Mucho Dinero (Gee Street, 1998)

I had thought that major record labels had given up on this type of crossover, hip-hop-laden dancehall album after the wave that flooded the US to varied success around 1992-94 (Tiger, Buju Banton, Terror Fabulous, Tony Rebel, Super Cat, Cutty Ranks, Mad Cobra, Shaggy, Snow, Shabba Ranks, Red Fox, Jamalski, etc.).  Apparently, Gee Street didn't get the memo.  Although many of those early '90s major-label albums were actually quite good, Mucho Dinero represents the more generic, inferior side.  Allow me to pause for an aside: To all you artists out there, I have never heard an album that is actually improved by silly, minute-long skits, so STOP IT!  This skit tendency is a reflection of Yankee B.'s hip-hop leanings, a result of his being based in New York City.  Around half of the tracks on Mucho Dinero feature hip-hop or R&B beats, most of which don't fly.  The worst has to be "That Feeling," which takes the music and melody from Marvin Gaye's classic "Sexual Healing" (sacrilege!).  Yankee B.'s whiny, harsh, hyper vocals are not suited for such sultry R&B stylings, as "I Will Rock You" (based on Freddie Jackson's "Rock Me Tonight") also attests.  He is at his best when chatting over good old-fashioned dancehall rhythms, as on "Spend the Night," "Megapressure," and perhaps the best song here, the old school jam "Live By the Gun."  His charismatic style is enjoyable on such tracks, his voice sounding at times like Chip Fu from the Fu-Shnickens (though not quite as crackheaded).  A couple of conscious, rootsy tunes are aided by strong guest appearances: "Next Fight," featuring Sizzla, and the remix of his remake of Bob Marley's "War," featuring Ky-mani (Marley, that is), whose forceful, guttural, distinctly Marley vocals will resonate through your ears.  However, such high points are too few and far between, diluted by useless hip-hop reggae like "Pass the Chronic," "Who Are You," and "Hurt Somebody."