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As a Matter of Fox (Elektra, 1993) Amidst the mass of dancehall releases from major labels that came out in the early '90s was Red Fox -- not to be confused with comedian Redd Foxx, or fellow DJs Red Rat or Red Dragon (or rapper Red Man, for that matter). An acquaintance of Shaggy (both members of the so-called "Rough Entry Crew," along with Bajja Jedd, Screechy Dan, Nike Fungus, Mikey Jarrett, and Ian "Mr. Easy" Dyer, each moderately successful on their own at one time or another), Red Fox has a similar style to his more successful friend with a bit more rugged, street swagger and a bit less of a nasal voice. Like Shaggy, he is based in the New York area, as shown in the preponderance of hip-hop beats on this album. Indeed, about half of the album is hip-hop reggae, the best being "Dem a Murderer," one of the most popular tunes on the album. Featuring an aggressive, brutal Bobby Konders beat that, in 1993 at least, would've caused you to jump -- since jumping was "in" (reflected in House of Pain's "Jump Around" and Kris Kross' "Jump") -- "Dem a Murderer" contrasts with the calmer, more R&B sound of "I'm Gonna Take You Home," the gospel sound (years before Beenie Man made the dancehall gospel sound a hit in 1998's "Gospel Time") of "Ghetto Gospel," and the icky C&C Music Factory pop dance sound of "Golden Axe." Of these 3 gambles, only "I'm Gonna Take You Home" goes anywhere (although "Ghetto Gospel" received some airplay). Aside from "Dem a Murderer," the best hip-hop tracks here are "Girl's Vineyard" and the smooth "Hey! Mr. Rude Bwoy," featuring rappers Brand Nubian (sans Grand Puba). The dancehall half of As a Matter of Fox is certainly more consistent than the hip-hop half. While the songs aren't great, they are enjoyable, particularly "No Condom, No Fun" and the "Dry Head Shakira" duo, each with a different interpretation of the meaning behind the nickname "Dry Head." |
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