Issential Knowledge

Greetings and Blessings-

Since I have neglected to update in the last few months, I wanted to look back on some of my favorite Reggae projects that came out in 2008. To start off, I got to big up my boy Gentleman, who absolutely tore it down at Reggae Rising 2008. His latest release is titled, “Another Intensity,” and features the rub-a-dub/one drop sound that we have come to expect from Germany’s finest but there are several tracks that need to be given special consideration. The first is the single with Sizzla titled, “Lack of Love,” which is featured in the YouTube playlist below. This remix was done for the video and is available on the “Soulfood” EP which is an 8 track release with several remixes of, “Lack of Love,” as well as dub versions of “Tranquility” and “Evolution.” Definitely check that out. Gentleman is always known for his collaborations with just about every star in Reggae and he stayed consistent with that theme linking with new comer Alborosie. They collaborated on the track, “Celebration,” that is by far the best selection on the album. Its a certified anthem.

Alborosie was busy in 2008 and made a name for himself quickly with a huge European Tour and a half dozen chart toppers. His album titled, “Soul Pirate,” was exclusively sold at his concerts but can be found on various online outlets. He blew up with tracks such as, “Rastafari Anthem,” “Kingston Town,” and “Sound Killah,” but showed staying power releasing track after track of booming One Drops that will make the old school heads nostalgic and dem youth slap it in their trunks. Alborosie represents that next generation of Reggae musicians that have gotten a chance to watch and study the masters such as Sly & Robbie, Black Uhuru, and Sizzla and use that to create a new hard hitting sound that Reggae has been lacking. If you don’t know Alborosie then check the tracks below and you’ll wonder what took you so long. It’s alright, that’s what I’m here for.

I have always talked about the fusion of Hip-Hop and Reggae and in 2008 it took on a new life. Many Reggae artists have been catapulted into popular music with a flurry of releases from the R&B world. Reggae was highly influenced in its early days by Motown and soul classics that could be heard from Miami and New Orleans radio stations so this is a natural progression. Among releases to mash it up in 2008 was Missy Elliot’s latest protégée, Jazmine Sullivan, and her single, “Need You Bad,” off her debut album, “Fearless.” This track features a nice dub bass line and Missy doing her best deejay impersonation, as well as Sullivan’s soulful singing, reminiscent of Lauren Hill. Make sure to also track down the remix that features T.I. rocking a patios flow. Safe to say Reggae has arrived and is here to stay in popular American music. Another major release was John Legend’s latest album, “Evolver.” This latest installment from the Legend is a refreshing eclectic mix that sounds well thought out and refined. John Legend always respects the music. That’s why when he went to make his Reggae track, he went to Jamaica to record it and brought along the latest phenomenon from the UK, Estelle, to make sure he got the sound he was looking for. What he ended up with was a track called, “No Other Love.” I think they did OK… hahaha (they mashed it up) judge for yourself.

Estelle had a huge 2008. She released a fantastic album titled, “Shine,” and stumbled on a smash hit with her single, “American Boy,” with Kanye West . But little did we know that was just the bait to bring you into her Reggae based soulful style. My favorite tracks are obviously the Reggae based, “Come Over” and “Magnificent,” but the entire album a very refreshing record that showcases all of Estelle’s musical talents. Definitely check that out. It seems like she’s become the new Reggae golden child already being featured on tracks with John Legend as I mentioned, and Kardinal Offishall, and Sean Paul. Here are some videos to highlight the tracks I talked about. Enjoy.

Jah Bless – One Lovell

Greetings Reggae Massive,

I & I have been faulty on my promise to keep you up to date on the happenings in the Reggae world, but no more.  The latest and greatest in Reggae news was the 2nd annual Reggae Rising Music festival in Humbolt country California.  This festival has actually taken place for 25 years, but last year a legal dispute between producer People’s Production and host Mateel Community Center that lead to the Reggae Rising.  I have been fortunate enough to have been present for 18 of those 25 years.  Though many fans were sceptical of the”Irie-ness” of the festival following the dispute, no one can deny that the line ups and special guests the last two years has erased any doubt about the greatest Reggae Festival in the world.  At Reggae Rising 2007 the The Marley’s performed with special guests Mr. Cheeks from Lost Boys and Chali-2na formally of Jurassic 5, but in 2008 they stepped it up another notch by reuniting Black Uhuru for a special performance to highlight Saturday night.

Following a mind blowing performance by Jr. Ried featuring Sly & Robbie, Ried and the rhythm twins were joined on stage by Don Carlos and Garth Dennis to perform classic anthems by Black Uhuru.  It was clear they hadn’t performed together recently due to the chemistry on stage, but I am so thankful to have witnessed such a momentous event.  And of course Sly & Robbie was the familiar rock playing for at least 2 straight hours with three different artists (Reggae Angels, Jr. Ried, and Black Uhuru).  The performance even carried on the the next night when Don Carlos brought Jr. Ried back on stage during his solo performance to play more Black Uhuru classics.  I can only hope this leads to a reunion record.

I felt somewhat bad for Turbulence and Sizzla who had to follow this historic performance, but they must have been inspired because they were the best live performances from dancehall artists that I have ever seen.  It was my first time seeing Turbulence who was surprisingly melodic and extremely dynamic on stage while commanded the crowd.  I will not miss another performance by this talented young artist.  Sizzla closed Saturday night and did not hold back.  For those of you who don’t know about the tension there can be at a Sizzla show let me just outline a few things that could go wrong.  First of all, Sizzla has such a large body of work, that the set list might miss fan favorites in favor of songs on the current album.  Sizzla also is known to use profanity and derogatory remarks against homosexuals which can seriously damage the vibe of a roots Reggae show.  But at Reggae rising 2008, none of these things happened (to his credit he also did a very good performance in 2006).  He was dynamic on stage and seemed to feed of of the energy of the night keeping it positive till the last beat.  Much respect bredren.

Before we go on to Sunday’s highlights I would be wrong not to mention the performances that Tanya Stephens and Beres Hammond threw down on Friday.  I overheard many people saying that Tanya was the reason they came to the festival this year.  She blew away many people in 2007 and she s did not disappoint in 08 with a great performance showing the strength and command that only a woman can.  Personally, Beres Hammond was 1/3 of the reason I was especially excited about this years lineup. He has one of the purest and cleanest voices in Reggae music and is known for putting on a spectacular show.  He was extremely humble and grateful for the honor of being featured and seemed to have the most fun on stage out of anyone that performed all weekend.

Sunday was great finish to the weekend and featured performances by Collie Buddz, Gentlemen, and Don Carlos. Collie Buddz performed a lot of the remixes and news tracks that he released since performing in 2007, but lack of a studio release limited the potential of the show.  Don Carlos capped off the entire festival with a one of the Irie-est roots performances that I have ever seen and brought Jr. Ried back for a second Black Uhuru jam session.  Don is the godfather of Reggae and he embodied the spirit of the music that night with humility and graciousness.  Few things can upstage a Don Carlos performance in my mind but Gentleman made quite an impression on me.  For those of you who are not familiar with Gentleman, he is a German Reggae star that has collaborations with pretty much every major Reggae Artist in the world.  His appearance is very unassuming but his performance was the highlight of the weekend for me.  He was the guy that I went and looked for at the record store on Monday.  His crowd control was fantastic and his voice was surprisingly rich for a man of such small stature.  He performed hits from his various albums released over the past decade including several collaboration tracks such as Fire A Go Bun Dem featuring Capelton and his latest hot Celebration featuring Alborosie.  I will definitely be keeping an eye on the Gentleman US tour schedule.

The only problem with Reggae Rising 2008 is that fans will have too high of expectations for 2009!  Peoples Productions has a serious task ahead of them to live up to this year.  Nuff respect to all the organizers, Volunteer and of course the Musicians for making it an experience that I will not forget.

Bless-sed Love

-One Lovell

Check out my video playlist of fan Youtube videos.

I got to Big Up Itation Records out of the Bay Area in California. Itation started in Vermont as a Sound System and transformed into a record label in 2007 and moved to my home town of Oakland CA. As a record label they debuted with the “Higher Meditation” Riddim which features cuts from Sizzla, Jah Mason, Freddie McGregor and more, and recently released the “Show Love” riddim which features Lutan Fyah, Natty King, and the Bay Area’s own Nyorah. Both of these releases are available at iTunes.com, ebreggae.com, and the Itation Records site. Make sure you check out ItationRecords.com and find out about their events, artists, and releases. Respect

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

Greetings fellow Reggae enthusiasts. I would like to welcome you to the HipHop-Reggae.com, your definitive guide for all of the most cutting edge music and news coming from the world of Reggae music. My name is Marley “One” Lovell, and I am Rastafarian since birth as well as a obsessive fan of Reggae music. Growing up in the beautiful Bay Area California, I attended the Reggae on the River festival in Humbolt County every year with my family and friends. As i grew older I became more interested in Rap and Hip-Hop music.

As an adult I have returned to my roots discovering the passion for Reggae that my parents shared. As you will come to learn I have a fundamental respect for roots Reggae of the the likes of Gregory Isaacs, Freddie McGregor, Dennis Brown, Garnett Silk, and of course my all time favorites, Sly & Robbie, the infamous “Riddim Twins.” The only thing the excites me more than Reggae, is the acceptance of Reggae by the Hip-Hop community. I consider myself a member of both cultures, and I think hat Hip-Hop and Reggae share a fundamental origin in the struggle of Black youth in urban environments.

Through out the history of Reggae music it has crossed many genre boundaries, but Hip-Hop has presented more than just an opportunity for a different sound. It has offered a chance to re capture the American market post Bob Marley, and create a fruitful sub genre. There are several examples of successful crossover from the 90’s from artists such as Super Cat and Shabba Ranks, but the real moves have been made in the new millennium by artists like Buju Banton, Sean Paul, Collie Buddz, Beenie Man, and of course the signing of Sizzla my Hip-Hop mogul Damon Dash.

Speaking of Sizzla, he has been absolutly torching the air waves and I think before you know it he will be a houshold name in the Hip-Hop community. Over the past couple years he has appeared on tracks with the likes of Styles P., Talib Kweli, Nas, and Juelz Santana. The latest things that I am super hyped on is an official music video with the “greatest rapper alive,” Lil’ Wayne, who kicks one of the illest pat tios verses I have ever heard. Much love and respect to these two for this submission from the Carter 3, and much respect to all of you for checking me out here at HipHop-Reggae.com. Enjoy, you’ll be hearing from me soon.
Respect