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Uncommonly Smooth (Capitol, 1995)
"Uncommonly Bad" is what I would call this major-label effort from DJ Spragga Benz. The material ranges from well-intended but flat gospel tribute "Thanks & Praises" to the old-fashioned bluesy piano-driven "Hardcore Lovin'" to the uninspired "A-1 Lover" (which was released as a single) to the unnecessary remakes of R&B classics by The Staples Singers ("I'll Take You There") and Ben E. King ("Spanish Harlem"), the latter inexplicably featuring King himself. Examples of the solid, hard-hitting dancehall we're used to seeing from Spragga Benz are few and far between on this album, the major exception being the outstanding "Good Day," featured on the overlooked compilation Dancehall Days. This ominous bad boy anthem is worth searching out, but hopefully you can find it on Dancehall Days and thus won't be subjected to Uncommonly Smooth. Spragga Benz is a much better DJ than he shows on this underachieving album.
| Track Listing 1. Body Good 2. No Matey 3. Hardcore Lovin' 4. So Mi Hafi Dead 5. A-1 Lover featuring Chevelle Franklyn 6. Thanks & Praises 7. Good Day 8. Gang Rival featuring Blacka Shines 9. No Check 10. Spanish Harlem featuring Ben E. King 11. We'll Take You There 12. Lonesome Side featuring Coco Tea |
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Fully Loaded (VP, 2000) Since his rise to prominence in the early '90s, I've always thought that Spragga Benz had one of the more appealing voices in dancehall -- a brash, forceful baritone -- but he's always struck me as something of an underachiever. While he has released great songs here and there, I haven't found his albums to be particularly stellar, not to mention the fact that for a modern dancehall artist, he hasn't released that many to begin with -- only 4 or 5 albums in over 10 years; that's a slow spring for Sizzla. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he was perhaps somewhat distracted by his side projects in acting and dating Foxy Brown (probably a full-time job in and of itself). Fully Loaded is probably the album that most fully realizes his potential thus far. It's full of energy and musically adventurous, with sounds ranging from digital dancehall (of course) to the ska of "Pum Pum Conqueror" to the drum 'n bass of "Mur-Da-Ra" to the old school dancehall of "Wi Nuh Inna Dhat" to the gloomy hip-hop of "Sex Abuse" to the electronica of "Supposed 2know" to the folky adaptation of Bruce Springsteen's "Fire" on "Harder." In typical Spragga Benz style, Fully Loaded is also unapologetically lewd, crude, and rude -- as if the titles "Pum Pum Conqueror," "Mur-Da-Ra," and "Badman Anthem" weren't an indication. And yet, Spragga Benz's powerful control of the mike and roguish mix of musical sounds still manage to make it a fairly enjoyable ride. "Badman Anthem" is pretty typical of this set, beginning with a rather tasteless take on the '80s AIDS benefit ballad "That's What Friends Are For" which croons "that's what guns are for," before settling into a funky, fresh adaptation of Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody." The most disturbing aspect of Fully Loaded, though, are actually the tunes with positive messages. I mean, how are you gonna have song after song touting violence and graphic sexual images, and then turn around with messages like "Praise," "Sleep With Angels," "Call Upon Jah Name," and "Peace"? Peace??? Are you kidding? |
| Track Listing 1. Praise 2. Badmen Anthem 3. Supposed 2know 4. Wi nuh Like 5. Harder 6. Weh Ya Star 7. Sex Abuse 8. Heaven Sent 9. She Nu Ready Yet 10. Peace 11. Some Bwoy 12. Wi Nuh inna Dhat 13. Pum Pum Conquerer 14. Backshot featuring Lady Saw 15. Mur-da Rah 16. Push it Up 17. Do It an Done 18. Show Me Love 19. Call Upon Jah Name 20. Sleep With Angels |
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Thug Nature (Empire, 2002)
Thug Nature is more of the same ol' same ol' from Spragga Benz. It's easily overlooked, not as thoughtfully menacing as Bounty Killer, not as playfully aggressive as Elephant Man, not as inextricably invigorating as T.O.K. or Ward 21. As the title suggests, the subject matter on this album covers all things "thug." This isn't anything new or revolutionary inna di dancehall, of course, and frankly it rings a bit hollow here. It feels somewhat forced, like posturing just for the sake of posturing, particularly with song titles like "Real Niggaz," "Coochie Daddy," "Gunz Up," and "Playa," and interludes labeled "Hater's Interlude," "Still Hating Interlude," and "Do or Die Interlude," in which he shoots someone. Whee. I don't mean to "hate," but these tunes seem like they've been ripped from a textbook for Dancehall Culture 101, or even hip-hop culture for that matter ("Make sure to change all words ending with 's' to a 'z'."). Lyrically, Spragga is about as subtle as a sledgehammer, and each track seems to try to outdo the last in hyper-machismo. If you can look past this, the pounding hits "African Move" and "Warrior's Cause" shine, as do "Di Rooster" and "Gi Wi Dem." "Playa," meanwhile, despite its hackneyed title, has a musically smooth edge that is a bit respite from the remainder's harshness...a bit.
| Track Listing 1. Coochie Daddy 2. Hater's Interlude 3. Analogy 4. Bait (Mek Dem Talk) 5. African Move 6. Spin Yu Roll 7. Hot Life 8. Stunna 9. Buck A Catty 10. Still Hating Interlude 11. It's So Hard featuring Sugar Slick 12. Playa 13. It's Clear 2 Me featuring Sugar Slick 14. Gi Wi Dem featuring Red Square 15. Di Rooster 16. Do Or Die Interlude 17. Dem Lick Dem Head 18. Gunz Up 19. Warriors Cause featuring Elephant Man 20. Real Niggaz featuring Twice |
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