quick audio picks: 12345
The first Lee Perry-produced Wailers album, reissued in a glossy gatefold digipak by the Lilith label. This was essentially an expanded version of the Soul Rebels album from 1970, but the additional tracks like "Mr. Brown(1)" and "Duppy Conqueror(2)" make Rasta Revolution...
expand review even more potent. As the title suggests, this album found Bob, Bunny and Peter "affirming their spiritual commitment to Rastafari" and moving further away from their early, more traditional sound. It's evident in the soulful vibes on the album, and on the 3 bonus tracks that Lilith added to this reissue: "African Herbsman(3)," "Trench Town Rock(4)" and "Lively Up Yourself(5)." The liners don't mention anything about remastering but audio quality here is great. 16 tracks; 47 minutes total. -Larri Byrd
The long-awaited (at least by us) sequel to Eleven's killer roots/dancehall mix from 2006 features even more hits -- both known and unknown, current and classic -- for you to, uhhhhh, relax to. Smooth mixing as always, never taking you out of...
expand review the vibe, with tracks by Jah Cure, Marlon Asher, Morgan Heritage, Collie Buddz, Ray Darwin, Tarrus Riley, Tony Curtis, Luciano, Mark Wonder, Buju, Sizzla, Chezidek, Tanya Stephens, Beenie, Assassin, Tinga Stewart and more. 45 tracks; 74 minutes. -Chris Lemon-Red
The Rub's DJ Eleven is on some mad planned-trajectory destruction this year. First, Houston Rocks It warmed it up with a big slab of sweltering down south shit. Then he went all rowdy with the wyle-out Best of M.O.P. mix....
expand review Now he's here to help you with the comedown. Featuring almost 40 tracks of roots/reggae/dancehall classics (both old and new), J.A. Goods is a blown-out and expanded version of the mix that he did for the Lemon-Red.org Mix Series just last month, and it's exactly what you need for the ridiculously (and prematurely) warm weather right now. Everything from King Kong to Warrior King, I Wayne to Singer J, and even a few tracks your fratboy roommate will know from Sizzla and "Bob." Focusing more on making a good-ass mix, and less on being an obscurist twat, Eleven employs some serious murderation tactics here. This is the goods, for rill. -Chris Lemon-Red
Get your airhorns ready. Mister Meistro, associate of Lab homeys Dave Nada and Tittsworth (and therefore posessing immaculate party-rocking credentials) is back with the followup to his first roots/dancehall/classics mix. Loved the first one, (and a lot of you did...
expand review too) but this one may be even better. The blends are still on point and the transitions come at the right time in the track (people please take note: do not mix out in the middle of a verse!). Even more importantly, the song selection hits the correct balance between new, known and classics so everybody's happy. Things kick off in high gear with the criminally underplayed Rocking Time riddim (Chezidek's "Who I Am") and continue on a smooth modern roots tip with a succession of quality conscious dancehall interspersed with big tunes from Alborosie ("Slam Bam"), Buju ("Don & Dupes"), Pinchers ("Bandelero") and Super Cat ("Come Down"). The expert lacing of new versions with their precedents (big up for throwing in "Don Is Don") shows you're in the hands of a veteran. There's no way I can start to go thru even half of the 41 (!) tracks on here, but suffice to say Meistro has added a few to my wants list, and reminded me of a couple others I need to dig out of the box and get back in rotation. Nicely done sir. -monk
Warehouse find! Da'Ville is currently slaying reggae charts worldwide, but in 2005 he was cooking up this CD of collabos, exclusives and dubplates with Federation Sound's Curly Locks. It's got tracks like "Heaven" and "Lion Sleeps" plus many tunes exclusive to this...
expand review mix on riddims like Real Rock, Ali Baba, Free Up, Guillotine, Safe Sex and Baby Father, and guest spots from Vybz Kartel, Marcia Griffiths and more. Excellent summer listening. 39 tracks; 76 minutes. Limited stock. -Chris Lemon-Red
Reeeeewiiiiinnnddd!!!! 100% dubplate mix starring Philly's always hype Federation Sound System. For those who don’t know, dubplates are exclusive one-offs made specifically for a DJ or sound system, remixes of already popular songs which the original artists re-record with shouts to said...
expand review DJ or sound system (and sometimes shit-talking against rival crews). Obviously these are great for battles, but also for just general bragging rights and awesomeness if you are a DJ. I don’t usually love them, to be honest - they are often mad interrupted with tons of those shout outs and shit, and the original song is almost completely gone. But this mix is killer. The songs are still bangers and the dubs just amp them up, rather than getting annoying. 53 tunes of Federation exclusives here, all mixed with each riddim getting about four different dubs in a row. Starts off with Revolution, and includes tunes on riddims such as Answer, Bam Bam, and the classic Real Rock. Includes tracks by Sizzla, Sean Paul, Wayne Wonder, Half Pint, Luciano, Buju, Bounty Killer, Cham and many others. 53 tracks total, 72 minutes. -RikRok
Philly's Solomonic Sound and NY's Federation meet in an all exclusive, all dubplate, all specials mix! They take things pretty much head to head, trading off dubplates from all the biggest artists, with special versions of some absolutely monster tunes. The cd...
expand review is arranged by riddim, so you get stuff like a John Holt dub of "Police In Helicopter," followed by no less than 3 Capleton vocals over the same riddim. Shit gets real serious when they start heading into things like the Real Rock, Far East and Stalag and it's capped with a tune fi tune segment featuring insane versions of Sugar Minott's "Never Give Up," Sizzla's "Solid As A Rock," Buju's "Murderer" and much more. Partial artist list: Damian Marley (on the Truths And Rights riddim), Johnny Osbourne, Richie Spice, Bounty Killer, Sanchez, Marlon Asher, Anthony B, Chuck Fender, Yami Bolo (killer version of "Put Down The Weapon"), Beres Hammond, Luciano, Turbulence, etc. Extra points for the super cool throwback cover- recommended. -the mgmnt
Queen Majesty is one of the staple reggae DJs in the NYC scene (she regularly spins at Deadly Dragon and Rub parties). This CD proudly boasts no mash-up or remixes, and features original reggae covers of songs everyone knows. Of course MJ...
expand review is heavily represented with Shinehead's cover of "Billie Jean," AJ Brown's "Human Nature," and Little Kirk's "Man In The Mirror," but that's just the surface. Check the covers of "Like A Prayer, Tenderoni, Head To Toe, My Prerogative, Fast Car, Faith, Back To Life, No Diggity" and many others. Super-entertainment, 24 tracks in all. Includes a Queen Majesty button. -the mgmnt
Uh oh, Heavy Manners in the place! We don't get many culture or dancehall mixes anymore, but with the HM brand involved, plus Sizzla hosting, plus Tribe of Kings' Dash Eye holding it down on the mix, you know we had to...
expand review get our hands on this one. Fire 'Pon Dem is pure weapons grade, with Dash spinning all the biggest tunes on the most choice riddims: Kingston Town, Tear Drops, Funny Man, Gang War, Bad Dog, Air Waves, Gully Beans, etc. Skip at Heavy Manners also got Sizzla to record dubs of "Praise Ye Jah" and "Smoke The Herbs" down in JA, plus The Rub's DJ Eleven and our own Lab homies Snack & C'mish contributed exclusivo remixes. Includes songs from Movado, Alborosie, Collie Buddz, Busy Signal, Mr. Vegas, Sean Paul, Kiprich, Buju, Beenie, Tony Matterhorn, T.O.K., Ms. Thing, Cham, and of course plenty of Sizzla. Basically, this is heat. Over 40 tracks total. -Chris Lemon-Red
Now available on CD! Are you ready? Cause this is the Souuth....Rakkaas....Crrrreew!!! The newest producers to hit Diplo's Mad Decent label. Originally from Southern Canada, but now operating out of Orlando, SRC is mostly known for their banging dancehall riddims (Clappas, Red...
expand review Alert, Bionic Ras, Chinkuzi, etc.) and their wide range of styles (they've worked with Beenie Man, Elephant Man and so many more). This is their first EP premiering their blends to the public, so do not sleep. Everyone from Snackmaster and I to Cosmo Baker have been hooked on their infectious styles since the promos were dropped off. The whole EP is pretty much on fire, but if you want the hand-picked selections, check the dancehall/80's house flavor of "Mad Again," which uses the keys from Inner City's "Good Life" to make a hard-to-resist hybrid. I never would have thought it possible, but SRC is big on surprises and they pull it off with a bang! Also check the old skool break mixed with Josh Wink's "Higher States Of Consciousness" on Kid Foreigner's "Hotter Than Them" ft. Bigga Boss, the new dancehall feel of Capleton's "Real Hot Remix" and Mr. Vegas, Alozade and Hollowpoint on the "Under Mi Sensi - Retro Mix." I know our dancehall section has been lacking tremendously since there's no Frogman's to keep stock on all the new Jamaican 7"s, but this should make up for some of that (although I miss those Reggae Gold covers and promo posters!). Whoo! Very recommended. -C'mish
Damn, what to say about this one? It's pretty much automatic. The Rub's DJs Ayres & Eleven follow up their their solo reggae mixes (Sun Lovers & J.A. Goods) with this MEGA dancehall collab. Now, I thought I was up on my...
expand review dancehall classics, but I feel like one of those fucking fratboys who only owns Legend when I look at the back of this CD. Even if you know a lot of the artists here, I betcha most of the tracks will be unfamiliar. 68 tunes spread over two CDs, so getting into names would be kinda foolish... but here's some anyway: Buju, Sizzla, Pinchers, Wayne Wonder, Ini Kamoze, Barrington Levy, Gregory Isaacs, Shinehead, Johnny Osbourne, Beenie Man, Super Cat, Cutty Ranks, General Degree, Spragga Benz, Shabba and lots (LOTS) more. Not to mention the Rub have stepped their duplication game up and these are two real (not CDR) discs in a jewel case... shrinkwrapped! Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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If you haven't kept up with the Honest Jon's / Basic Channel / Rhythm & Sound co-curated reggae & dancehall reissue label since its inception in 2004, this unmixed sampler will help get you up to speed with rare sides from the...
expand review likes of Jackie Mittoo, Gregory Isaacs, Courtney Melody, Prince Jazzbo, White Mice and more. The label doesn't concern itself with just one style, instead choosing to reissue everything from 70s roots burners(1) to obscure 80s digital dancehall hits(2) and even great 90s almost-were's(3). More samples from the sampler: White Mice's "Nothing Never Done Before The Time(4)," Jackie Mittoo's cosmic "Ayatollah(5)" and "Dealing(6)" from Mr. Isaacs. 16 tracks; 60 minutes. -Chris Lemon-Red
quick audio picks: 123456
Soul Jazz never ceases to amaze with their releases. It's like they can choose any sub-genre of music and you know they're gonna put out the absolute best of that particular style, plus give you a proper schooling in the liner notes....
expand review They've covered everything from Chicago Acid House, NY Latin Disco, Reggae of all kinds, etc, etc... but now they're gonna take you to school on the roots of RAGGA JUNGLE! That's right - the short-lived era in the early 90's in the UK, right before the full on Drum N Bass explosion, when it was all about that dub-tinged low end rumble, hype dancehall vocals, and that relentless double time break. Don't be quick to dismiss this sound if you've had preconceived notions on Jungle in the past - the energy is incredible and I think the sound is past-due for a revisit (and that's not just my DNB bias talking). Just take a listen to M Beat and General Levy's "Incredible(1)" and X-Project's remix of Barrington Levy & Beenie Man's "Under Mi Sensi(2)" and tell me that shit ain't hype. The hypeness doesn't stop there either, this comp also contains absolute classic dancehall smashers like UK Apachi and Shy FX's "Original Nuttah(3)" and Cutty Ranks' "Limb By Limb(4)." "No Doubt(5)" by Shut Up And Dance (dopest name ever) really shocked me too. Hear that early, early dubstep sound during the intro, then past the Jock Jams announcer(!) into that fresh breakbeat/acid/jungle hybrid. Too fresh! 13 tracks total. What with the second coming of all this rave stuff, this seems like the natural progression. -snackmaster
Everybody's getting up on the dancehall thing recently and we say, more fiya. Hip Hop djs were all into it back in about 90-94, but nowadays they've either stopped playing it or have been playing the same damn songs for the last...
expand review 6 years. Vinroc and Triple Threat are picking it up again, bringing in the newer stuff and some more dug up bangers. The cd gets set off live from the Beatville Lounge and Vinroc pulls a nice quick mix intro (even got a couple dub plates and skratching up in there). Then goes straight for the gut with Sean Paul's "Infiltrate." He keeps the whole thing moving with songs from all eras, just the right amount of skills, and a couple of remixes (check the Vinroc reggae mix of Aaliyah's Try Again). Tracks: Infiltrate, Who Am I, Murder She Wrote, Pose Off, Bookshelf, She Nuh Ready Yet, Dwayne, Selassie Warning, Action, Wicked Dickie, Number 2, Zunguzung, Limb By Limb, Kuff, Bubblers, Black Roses, Know Fe Chat, Hot Gal Today, way more. Nice addition: Vinroc reggae mix of Aaliyah's Try Again. -the mgmnt
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