Collie Buddz (Self-titled Album) - Review

With all the press, skeptics and criticism surrounding Collie Buddz, all eyes are on the release of his album.  Judgment day is less that 1 hour away. Collie Buddz's self titled, debut album his store shelves on July 3rd. Only time will tell if he will be fully embraced by the hardcore reggae followers however, the talent is there.

The Album features 13 monster tunes that should silence critics and catapult him to worldwide stardom. However, it is not a true, raw dancehall album.  Many of the tracks are not the type of song to tear up the party but they will be blasted during the drive to the dancehall. The album is a combination of roots reggae, dancehall, hip hop, southern rap and even a little oldies. The album covers a lot of ground. This could be both bad and good depending how it is viewed. On one hand, Collie doesn't lock himself into a certain style which prevents listeners from growing tired of a certain catch phrase or flow. On the other hand he, might not stand out as a unique artist. For example, when listening to the radio or a selector mix, anyone can identify a Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Mavado, or Sean Paul song just by listening to the style. Although his "chu-know" stands out, its not always easy to recognize Collie Buddz's style.  

Lyrically, the tracks are strong. He covers many topics in his music. The tracks cover cultural problems, love, he fans off haters and has created a few memorable songs. "Blind To You", "Defend Your Own", "Movin On", "Tomorrow's Another Day". The only serious down side to the album is that it is only 44 minutes long.

 

Track List:

1. Come Around 2. Blind To You 3. Defend Your Own     4. Tomorrow's Another Day 5. Mamacita 6. Wild Out 7. Lonely

8. What A Feeling 9. Movin' On 10. Sensimillia 11. Let Me Know 12. My Everything 13. Love Deh

Album Review Score: A-

Heathen Riddim - Review

The Heathen Riddim is here. VP and Big Yard have put together a nice mix but there is only 11 tracks on this album. If you have seen the video for Shaggy’s "Church Heathen" it should be no shock to see that's the biggest track on the album . Anyone who has been to church can relate to the lyrics. Its like a tell all gossip call turned into a song. It’s a big tune. The Pastor by Ninja Man sounds like an exact copy of Shaggy’s but there will be not finger pointing. It’s unclear which artist produced the track first but, most likely it is Shaggy because the riddim is named for his track.

Lef Dem to Time by Elephant man and Jigsy is very funny. Elephant Man is a true joker. Hate him or love him, he is entertaining. Love Machine by Rik Rok and Screechie Dan, as well as The Gospel by Shelly Thunder are nice little surprises. It’s unlikely that these will make it to the radio or club any time soon but both make great use of the riddim and hold their own with the usual suspects on the Riddim Driven albums. Red Fox’s Bangin’ Tree has a great chorus but the rest of the song is average. In summary, the Heathen is a great riddim but it’s a shame there wasn’t 3 or 4 more tracks.

1 CHURCH HEATHEN- SHAGGY
2 THE PASTOR- NINJA MAN
3 LEF DEM TO TIME- ELEPHANT MAN FEAT. JIGSY
4 BANGIN' TREE- RED FOX
5 LOVE MACHINE- RIK ROK & SCREECHIE DAN
6 JUVENILE- KY-ENIE
7 BOOMERANG NANNY- RAYVON
8 CAAN FOOL GAL NO MORE- GOLDENCHYL
9 THE GOSPEL- SHELLY THUNDER
10 IN DA CLUB- D'LYNX
11 GAL ALONE- WAYNE FIRE

Riddim Review Score: B

Voicemail Concet - Review

Voicemail’s performance was good but they were capable of doing better. They were running high of their album release “Hey”, which had just went gold in Japan. It was also doing very well in the States and around the world. Unfortunately for them, their performance was a surprise appearance in a concert that featured Sugarcolt, Latoya Luckett, some minor acts and Ludacris as the main performer. The Caribbeans in the audience were all going wild when they hit the stage however, as the minorities in a mixed crowd, the reggae lovers were clearly outnumbered .

Voicemail performed very well but didn’t do a very good job of winning the crowd over. It was very hard for them considering 3/4 of the audience didn’t understand them or knew their songs. Nonetheless, the show went on. The guys did a great job with their hits such as “Wacky Dip” and “Crazy” but struggled with songs that most of the crowd did not know. Given the circumstances, the did very well. If they reenacted the same performance in front on Memorial Day in Miami or Labor Day in Brooklyn it would have been a different story.

Concert Review:

Vocals: Stage Presence: Work the Crowd:

B+ B+ C+

Elephant Man Concert - Review

Many times fans are disappointed that their favorite artists sound nothing like they did on their CDs. This is true with Elephant Man... he is 10x BETTER in concert than he is on his CDs. They call him the energy god for a reason.The amount of energy the he puts into his performance has no match. His entrance was wild and exciting. As soon as he came out the crowd went wild. His performance is like a raw and uncut selector mix. He did old hits, new hits and future hits. His selector was blending songs and riddims while Eley was doing the same with his lyrics. The two of them were on the same page and in sync. It was amazing because the man was on top of the speakers, leaning over into the crowd, running around, dancing and not missing a beat in the songs. There were almost no pauses for the 40 minutes or so that he was on stage. When it seemed he had burned out and was calming down, he took a sip of water and started up again.

The crows fed off his energy and had to dance the entire time he was on stage. From wall to wall, everyone was battling, showing off their moves and having a great time.

Of any performer Elephant Man might be the king of the stage. Including rap, R&B, rock and all, he is on his own level. Many said they would buy another ticket to see him do it all again that same night.

Concert Review:

Vocals: Stage Presence: Work the Crowd:

A+ A+ A+

Collie Buddz Concert - Review

Regardless of the speculation about his accent being fake, the man has good music. Anyone who says anything less is lying. His stage presence is decent for a new artist. The crowd was very rowdy and only wanted to hear “Come Around” so he had to win them over the old fashion way. Although many most of his songs are better than "Come Around", people were unenthusiastic because they did not want to hear his unreleased tracks. He shocked the crowd when he performed “Tomorrows Another Day” and slowly began to win the over. Even the toughest critics began rocking with the riddim and got into the song. The audience enjoyed “Mamacita” but, he shocked many when he dropped a monster tune over the “Sidewalk University Riddim”.

On stage Collie seems like an unpolished Sean Paul. Not because, they are both light (well Collie is white …but you know), the way they act and move resemble each other. Also the energy they put into their music is similar. Just like Sean Paul, Collie admitted that he had "two lef’ foot" and that dancing wasn’t his thing. He surely wasn’t the best dancer but there is much worst out there. By the end of his performance he won over most of the crowd and gained their respect. After seeing him live, he silenced pre-concert criticism. Regardless of if his accent is fake or not, Collie is a living example of how big this reggae thing is. It’s reaching new levels.

Concert Review:

Vocals: Stage Presence: Work the Crowd:

B+ B- B

Alison Hinds Concert - Review

 

Alison Hinds is the queen of Soca for a reason. The Bajan beauty is a real diva and star on the stage. Her performance is energetic and fun. After sitting through so-so opening acts, the crowd was very unenthusiastic and growing miserable by the time the Queen hit the stage. Within about 5 seconds of walking out, the mood changed. She gave the crowd a hearty welcome and did a roll call by each country. The crowd ate up every word she had to say and fed off her energy.

Not only did her vocals sound great but she danced great. Anyone who has ever tried singing while dancing knows it is not an easy task. As a bonus she was very funny while on stage. Between songs she interacted with the crowd, told short stories and joke before jumping into her next tune. When the other artists that performed before her paused to talk, the rowdy crowd became unruly and aggressive. When Alison paused to tell a joke or story, everyone wanted to hear it. There wasn’t a boring moment in her performance. She even invited people to the stage to dance with her.

When it seems the concert couldn't be any better she performed "Roll It". The Queen of Soca is well worth the price of admission.

Concert Review:

Vocals: Stage Presence: Work the Crowd:

A+ A+ A+

Full Draw Riddim - Review

The Full Draw Riddim features a steady paced beat that caused you to bop your head. The riddim is titled after TOK’s song “Full Draw”. This song is okay but not the best. There aren’t that many great tracks using this riddim but “Push it Pon Dem” by Mr. Lexx is hot a tune. Anaconda is a funny song about Elephant Man’s “anaconda”. It wont be remembered as the hit of the century but it will give you a good laugh and inspiration for a dance move or too. Mr. Easy has created a nice tune using the riddim.

This riddim would have been better if more singers such as Wayne Wonder appeared on tracks. The beat more suited for a singer then raw dj lyrics. This riddim would be a classic if it was re-realeased with songs from Vegas, Tonto Metro & Devonte and other vocalists. The current combination of the beat did no work very well with the Djs.

1 FULL DRAW - TOK
2 GATHER HERE - IDONIA
3 PUSH IT PON DEM - MR. LEXX
4 GOOD O'OVA BAD O' - BLACK-ER
5 WOMAN A MI SUNSHINE - VYBZ KARTEL
6 ANACONDA - ELEPHANT MAN
7 DEM FI GET - BOUNTY KILLER
8 FIDAT - BLING DAWG FEAT. MACKA DIAMOND
9 WINE ON ME - SANJAY
10 MI LIFE - CHICO
11 AH NO MOVIE DIS - GREG HINES
12 GANGSTER PARTY - RDX
13 FULL DRAW (INSTRUMENTAL)

Riddim Review Score: C+

12 Gauge Riddim - Review

VP Record’s 12 Gauge Riddim features a ruff n tuff party beat. This riddim is titled after Vybz Kartel’s monster tune, 12 guage. As with all the tracks using this riddim, this song is a fast pace tongue twister that will get your blood flowing. A few minutes with the 12 Gauge Riddim and you will be bouncing around and ready for the club…or a fight. Delly Ranks makes two good appearances. His duet with Wayne Wonder is one the best tracks on the album. It is the one of the tracks with a "singer". Of course, Mavado makes an appearance but his track is not his best work. It’s pretty good but it doesn’t compare to Wane Wonder’s track. Although it is not on the official album, Beenie Man has a big tune on using this riddim.

1 EASY NOW - NICKY B
2 WHAT TAKE SOME IDIOT - MR.EASY
3 HOW HIGH - MAVADO
4 FROM DEM DIS - BOUNTY KILLER & IDONIA
5 BADDER THAN WE - DELLY RANKS
6 12 GAUGE - VYBZ KARTEL
7 BULLET - BOUNTY KILLER
8 AMAZING - WAYNE MARSHALL
9 BLACK SKI MASK - FUTURE FAMBO
10 LOSE CONTROL - DELLY RANKS & WAYNE WONDER
11 IN A DE CLUB - CHINO
12 IN DEH - ELEPHANT MAN
13 IN A MY JEANS - HIGH OCTANE
14 12 GAUGE – VERSION

Riddim Review Score: A-

Dreaming Riddim - Review

The Dreaming Riddim features a calm and smooth mix. This riddim features many great tracks that are good for slowing a party down for couples or just relaxing. One of the best tracks is Mavado’s track “Dreaming”. Of late Movado has been releasing some big tunes and this one doesn’t disappoint. This song alone is reason to get this album. Other notable songs are “Lovers Prayer” by Alaine and Bounty Killer’s funny track “The Highest”. Lovers Prayer is a great song that gets better each time its played.

1 Lovers Prayer- Alaine
2 Dreaming- Mavado
3 Gunshot A Beat- Assassin
4 Better Days Coming- Buju Banton
5 When Last Unnu Pray- Vybz Kartel
6 Man a Thug- Busy Gignal
7 The Highest- Bounty Killer
8 Quiet Hero- Mitch
9 Badness Nuh Light- New Kidz
10 Beat It Pon Dem- Bling Dawg
11 Silent Murderer- Wayne Marshall
12 Version

Riddim Review Score: B

Power Cut Riddim - Review

VP Record’s Power Cut Riddim features a fast paced raw beat and a fierce bas line. The artists have produced many smash hits. Although was released with 16 tracks including the instrumental, many artists have made other tracks. For example, Wayne Marshall and Mr. Vegas have recorded great tunes using this riddim. It is hard to pick out one track as a favorite because they are all so good. Almost every tune recorded by artists is gold. Maybe you will want to create your own. You can use the instrumental track to record the next smash hit.

1 TOP SHOTTA NUH MISS- MAVADO
2 CALIBER- EINSTEIN
3 SUNDAY MORNING- FLEX
4 LOUD & CLEAR- ELEPHANT MAN
5 START WAR & DEAD- VYBZ KARTEL
6 DROP BULLET- BOUNTY KILLER
7 TALKIE TALKIE- CRAIG DENNIS
8 NAH STICK- LADY SAW
9 GET IT RIGHT- SEAN PAUL
10 TOP RANKING- CHINO
11 GET HIGH- NIKKI B
12 DEM GYAL YA- KARI JESS
13 LOVE THE GIRLS- NORRIS MAN
14 BUSH CASH- AIDONIA
15 POWER CUT- BUSY SIGNAL
16 POWER CUT- INSTRUMENTAL

Riddim Review Score: A+

Too Bad by Buju Banton - Review

Better late than never but, since press was given to an album released by a record label that had no affiliation with Buju Banton, its only fair to talk about his legitimate album, “Too Bad”. It actually came out back in November of 2006 so, this review is long overdue.

For starters, the 17 track album were released by Bujus’s label Gargamel Music. You might recognize some of the tunes from mixes such as the VP Riddim Driven compilation albums but, there are a lot of exclusive songs to this album. For example, “Me & Oona” is on the Wipeout Riddim album but, you shouldn't mind because the Wipeout Riddim didn’t have many hits on it besides the Buju’s song. Also, you may recognize “Better Days” and “Go Slow”.

The raw and ruckus rhymes you expect from Buju with some hot beats make it a hit. There is only one guest appearance which is by Pinchers in track 16 but Buju caries the album on his own well. Overall, Too Bad is a very good album. At first listen it seems average but, when it comes time to choose the best song, the decision is tough because several are very good. The better songs are “Nothing”, “Too Bad”, “Me & Oona”, “Hey Boy” and the “Fast Lane”. “Nothing” has a tuff beat, good lyrics and is a catchy party song.  “Too Bad” is a funny story of him running wild with ladies. It made me laugh when I first heard it. You might catch a heart attack trying to dance to “Me & Oona” but it’s a fun song. “Hey Boy” is like a throw back, to the 90s. It’s like a new classic. “The Fast Lane” is a slow tempo song about life and the times. When you listen to what he went through during his life. As you get ready to say “bwoy, that’s bad” his next line is worst than the one before.  If he can make it, we all can.

Track List:

1.Your Night Tonight    2. Try Offa Ya 3. Nothing       4. Too Bad 5. Waistline 6. Jig 7. Me & Oona 8. 'Til It Bend 9. Hey Boy

10. Go Slow 11. Driver A 12. Girl U Know 13. Lonely Night 14. Who Have It 15. Better Day Coming 16. Don & Dupes - (with Pinchers) 17. Fast Lane

*Album Review Score: B+

Rockers (The Film) - Review

Rockers is without question one of the best Caribbean movies ever made. This 1978 Jamaican film features a who’s who of reggae. Only to name a few, the cast includes:

Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall, Gregory "Jah Tooth" Isaacs, Jacob "Jakes" Miller, Robbie "Robbie" Shakespeare, Frank Dowding  (Kiddus I) , Winston Rodney (Burning Spear), Manley Buchanan (Big Youth), Lester Bullocks (Dillinger)

Rockers began as a documentary about Jamaica and the reggae revaluation that was taking place but the documentary soon became a full-length film. Although the storyline is fictional, the issues in the film are real. As the main character Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace plays out the story you will see government corruption, exploitation of the poor, and the Rasta man’s view of society. Years later, the same issues are still here and the current generation can relate to the film. 

Along with all the politics, the film helps you to understand and appreciate reggae music and its roots in the ghetto Kingston, Jamaica. All the actors / musicians in the film are the greatest of all time. If you pick up any CD with reggae’s greatest hits, I guarantee more than half the artists, producers and instrumentalist can be found in Rockers. Thought the film you will also see several famous places such as Harry J Studios and Randy’s Records. Harry J Studios is where many roots reggae artists recorded during the 70s. The regular artists include the man himself, Bob Marley and many others. Today, Randy’s Records is better known as VP Records.

Lastly, the movie is very entertaining and will make you laugh. If you have not seen the film yet I recommend you purchase the 25th Anniversary DVD. The film quality is great and there are bonus features such as music and bios about all the featured artists. The only thing I will say is that the first 4 minutes of the movie will cause you to question my review. No lie…the intro is weird. I had to re watch it several times to understand what it had to do with anything. But, after those 4 minutes you will agree with me.

*Review Score: A+