Customer Reviews

Jah Guide

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

 

 

If you are really into reggae music, Natural Black is the perfect CD. In the future, I will buy more of Natural Black's music. Love it Love it Love it.

I came across Natural Black while listening to my online radio station "Punky Reggae Radio" on Live365.com. He absolutely blew my mind away, and I couldn't stop singing along to his songs. It's just a brilliant album. He's very talented. This album is awesome, and if you want to get into thought provoking, yet feel reggae, then Nature Black's "Jah Guide" is the cd you want to have rotating in your player this year! :)

this artist i stumbled upon and since have become an avid fan.
This cd is lyrically and musically great. This artist's cds are always great rocking reggae. If you like this cd, get All of Natural Blacks music. You wont be disappointed.
Lawana

How times have changed! Just a few years ago I felt as if though I were one of the very few fan championing the cause of the unknown Natural Black. The chanter, born Mortimer Softley in Georgetown, Guyana, was toiling in what amounted to obscurity (even by Jamaican standards) while being widely regarded by most industry veterans (most notably by the legendary Beres Hammond) and hardcore roots reggae fans as one of the most talented artists holding the mic in Jamaica overall at the time. Natural Black did make it on some levels, working with some of the biggest names (again, most notably Hammond) and on the biggest stages in Jamaica (Sting, Rebel Salute) but had yet to break through with that big hit and despite releasing 2 albums had yet to gain a critical acclaim necessary push to take his career to the next level. Things started to look brighter for the chanter in 2004 when he voiced the excellent Let the Good Times Roll combination with mentor Beres Hammond for Hammond's Love Has No Boundaries album, besides being one of the very first times the international audience would have a taste of Natural Black's vibes, it was a very very good song and showed a bit of his versatility. Then the following year the bomb would drop in the form of the MASSIVE Seasons riddim by dancehall ace turned roots extraordinaire, Vendetta. Over the riddim Black voiced his now timeless Far From Reality which proved to be his first Jamaican number one song and made him ever more in demand than before. The song was one of the finest in an outstanding stable of songs recorded by one of the most popular roots riddims of recent times (I'm still well in the middle of which riddim I prefer, the Seasons or the Drop Lead. . . Yeah the Heavenly was solid too!) which also included Alaine's majestic No Ordinary Love and Jah Cure's epochal Love Is. It also made him much in demand by the big reggae record companies as well before UK giant Greensleeves signed Natural Black up and released Far From Reality the album in 2006.

Far From Reality, his third release, was an absolute success. For his part, Black pushed forth some of the best material of his career on the album and tracks such as (the MASSIVE) Beautiful Place and other tracks which didn't receive the big video light treatment such as Think Big and Hard Ears, greatly complimented the bigger tracks, such as the title track and Never Hurt You. The album also did commercially well, which for Greensleeves the label may have been a shock (although probably not due to their recent shift in direction) as despite marginal promotion (and even that is getting better from the label now) it still did well and of course armed with a title track stuck on the tips of the tongues of reggae heads the world over, one would hope such an album could succeed. Far From Reality also continued the slide in the positive for Greensleeves releasing such surprising and find albums such as Fanton Mojah's Hail the King; Lutan Fyah's awesome Phantom War; Norrisman's solid Home & Away (and you check out Norrisman's fine new release Captura as well, and Jah Mason's excellent Wheat & Tears (which is currently being slept on as we speak!). The album was well received as well, Natural Black made a great impression on the masses and completed his arrival (only about 3-4 years later than he should have, but the man, SERIOUSLY paid his dues) at the top notch, reggae elite.

Comparatively, Natural Black had even shown flashes of being able to deliver such a project much earlier in his career. His first album, World War from Lion Roots in 2001 (which was apparently just re-released this year) was the perfect introduction to Natural Black. The album was one of the strongest debuts you'll hear in reggae within the last decade or so and with songs like Me Do Me Best and the Hindi vibes on Chiguen, World War proved to be also one of the wildest roots albums you'll hear. His sophomore release, Spiritual Food, from Patate Records in 2003 showed Black in pretty much the same form you see him in today. That album was a sleekly produced monster and garnered him a small, but hardcore following armed with the then two biggest hits of his career, To My Bonafide and Songs With Feelings (both of which, however, were absolutely smashed when one came across the WICKED Calibud produced Free Again, still to this day my absolute favorite Natural Black track). I often point to Natural Black as having a nearly story book career, when learning of his coming to Jamaica in 1995 as a Rastafarian with little more than the clothes on his back, determined to become a reggae singer. Natural Black birthed a style which was part Buju Banton, part Sizzla and part Jah Cure (in retrospect I'll actually call him a hyped up version of Trini chanter Marlon Asher). His style is that of DJ or chanter, yet almost always being melodic, which is rare, he sounds nothing similar, but somewhat reminds of the old dancehall DJ days whenmelodies where more important over minimalist riddims. He also, on occasion, in a very Sizzla like manner, tends to lose his calm and absolutely explode without any given notice (he`ll also, much like Asher, occasionally break down as a full singer as well).

Speaking of short notice, that is exactly how his latest release, the subtly brilliant Jah Guide comes to us. Released far less than a year after its figurative predecessor Far From Reality, and just over one month after its literal predecessor, Vizion Sounds' Cool Nuh Black (that label is entirely too close to Batch's Sound Vizion's label, they should really COMBINE those vibes!), Jah Guide comes somewhat unexpectedly and with not as much pre-promotion as last year's Far From Reality, however, it comes armed with just as interesting a story. Last year, Sizzla Kalonji released the quietly excellent Waterhouse Redemption which saw the popular Bobo chanter combining with legendary dancehall ace producer King Jammy. Greensleeves, an annual participant in the Sizzla album circuit, gobbled up the songs and released it and it became one of Sizzla's more highly regarded pieces recent (and far and away the best album from Sizzla in 2006) as it introduced the legendary chanter over Jammy's bottomless vault of old school dancehall and roots riddims. Jah Guide finds Greensleeves taking its new star the same route as a Jammy's production and a very very solid album. Much like Waterhouse Redemption, Jah Guide's vibes take awhile to truly take affect on you (took me all of about a day of straight listening, the first album I listened to like that since the Ghetto Whiskey riddim album), because the clashing of the styles almost, and Natural Black's style if very modern roots.

I'm almost confused in picking my favorite tune on the album as several identify themselves as outstanding during the 15 track course of Jah Guide (which takes a downward turn in terms of the cover when compared to the Far From Reality album lol) and the balance of the remaining tracks brim around the same relative level. Besides the very very interesting and unexpected combination between artist and producer (I'm still very much so awaiting the first Beres Hammond produced Natural Black album, VP are you listening???) , the real story here is the remarkable consistency of the album. For example, check the classic sounding Joy. Joy is one of the biggest vibes you'll find on Jah Guide altogether as it flows nicely over Jammy's classic Water Pumping riddim, and accentuates yet another facet of Natural Black's vast range of talents. He never reaches his boiling point on Joy (and really neither the song, nor the riddim require him to do such) but he shows off his ability to actually sing and straight chant a smoother style of vibes., and of course the message on Joy in particular is well powerful. Contrast that by checking the track immediately following it, Give Thanks & Praise, a new track, sounding like something directly out of Vendetta's studio. Give Thanks & Praise is a divine track! The song is easily amongst the album's finest offerings and isn't anything too different than we've heard from the artist before (its actually not too dissimilar from Far From Reality) but done so smooth that the song works to a degree to become one of the strongest tracks on an already strong album (also interesting how the immediately following track Jah Jah Bless begins with, `I GIVE THANKS AND PRAISE TO HIS MAJESTY!'. Jammy's does an excellent job of literally `showing off' Natural Black as an artist (and would we really have expected, or settled, for less).

Yet another style is brought in on the lovely Caring and Sharing. Caring & Sharing drops in a wonderful nyah drum supporting Natural Black's vibes and he makes well usage of the support. At one point in the song he drops the actual rhythm of the song and just goes into a full talk, a beautiful message he delivers in that talk and it definitely adds to the strength of the song overall, in a very unexpected way. It actually gives even more credit to the style Black has developed as he literally leaves room for doing just about anything on a track to where the listener won't be shocked in a negative way or disappointed . Check Africa, which is another strong track from Jah Guide, just a mighty mighty one drop and a very inspirational tune, somewhat reminiscent of Beautiful Place (in terms of message, not in terms of vibes) from the Far From Reality album. Africa is more mellow top notch material from Natural Black, and a song he which actually seems very introspective as well, and shows that vibe level from Natural Black wonderfully. I'm also very fond of Make Sacrifice, which flows so nicely on a re-licked version of the original Heptones classic I Hold the Handle riddim done by Jammy. The track actually also highlights one of the better aspects of Jah Guide and a very underrated aspect of reggae music: Backup singers. Jammy utilizes some strong talent to accentuate Natural Black's range and all of the female backup singers do really well despite the rather free-flying nature of the main performer.

All that being said, the song which I'm deeming Jah Guide's finest is the opener Cry Cry Baby. The song doesn't necessarily set the album off on the `correct' foot as it offers an entirely much more lithe idea of what Jah Guide is ultimately about. But when you listen to the album, you will almost assuredly come back to Cry Cry Baby as the track that stood out for you. It also captures a varying degree of Black's many styles building the song and the vibes. And, add to that its built over the classic Weatherman Skank riddim, make the track the big winner from the album. Not too different as well, although not up to the quality of Cry Cry Baby is the somewhat odd Intellectual Fanatics (the chorus on that one is just. . . Strange) nor the track following it, the obligatory herb track, Bless the Herbs. The track which stood out for me just looking at the track list was without a doubt Sleassie & Marcus and it doesn't disappoint at all, it's a very strong track! Also, check the similar vibes on Love of Rasta, yet another strong track for Jah Guide. My only real complaint here is that (and I believe I had the same critique for the Cool Nuh Black album) Jammy never turns loose Natural Black. An artist with so many different levels should be `challenged' and I would have loved to see Jammy's open the dancehall vault more and see what he could have done with the Sleng Teng riddim (or even some of the earlier Ward 21 produced pieces).

Overall, still can't help but recommend Jah Guide by Natural Black. While not as all around spectacular as the Far From Reality album, Jah Guide is about as smooth of a piece of roots vibes you'll find on the shelves from the pass five years or so. Jah Guide is also a pretty revealing album, and lyrically, it may stand up to the likes of Sizzla or Lutan Fyah in certain aspects, and as I mentioned, while Jammy doesn't necessarily `turn loose' Natural Black, he does go very far in showing off a certain aspect of his style, and he shows it off greatly. Natural Black is definitely an artist to watch and through his last few album which have been receiving their deserving attention go to show not only his development, but roots reggae as a whole. Just a few years ago, I was wondering when anyone was going to figure out what `we' as reggae fans and supporters had in Natural Black, now, I'm just wondering how far he can go. Jah Guide isn't at his best just yet, but its definitely interesting to watch him along his way.

How times have changed! Just a few years ago I felt as if though I were one of the very few fan championing the cause of the unknown Natural Black. The chanter, born Mortimer Softley in Georgetown, Guyana, was toiling in what amounted to obscurity (even by Jamaican standards) while being widely regarded by most industry veterans (most notably by the legendary Beres Hammond) and hardcore roots reggae fans as one of the most talented artists holding the mic in Jamaica overall at the time. Natural Black did make it on some levels, working with some of the biggest names (again, most notably Hammond) and on the biggest stages in Jamaica (Sting, Rebel Salute) but had yet to break through with that big hit and despite releasing 2 albums had yet to gain a critical acclaim necessary push to take his career to the next level. Things started to look brighter for the chanter in 2004 when he voiced the excellent Let the Good Times Roll combination with mentor Beres Hammond for Hammond's Love Has No Boundaries album, besides being one of the very first times the international audience would have a taste of Natural Black's vibes, it was a very very good song and showed a bit of his versatility. Then the following year the bomb would drop in the form of the MASSIVE Seasons riddim by dancehall ace turned roots extraordinaire, Vendetta. Over the riddim Black voiced his now timeless Far From Reality which proved to be his first Jamaican number one song and made him ever more in demand than before. The song was one of the finest in an outstanding stable of songs recorded by one of the most popular roots riddims of recent times (I'm still well in the middle of which riddim I prefer, the Seasons or the Drop Lead. . . Yeah the Heavenly was solid too!) which also included Alaine's majestic No Ordinary Love and Jah Cure's epochal Love Is. It also made him much in demand by the big reggae record companies as well before UK giant Greensleeves signed Natural Black up and released Far From Reality the album in 2006.

Far From Reality, his third release, was an absolute success. For his part, Black pushed forth some of the best material of his career on the album and tracks such as (the MASSIVE) Beautiful Place and other tracks which didn't receive the big video light treatment such as Think Big and Hard Ears, greatly complimented the bigger tracks, such as the title track and Never Hurt You. The album also did commercially well, which for Greensleeves the label may have been a shock (although probably not due to their recent shift in direction) as despite marginal promotion (and even that is getting better from the label now) it still did well and of course armed with a title track stuck on the tips of the tongues of reggae heads the world over, one would hope such an album could succeed. Far From Reality also continued the slide in the positive for Greensleeves releasing such surprising and find albums such as Fanton Mojah's Hail the King; Lutan Fyah's awesome Phantom War; Norrisman's solid Home & Away (and you check out Norrisman's fine new release Captura as well, and Jah Mason's excellent Wheat & Tears (which is currently being slept on as we speak!). The album was well received as well, Natural Black made a great impression on the masses and completed his arrival (only about 3-4 years later than he should have, but the man, SERIOUSLY paid his dues) at the top notch, reggae elite.

Comparatively, Natural Black had even shown flashes of being able to deliver such a project much earlier in his career. His first album, World War from Lion Roots in 2001 (which was apparently just re-released this year) was the perfect introduction to Natural Black. The album was one of the strongest debuts you'll hear in reggae within the last decade or so and with songs like Me Do Me Best and the Hindi vibes on Chiguen, World War proved to be also one of the wildest roots albums you'll hear. His sophomore release, Spiritual Food, from Patate Records in 2003 showed Black in pretty much the same form you see him in today. That album was a sleekly produced monster and garnered him a small, but hardcore following armed with the then two biggest hits of his career, To My Bonafide and Songs With Feelings (both of which, however, were absolutely smashed when one came across the WICKED Calibud produced Free Again, still to this day my absolute favorite Natural Black track). I often point to Natural Black as having a nearly story book career, when learning of his coming to Jamaica in 1995 as a Rastafarian with little more than the clothes on his back, determined to become a reggae singer. Natural Black birthed a style which was part Buju Banton, part Sizzla and part Jah Cure (in retrospect I'll actually call him a hyped up version of Trini chanter Marlon Asher). His style is that of DJ or chanter, yet almost always being melodic, which is rare, he sounds nothing similar, but somewhat reminds of the old dancehall DJ days whenmelodies where more important over minimalist riddims. He also, on occasion, in a very Sizzla like manner, tends to lose his calm and absolutely explode without any given notice (he`ll also, much like Asher, occasionally break down as a full singer as well).

Speaking of short notice, that is exactly how his latest release, the subtly brilliant Jah Guide comes to us. Released far less than a year after its figurative predecessor Far From Reality, and just over one month after its literal predecessor, Vizion Sounds' Cool Nuh Black (that label is entirely too close to Batch's Sound Vizion's label, they should really COMBINE those vibes!), Jah Guide comes somewhat unexpectedly and with not as much pre-promotion as last year's Far From Reality, however, it comes armed with just as interesting a story. Last year, Sizzla Kalonji released the quietly excellent Waterhouse Redemption which saw the popular Bobo chanter combining with legendary dancehall ace producer King Jammy. Greensleeves, an annual participant in the Sizzla album circuit, gobbled up the songs and released it and it became one of Sizzla's more highly regarded pieces recent (and far and away the best album from Sizzla in 2006) as it introduced the legendary chanter over Jammy's bottomless vault of old school dancehall and roots riddims. Jah Guide finds Greensleeves taking its new star the same route as a Jammy's production and a very very solid album. Much like Waterhouse Redemption, Jah Guide's vibes take awhile to truly take affect on you (took me all of about a day of straight listening, the first album I listened to like that since the Ghetto Whiskey riddim album), because the clashing of the styles almost, and Natural Black's style if very modern roots.

I'm almost confused in picking my favorite tune on the album as several identify themselves as outstanding during the 15 track course of Jah Guide (which takes a downward turn in terms of the cover when compared to the Far From Reality album lol) and the balance of the remaining tracks brim around the same relative level. Besides the very very interesting and unexpected combination between artist and producer (I'm still very much so awaiting the first Beres Hammond produced Natural Black album, VP are you listening???) , the real story here is the remarkable consistency of the album. For example, check the classic sounding Joy. Joy is one of the biggest vibes you'll find on Jah Guide altogether as it flows nicely over Jammy's classic Water Pumping riddim, and accentuates yet another facet of Natural Black's vast range of talents. He never reaches his boiling point on Joy (and really neither the song, nor the riddim require him to do such) but he shows off his ability to actually sing and straight chant a smoother style of vibes., and of course the message on Joy in particular is well powerful. Contrast that by checking the track immediately following it, Give Thanks & Praise, a new track, sounding like something directly out of Vendetta's studio. Give Thanks & Praise is a divine track! The song is easily amongst the album's finest offerings and isn't anything too different than we've heard from the artist before (its actually not too dissimilar from Far From Reality) but done so smooth that the song works to a degree to become one of the strongest tracks on an already strong album (also interesting how the immediately following track Jah Jah Bless begins with, `I GIVE THANKS AND PRAISE TO HIS MAJESTY!'. Jammy's does an excellent job of literally `showing off' Natural Black as an artist (and would we really have expected, or settled, for less).

Yet another style is brought in on the lovely Caring and Sharing. Caring & Sharing drops in a wonderful nyah drum supporting Natural Black's vibes and he makes well usage of the support. At one point in the song he drops the actual rhythm of the song and just goes into a full talk, a beautiful message he delivers in that talk and it definitely adds to the strength of the song overall, in a very unexpected way. It actually gives even more credit to the style Black has developed as he literally leaves room for doing just about anything on a track to where the listener won't be shocked in a negative way or disappointed . Check Africa, which is another strong track from Jah Guide, just a mighty mighty one drop and a very inspirational tune, somewhat reminiscent of Beautiful Place (in terms of message, not in terms of vibes) from the Far From Reality album. Africa is more mellow top notch material from Natural Black, and a song he which actually seems very introspective as well, and shows that vibe level from Natural Black wonderfully. I'm also very fond of Make Sacrifice, which flows so nicely on a re-licked version of the original Heptones classic I Hold the Handle riddim done by Jammy. The track actually also highlights one of the better aspects of Jah Guide and a very underrated aspect of reggae music: Backup singers. Jammy utilizes some strong talent to accentuate Natural Black's range and all of the female backup singers do really well despite the rather free-flying nature of the main performer.

All that being said, the song which I'm deeming Jah Guide's finest is the opener Cry Cry Baby. The song doesn't necessarily set the album off on the `correct' foot as it offers an entirely much more lithe idea of what Jah Guide is ultimately about. But when you listen to the album, you will almost assuredly come back to Cry Cry Baby as the track that stood out for you. It also captures a varying degree of Black's many styles building the song and the vibes. And, add to that its built over the classic Weatherman Skank riddim, make the track the big winner from the album. Not too different as well, although not up to the quality of Cry Cry Baby is the somewhat odd Intellectual Fanatics (the chorus on that one is just. . . Strange) nor the track following it, the obligatory herb track, Bless the Herbs. The track which stood out for me just looking at the track list was without a doubt Sleassie & Marcus and it doesn't disappoint at all, it's a very strong track! Also, check the similar vibes on Love of Rasta, yet another strong track for Jah Guide. My only real complaint here is that (and I believe I had the same critique for the Cool Nuh Black album) Jammy never turns loose Natural Black. An artist with so many different levels should be `challenged' and I would have loved to see Jammy's open the dancehall vault more and see what he could have done with the Sleng Teng riddim (or even some of the earlier Ward 21 produced pieces).

Overall, still can't help but recommend Jah Guide by Natural Black. While not as all around spectacular as the Far From Reality album, Jah Guide is about as smooth of a piece of roots vibes you'll find on the shelves from the pass five years or so. Jah Guide is also a pretty revealing album, and lyrically, it may stand up to the likes of Sizzla or Lutan Fyah in certain aspects, and as I mentioned, while Jammy doesn't necessarily `turn loose' Natural Black, he does go very far in showing off a certain aspect of his style, and he shows it off greatly. Natural Black is definitely an artist to watch and through his last few album which have been receiving their deserving attention go to show not only his development, but roots reggae as a whole. Just a few years ago, I was wondering when anyone was going to figure out what `we' as reggae fans and supporters had in Natural Black, now, I'm just wondering how far he can go. Jah Guide isn't at his best just yet, but its definitely interesting to watch him along his way.