Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Reggae Got Soul. . ., December 2, 2008
(4.5stars)
Even given the somewhat unusually prolific nature of roots reggae and it's artists, there are actually not a great deal of artists who you can count on making bonafide HITS on at least a semi-regular basis and it doesn't seem to matter. As opposed to dancehall, which will seemingly open any stages of stardom (from the super stars, to just burgeoning and up and coming names) ONLY upon a given artist delivering at least one hit and doing so with hits of some level or another to maintain their statuses. Roots, on the other hand (and especially Jamaican roots reggae), has quite a strange type of structure of artists providing the genre's balance of hits. For example of what I mean, take the case of the Messenjah, Luciano. If/when the next time Luciano has a TRUE strong hit, it certainly won't surprise anyone given his level of not only abilities, but his accomplishments and experience as well, having been THE roots reggae singer of note now for more than a decade. However, if he NEVER EVER again scores another hit and instead spends his time touring and building albums for predominately international ears, his career won't take a hit, not even a little. Contrast that to the dancehall where artists with names as respected as Mr. Vegas and even Bounty Killer himself get thrown into consideration of `comeback artist' by virtue of going a year (not even) or such without a real dancehall hit tune. Tony Rebel would be a next artist along a similar lines, although he has come across the somewhat ODD hit here and there over the past few years (such as right now with Another Bill Again), but he needn't do that to maintain his levels, Tony Rebel's music will continue to spin and his name will continue to remain alongside the true GIANTS of modern roots music so long as he simply makes himself available. So strange, perhaps, is this roots reggae landscape that it applies to artists even further down the line of popularity and experience than both Luciano and Tony Rebel. Take even the young roots PRINCESS Etana. Having made her name to one of the real big ones in the industry in the last eighteen months or so, Etana could EASILY (and she just might) spend the next two or three years performing and releasing tunes here and there and her name, built on the strength of tunes like Roots, Wrong Address and Warriour Love, MIGHT take only a small hit (if any at all). Given the August Town's genius' proclivity of making good music whenever she really tries to, this is unlikely to happen (THANKFULLY) but we've seen it before, such as even with Gyptian who has scored really just two or three REAL hits in the past two or three years or so and the name Gyptian still and will continue to carry a mighty weight amongst reggae fans. The wonderful thing, however, is when you have artists who prove that they can achieve a certain status and still continue to deliver hits.
Artists such as Sizzla Kalonji, Anthony B, Capleton, Jah Cure, Richie Spice and more recently Tarrus Riley have proven themselves (even in Riley's case over a far less amount of time) capable of maintaining a somewhat regular schedule of not only recording, but scoring with hits as well (although Capleton's time on such a list may be coming to an end) locally and internationally. You could also make the case (and I will) for two of my own personal favourite `newer' artists, Lutan Fyah and Natural Black as well. And, there is, of course, one of the more unusual names who has almost quietly proven, Fantan Mojah. The St. Elizabeth native chanter came into the public reggae spotlight on the strength of a couple of hits dating back to 2004 and has further substantiated himself as one of the simply most consistent artists of the modern era, period, by adding more big tunes which have managed to keep the attentions of masses. Mojah joins the aforementioned artists, definitely, as artists who can, at any given time, be counted upon to push in with a big tune which tops the charts and keeps his name amongst his arguably more popular (generally speaking here) peers. The two tunes on which his name begin growing and basically introduced him to US, Hail The King and Hungry were just two GEMS of modern reggae and they also brought in that very pure chanting style which just isn't very popular these days, yet is virtually perfected by Mojah and allows him an even greater range than that of the typical roots DJ or singer (or even 'singjay' for that matter). They also helped him become a bit of 'blue chip' prospect into 2005 which ultimately led to him aligning himself with the UK based reggae giant Greensleeves (I'm still not sure if he actually signed a contract back then with them) for albums which brought us his debut album, Hail The King late in the year, which was quite well received for the most part and definitely seemed to forecast a bright future for the turban clad chanter. Mojah also appeared on the biggest stage shows on the island and all over the world and since that time, a ridiculously short three years ago (seems like just last year I got that album), has managed to score enough to make himself even more relevant than just the up and coming artist. Thus, for me and many alike I'm sure when it was announced by VP (who bought Greensleeves in early 2008) that Mojah would be returning this year with his sophomore album, that album, Stronger almost IMMEDIATELY went near the top of my most anticipated reggae album of the year. Mojah, like several others, I believe had some problem with the former heads of Greensleeves, which kept him from pushing an album for 2007, which is kind of important in what this album, Stronger, ends up becoming. On its face and this is without ANY bit of exaggeration, Stronger is not only a `stronger' album and a literal step up than the Hail The King piece, but REALLY its one of the best reggae albums you will hear ANYWHERE in 2008 and probably over the past half decade or so. And had they brought it last year, it would have been even better.
What characterizes the music of the former Capleton's David House product probably more so than even his `signature' chant is an undeniable spiritual quality which just really comes through in his vibes. I wouldn't say that Fantan Mojah is on the levels of like a Sizzla or a Lutan Fyah in terms of being a writer either, but he definitely is a very good lyricist as well (and even better now than three years ago) and that really comes through as well here. After a rather odd three minute long intro (which REALLY started to grow on me after about a dozen or so spins through) Stronger the album opens with the tune after which it is named produced by Maximum Sounds' Frenchie over his downright SUBLIME Jah Powers riddim. This tune is probably the biggest shot Mojah has delivered since the Hail The King album and definitely in terms of quality rivals his earlier work. Its another BIG anthem type of vibes just praising His Majesty and definitely demonstrating that with HIM you really do become Stronger and it's a tune that really got across that message to the people and did and continues to do big things. HUGE TUNE! Next up is a tune from another European production house (Maximum Sounds is out of the UK), this time for Pow Pow's POLISHED Overstand riddim, Jah Jah You Are The One which is also the first of four official combinations for the album, alongside good friend and member of his Macka Tree Family camp, Ninja Ford. The Overstand, in my opinion was on of the most overlooked but well done riddims from 2007 altogether and Jah Jah You Are The One is probably the second best tune on the piece in full (only topped by Tenna Star's MAMMOTH Jah Is Love). Thankfully Ford and Mojah make a very nice duo (as Ford comes back at the end of the album) and push the tune to be another of the highlights of Stronger, in what ultimately proves to be an album BRIMMING of highlights. Ending the opening for the album is a changeup if ever there were such a thing as Mojah comes through on Dun Dem with a vibes I'm trying to think if we've ever heard from him before. Riding on GT's hip-hop infused Laminated riddim, Mojah shows sometime its time for the dirtiness to come forth and although you'll probably NEVER hear him go more towards the slack side of things or the ultra-violent, this is probably as close as he gets to that aggressive offensive rather than defensive role as he says there is nothing to worry about because, "Jah is my guide and shield!". Indeed! All in all a very nice way to open things up here.
As I said, Stronger would have been evern STRONGER had it arrived about a year or so ago because it is largely built on the former hits of Mojah's over the past few years since the first album. But those hits were hits for a reason. For me, my own personal opinion, the peak of Stronger (Stronger's strongest, if you will) comes in two tunes back-to-back later on the album, How Can I Be Ungrateful and the single best tune here, The Most High Jah. For its part, How Can I Be Ungrateful is a tune which just really REACHED me the first time I heard it. The tune is the first of two featuring another Macka Tree member, very nice singer Zared, and was also on his album, Authentic Love in late 2007 and I just love the vibes (over the sparkling Ruff Life riddim)! The tune is, at its core, a praising track for His Majesty saying that all HE does for us, how can we dare do negative things, thus, being `ungrateful`. DEFINITELY! And The Most High Jah is about as powerful a tune that I've heard ANYWHERE over the past few years. Floating nicely above professional hitmaker Kemar `Flava' McGregor's divine Rub-A-Dub riddim. Another tune which grabbed me the very first time I heard it and hasn't let go, The Most High Jah is a MAMMOTH praising track and because of McGregor's very nice style which includes that lovely Nyah drum, its right up Mojah's alley and to my ears, a finer tune he has yet...
Read more ›
|
|
|
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stronger, February 2, 2009
Love this album. The best reggae release for 2008. Easily surpasses any of the 2008 compliations too, i.e. STB 39...
As a matter of fact, one of the best reggae albums I have heard in years....
|
|
|
|
by Fantan Mojah 
