Issential Knowledge

What a Gwaan,
Keeping you up on all the happenings in the Reggae world I want to give you a heads up on a new artist that should definitely be on your radar. First making a splash on the Collie Monster Riddim with his hit “Boom Draw,” Mitch has been swooped up by Sly and Robbie for his debut album “Original Yard Man.” As you know I will listen to just about anything that Sly & Robbie produce, but I really think that this project was a major success for them as they remain the most innovative production team in Reggae.  Mitch has a sound reminiscent of Akon and the Rhythm Twins laid the foundation for him to bust on the scene and infiltrate the Dancehall.  Featuring new and classic riddims as well as guests appearances from Wyclef, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, and rapper Scantana this will definitely be an album that every DJ is sure to have.

The record starts strong with “Want No More” over the legendary Baltimore Riddim, then moves on to a hard hitting Hip-Hop feel on “Follow Me” and “Ghetto Heaven.”  The cuts you’re sure to hear spun by your favorite Selectah are the aptly named “DJ,” “Bounce,” and “Grown” which sounds more like something coming out of Atalanta than Jamaica.  And though this is a fresh step for Reggae, Mitch also has a few tracks for us purists with “Borrowed Time,” “Come Back Baby,” and my personal favorite “Special For You.” Mitch seemingly came from nowhere but apparently he expects to be around for a while with his signature tag line “It’s Mitch Again!” Check the videos below and catch the vibe.

Jah Bless – Marley “One” Lovell

Hey there Reggae fans.  As you may or may not know, I am fortunate enough to be employed at Rhapsody.com as a “producer,” managing the content submitted by record labels and distributors.  Now that I have worked there for a few months, I have been able to fully manage all of the Reggae that we have available on the service.  I take pride in the fact that we don’t have multiple listings of guys like Gregory Isaacs and Michael Rose that have recordings released in several versions of their names.  It’s not perfect but it’s a work in progress.  I can also say that if you are a Reggae fan, a Rhapsody membership is worth it because I have been digitally crate digging for 7 months every day and still have not explored everything that we have.  Fortunately I was able to also take over the Reggae “Channels” that we have available that is essentially a commercial free music stream that is available at Rhapsody.com.  I will be constantly updating these stations with quality tracks that I find throughout our vast library and make sure that you stay up to date on new releases and rising artists.

Reggae Essentials:

This is where all the hot One Drops go down…  You know I am a huge fan of the classic one drop made famous by the Wailers and every roots band that followed them such as Steel Pulse, Black Uhuru, Dennis Brown and the list goes on.  That is the back drop with a strong representation of the new school roots movement.  I really feel passionate about the up and coming Reggae music that has evolved into hard hitting anthems from the likes of Gentleman, Richie Spice, Sizzla, Capleton, I Wayne, Warrior King, Gyptian, and of course the Marley Brothers always leading the charge.  There is over 1000 songs in rotation on this channel so there is always something new to hear.  Definitely check this out.

Dancehall:

Most people associate Dancehall with the pulsating Soca like feel, but Dancehall is so much more.  When I think of the Dancehall I think of the originators.  Guys like Barrington Levy, Cocoa Tea, and Michigan and Smiley. So I did a major overhaul of this station and added a more classic feel.  Of course there are plenty of tracks from the major stars such as Shaggy, Sean Paul, Shabba Ranks, Rihanna, Busy Signal, Buju Banton, and many others.  I have held back on the amount of tracks from artists such as Elephant Man, Vybz Kartel, and other controversial artists though they do have some tracks that I felt fit the atmosphere that I wanted to create.  I’m also considering doing an overhaul on this station and turning it into a station that also features Hip-Hop collaborations.  Please check it out and let me know what you think.

Dub Wise:
This is my baby.  I did an overhaul on the the other stations and made them my own, but Dub Wise is a One Lovell original.  I thought that it would be a good fit for people who are at work and need some instrumental music to check vibe out to.  I tried not to make it too slow and repetitive but I think that it really came together once I got enough different artists involved that fit.  Of course we have Lee “Scratch” Perry, King Tubby, Augustus Pablo, Sly and Robbie, Dean Fraser and many classic pioneers of dub but I also included selections from Thievery Corporation, Gorillaz, Zenzile, and other electronic artists to change up the feel of the playlist.  As I have grown older, my appreciation for dub has steadily increased and now is a major influence in my life.  The simplicity is calming and humbling…

I really feel blessed to be given the opportunity to share my passion for Reggae music for a living so please take full advantage of these FREE music streams.  Music is and always be for sharing and we are developing more and more ways to do that.  That is my mission.  In the spirit of sharing, I’ll be back to share some fantastic new releases soon.

Jah Bless    –   One Lovell

Greetings Reggae heads, I wanted to follow up my post on my my visit to Tuff Gong Studios by highlighting some artists that I discovered while in Jamaica. At Tuff Gong I was mostly on the hunt for Italian Reggae artist Alborosie, who does some fantastic remixes of classic Reggae anthems such as Tenor Saw’s “Ring The Alarm,” and Black Uhuru’s “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner.” Other 45’s that I picked up were tracks from Prestige, Richie Spice, and Sizzla. I was unable to find a new tracks from Stephen Marley, Damian Marley, or Collie Buddz that were blasting on Irie FM, but I will let you know as soon as I find the titles. The gem of the Tuff Gong visit was a live performance of “Fire” by Ricky Chaplin. I was happy to support him following this display, so make sure you check him out, Big Up. Another Gem that I found was “Victims of The System” by emerging band Rootz Underground. Before I left, I had heard about this band because guitarist, Jeffrey Moss Solomon is my cousin. I was excited to support the family, but i will admit that they exceeded my expectations. This track is blazing hot, and i will be scooping up every release that i can find. They are currently touring the United States, so make sure you keep and eye out.

Unfortunately for the Artists, the most reliable way to get the newest music is from street vendors. I picked up several CD mix tapes from the Higher Heights Sound System. On theseCD’s I did not find new songs from well known artists, but brand new artists with a fresh new sound. These included I-Octane, Demarco, Mavado, Queen Ifrika, Bugle, Da’ville, and Alaine. Sprinkled amongst these selections were songs from the likes of Lutan Fyah, Sean Paul featuring Shabba Ranks, and even Gregory Isaacs. Though I am an avid fan of Roots and Culture Reggae, I did pick up a Dancehall CD called Higher Heights Gangsta War, Volume 3. Featured on this CD were Mavado, Busy Signal, Vybz Kartel, Cobra, and Blak Rhyno. I was surprised by the quality of the new dancehall that had clearly been influenced by Hip-hop since the last time that I had heard.

Make sure you check out for these artists in the coming months, as I’m sure you will be hearing more from them as we approach the summer. Give thanks, and leave a comment to let me know what you think of these artists.You can always check out my radio show to hear the latest music that I am hyped on. Jah Guide