Solid (Crucial Youth, 2008)

Rankin Scroo is a veteran Jamaican DJ who was a pioneer in the Hawaiian reggae ("Jahwaiian") scene back in the '80s as part of the duo Rankin' Scroo & Ginger. He's since settled into the San Francisco Bay area of California, where he's worked with rappers like Too Short, E-40, and Money B, leading his style to evolve into a mix of reggae and hip-hop that he terms "urban reggae." I don't know if either the term (see Urban Beat Reggae) or the sound itself (see Mad Lion and compilations like Hip Hop Reggae, NYC Badmen, and Rush Dem) is as original as he thinks, but Rankin Scroo pulls it off with flying colors on his latest effort, Solid. His second such foray into urban reggae (following 2001's Godfada), Solid is a blast, a freewheeling, engaging set that showcases Scroo's wonderful versatility. He can chat in a traditional dancehall DJ style, he can sing (even performing a straight-up R&B ballad, "Lovin Everything About You"), and he can do a little in between, with the type of sing-jay delivery that's so popular nowadays with artists like Sizzla and Anthony B. Hip-hop reggae hybrids are tough to pull off, but Scroo does it on "Run Come" and "Hoyah Hoyah," a pair of fun tracks driven by digi-hip-hop beats and chant-along choruses. Even if this sort of sound isn't your thing, don't fear, because only four of the 14 tracks on this "urban reggae" album feature hip-hop beats. The rest is primarily roos with a couple of strong lovers-styled tunes ("Dream Dream," featuring Lutan Fyah and the righteous in message but still smooth lovers in sound "Heavenly Father") and the aforementioned R&B ballad, which is the only track on Solid that doesn't really mesh. The bulk of great material on the album comes from rootsy sing-jay tracks like "My People," "Above Dem," "My Father's House," and "Lurkin," wicked jams that should appeal to any fans of Sizzla, Jah Mason, Turbulence, and the like. Between these roots tunes and the hip-hop joints, Solid contains not one or two, but several of the catchiest songs I've heard in quite some time. Hear for yourself at www.rankinscroo.com.