation of Jamaica continues to struggle with escalating crime and violence throughout most of its fourteen parishes. Despite the notorious title of the most murderous nation, there comes hope and aspiration, as Jamaica still churns out more music per capita than any other nation in the world.
photo by Shaun Roberts
The immense talent pool of artists, musicians, and producers have contributed to decades of post-independence indigenous music, with long lasting effects throughout almost every popular dance music genre in the world. As the advancement of audio technology becomes more and more accessible in Jamaica, new talent arises with a new twist on the ever-evolving reggae-dancehall scene.
One of the hottest sensations of late, eighteen-year-old Stephen McGregor, AKA "Di Genius", has rapidly made a huge name for himself. In just two years, the son of Reggae legend Freddie "Big Ship" McGregor, has produced some of the most influential dancehall riddims from yard. The "Power Cut", "Red Bull & Guinness", and "Ghetto Whiskey" have made so much noise that he was dubbed a musical genius and given his prominent nickname as a young teen. Di Genius' latest high energy riddim, titled "Day Break", and released on his father's Big Ship label, features Wayne Marshall's warning "Danger", Anthony B flexing on "Run Up Pon Dem", and the dynamic vocal group Voicemail ensuring that the dance "Jump Off". Another Di Genius produced riddim bubblin of late is the "Work Out", with Sean Paul pleading "Don't Tease Me", Assassin spelling out what the world go 'round on "Money", and Dr. Evil's comical "She Waah". If that weren't enough, another extremely talented artist in the Big Ship family, Freddie's elder son Chino, is stirring up the dance with the R&B influenced single "Set It Off", produced by none other than Di Genius.
Stephen McGregor - Di Genius
On the topic of families, Jamaican artists are prone to form musical alliances based on gully upbringings and talent
level. The most influential alliance in the dancehall scene is undoubtedly Bounty Killer's "The Alliance"; with standout
members Movado, Busy Signal, and Bugle, having released a barrage of chart toppers in the last twelve months.
Arguably, the biggest impact as of late is Tivoli Garden artist Busy Signal. Idolizing Bounty Killer as a youth, Busy Signal
would recite Bounty's lyrics word for word, until he ironically got the call to join The Alliance. Making a huge splash
last summer was the single "The Days" voiced on the Daseca label. Trying to differentiate himself from the ever growing
list of Jamaican DJs, Busy's "The Days" painted a picture of the harsh realities of the streets of Kingston, with diverse
topics ranging from the influx of guns, drugs, and AIDS, to babies having babies. Riding on the success of "The Days",
Busy voiced "Jail" on the Jam II label, "Pon Di Edge" on the Star Kutt label, and "Unknown Numbers" on the Juke Boxx
label - all receiving loads of airplay and multiple weeks on the top ten charts. Busy's second and long awaited album
"Loaded" is due to hit the streets in late September, featuring these singles, as well as the radio crossover hit "Tic Toc".
As Dancehall artists continue to dominate the
airwaves, Jamaica still has a passionate side for
its singers. Tarrus Riley, son of Jimmy Riley of
The Uniques, has been winning over local and
international fans with his album "Parables",
produced by the legendary saxophonist Dean
Fraser. With an emphasis on keeping things
positive and upfull, Tarrus' string of successful
singles ("Something Strong", "Beware", and
"She's Royal") have received worldwide
recognition; with the latter biggin' up the women
that move to their own beat and possess qualities
of a queen. One queen shining among the male
dominated reggae scene is songstress Etana.
Gaining experience as a backup singer for Richie
Spice on his North American and European
tours, it wasn't until she released her single
"Wrong Address" in 2006 that she began turning
heads and receiving recognition as a promising
new voice. Originally signed to the Kingstonbased
Fifth Element production crew, Etana aka
"The Strong One", churned out more hits like
"Roots", "Warrior Love", and "I Am Not Afraid"
(featured on Kemar "Flava" McGregor's already
classic Rub A Dub riddim).
Etana
Not to be outdone by
the success of Tarrus Riley and Etana, the newest
singing sensation, along with his astonishing
production and writing talent, is the singer
known as Demarco. Demarco started to blaze his unique
trail in the scene at the end of 2007 with the massive hit
"Fallen Soldiers", an ode to all freedom fi ghters and loved
ones who've passed on. Demarco's next big hit, "Duppy
Know Who Fi Frighten" was released on John John's
Shootout riddim, popularized by Mykal Rose's title track
"Shootout". Drawing more attention to Demarco's distinct
singing talent, the most current track that's causing a buzz
on the "Warning" riddim is "Sort Dem Out". Also featured
on the Warning, which Demarco receives production
credits on, is the chart topping "Money Changer" by "Gully
God" Movado.
Undoubtedly, Jamaica offers a picturesque backdrop of
the Caribbean island life, from its Blue Mountain Peaks,
to the surrounding sandy beaches. Heavily infl uenced by
the scenery and the infi nite amount of music released
on a daily basis, Jamaican music videos have "been a
phenomenon sweeping over the island. Leading the
forefront of video production is Ras Kassa AKA "The
Guru". In just a few short years, he's been credited with
some of the most innovative videos to date. His 2005 release
of Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock" was
an international success, and arguably escalated Jr. Gong
to his elite status amongst Jamaican vocalists. Even amid
the controversy that "Welcome to Jamrock" promoted a
negative image of the island, it was one of only a handful of
reggae videos featured on MTV's TRL mainstream request
show. Under his own company, "The Guru Films", Ras
Kassa has pioneered video production and brought it to a
new level, and he has done so with no formal training in
fi lmmaking. Ras Kassa has directed videos for a wide array
of artists, from Beenie Man to Willie Nelson, and Michael
Franti to Gentleman. "The Guru" is trailblazing a new
medium that is sure to garner worldwide exposure for the
tiny island nation known as the land of wood and water.
- Top 10 Reggae/Dancehall Singles
(compiled by Lud Dub & Green B)
Movado Money Changer
Elephant Man Nuh Linga
Mr. Vegas ft. Barrington Levy Mus Come a Road
Demarco Sort Them Out
Konshens Winner
Beres Hammond I Feel Good
Jr. Reid & Jah Cure Hot Long Time
Serani Stinking Rich
Busy Signal Politics
Damian Marley & Stephen Marley Mission - 10 Dancehall Bubblers
(compiled by Green B)
Sean Paul Highest Grade
DAngel Nuh Weh
Demarco Standing Soldier
Capleton Get the Hell Out
RDX Champion Bubbler
Munga Regular Basis
Serani Never Gonna Stop
Chino Ruff It Up
Ward 21 Pass Pass Me the Grades
Laden Really Like You
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