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| Itinualjah (Natural Vibes, 2006) I haven't always been fond of Ras L's collaborations with Midnite, so when I found out that he produced this showcase of St. Croix artists (Midnite included), I was a bit apprehensive. However, while Itinualjah didn't blow me away, I found it to be a pleasant surprise. Ras L is pretty much the same Ras L that I remember; his music is minimal, laid-back, and edgy with an emphasis on drum and bass that leans toward "hip-hoppery" at times. Perhaps because of this edge, all of the artists on Itinualjah are DJs or sing-jays or, as with Midnite's Vaughn Benjamin, a singer who decides to chat or talk or whatever you want to call it. There's even a dub poet, Jah Youth. The point is, Itinualjah isn't for the faint of heart. It's got a tough, gritty, experimental roots-meets-hip-hop-jazz-electronica-fusion that, given a chance, proves rewarding. DJs like XCaliba and Jah Rubal come with old-school flows that accentuate the music's simple, percussive flair. Rubal's "Ina O" is particularly fun, a wonderfully pointless self-promotion in a early '80s stylee (think Lone Ranger or Billy Boyo) that proclaims "Anytime me talk, me haffi end it in a 'O'." He then proceeds to prove his point, finishing every single line with a word that ends in "O": mango, Volvo, front row, Hawaii Five-O, okr...o? "O"-kay... But it's a couple of more modern DJs, Mosiah and Lava (AKA Volcano), who emerge as the stars of this compilation. Mosiah conveys a towering presence with his gruff vocals and no-nonsense delivery on the rootsy "Greedy" and the funky "1st uv de Hebrews," while Lava flexes his versatility by showcasing a sing-songy flow on "Won" followed by a straightforward DJ chat on "Pushtru." Ras L's riddims are certainly avant-garde, from the jazz-funk "1st Uv de Hebrews" to the quirky On-U Sound-esque genre-benders "Blessed Assurance" and "The People," but the artists buy into them totally and go with the warped flow (On "Night Water Ships," for instance, Little Judgement borrows the melody from John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane."), helping to make Itinualjah a solid cultural showcase of St. Croix's seemingly endless stock of talent. |
| Track Listing 1. Altogether -- Ras Calle 2. Sang Real -- Midnite 3. Bling Bling -- XCaliba 4. Ina O -- Jah Rubal 5. Enjoy Life -- XCaliba 6. 1st uv de Hebrews -- Mosiah 7. Jah Stranga -- Ras Calle 8. Blessed Assurance -- Jah Youth 9. Won -- Lava 10. Pushtru -- Lava 11. Greedy -- Mosiah 12. Night Water Ships -- Little Judgement 13. After All These Things -- Jah Youth 14. Guidinstar -- Jah Rubal 15. The People -- Little Judgement |
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