Customer Reviews

Ghetto Dictionary: Mystery [Vinyl]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a Jamaican and a fan of dancehall reggae and in my opinion, the best reggae dancehall artistes that put out albums this year were Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Sean Paul and Capleton. Beenie is a great artiste but his album Tropial Storm was'nt really dancehall...it was more pop/hip-hop. Sean Paul had a blow-up single Gimme Di Light...but his album overall was'nt very strong. Capleton is a veteran and very good at what he does...he had a good album. Bounty Killer's album Ghetto Dictionary however, was nothing short of stellar! It was straight dancehall for one...no hip hop crossovers. It was original...no remakes of old material. More importantly it was great to listen to!

Here's the overall ratings:

Lyrics: 5/5
Tracks: 4/5
Originality 5/5
Commercial Appeal 3/5
Street Appeal 5/5

The album only falls down in commercial appeal primarily because of the lack of crossover featured artistes. This points how Bounty his setting the standard in taking hardcore dancehall to the mainstream.

Just nominated for the Reggae Grammy....its no longer the mystery. Bounty Killer is king of the dancheall.

Bounty Killer denotes someone who hunts down and kill wanted persons. Bounty Killer has been lyrically slaying dancehall reggae artists for years.

GHETTO DICTIONARY THE MYSTERY shows Bounty Killer's lyrical versatility and prowess. On this album he addresses corrupt govt official (FED UP, track 3), rumor mongering dancehall djs (MYSTERY, track 4), sexual prowess (ARROW, track 19).

This album includes diverse rhythms, rhymes, producers. This album is a must have for reggae listeners.

Also check out GHETTO DICTIONARY THE ART OF WAR.

This is an awesome album, and it's the better of the two, because there are so many styles and paces. The reality lyrics make you think, and if your an American, learn. And the music and bounty's vocal styling are sick, keeping your head bobbing. This is his best album after My Xpirience. Check out Sufferah, 100 Rounds, Liberty, Gunz in tha Ghetto, and Petty Thief. This is my favorite album right now. I can't stop listening to it.

This cd is surprisingly solid for the killa. Bounty hasn'tput forth a totally solid cd since my Xperience and I was very happy to listen again and again. There are mostly new rhythms here and about 6 or 7 tracks you may have heard other artists on so in that way you will not be bored. The way I judge a ragga cd is based on originality and growth. There are many djs out there who can chat their version of a good rhythm but not many can make new sounds work the way beenie and bounty can. A refreshing surprise come back for the killa with a variation that I had been hoping for.

The Mystery speaks to the difference between Bounty Killer and most of his dancehall peers. His ability to perform on slower reggae rhtyhms has been a signature of his work from earlier tracks such as "Seek God", "Action speaks louder than words" and "Splurt". This album combines such rootsy rhythms with eye opening lyrics displaying the non confrontaional side of the Killer. Outcry is by far one of the best Bounty Killer songs ever. My mother is not a dancehall fan and I would definitely play Pot of Gold for her next Mother's Day. Bakardi Slang, Restaurant and High Grade Forever are samples of what makes Bounty Killer the most consistent contemporary dancehall artiste. Overall, both volumes of the Ghetto Dictionary will be excellent additions to any collection and would be the prized possessions for dancehall fans a yard and broad.

This album is an excellent overview of Bounty's singing skills exhibiting his alter ego the Poor People Governor. Showing is ability to experiment and succeed with new and different riddims like a Sufferah . The Poor People Governor side is expressed in sounds like Fed Up (Remixed Classic), Gunz in the Ghetto, We Need a Leader, Eyewater which attempt to fight suppression of poor people and leading to the uplifting of the people in the ghetto. The sounds Outcry and Petty Thief has to be two of the most inspiring sounds the Killer ever released very smooth and flowing representing what he stands for. The ladies aren't forgotten on this album with songs like Liberty, No Other Like Me, Supastarz, and Arrow. In true Killer form there is even an excellent tribute to Mothers in Pot of Gold. This album is a must listen to and shows the Bounty is truly the Ghetto Crown King.

Bounty Killer is probably what I would call the best representation of a one and half dimensional artist. Meaning, he has something that he does really, really good and everything else, he's just okay at. And he has a much easier time representing himself as the Warlord than as the Poor People's Govenor. And on his latest project, the 2 installation Ghetto Dictionary he shows it completely. On the Art of War, the other installation, he flows brilliantly, within the confines of dancehall music, and does what he does best. Not trying to call him a one trick pony, but The Mystery at times sounds very stiff and he rides riddims that he has a little trouble with, usually the slower, more old-school dancehall oriented tracks (i.e. Pot of Gold, Gunz in the Ghetto, We Need a Leader, Petty Thief, Outcry, and the title track). Oddly enough, one of the finest moments, in my opinion on this packed album is the Bakardi Slang Refix(it really is a refix as the original needed help) with Kardinal Offishall. The ultra tight Sufferah with Wayne Marshall, is an example of why Bounty Killer can keep his hat in the overall reggae game and not just be a battlebot. Also check the hit Arrow. My favorite track here is Eyewater (formerly Water From Mi Eyes), the funny sounding just works well with BK's voice (as it did with Spragga's on Playa). Overall, this one is strictly for true BK fans, new fans or fans of hip-hop and r&b need not apply.