Vybz Kartel Ft. Slimatic – Man Str88
Despite a life sentence for murder, Kartel hasn’t stopped his flow of tunes. This catchy track rides on a Firelinks-produced riddim that is reminiscent of sounds that were being cranked out about five years ago (think Go Go Club). It’s got a little more pop, a little less hardcore, and the hook is a huge lift.
Koro Fyah – New Day
This nice one-drop example comes from a singjay (singer/dejay) who comes out of the Bebble Rock Camp and is part of the much-heralded reggae revival. Fellow revivalist conscious DJ Kabaka Pyramid tries his hand at production here, and demonstrates that he’s got a knack for putting together pleasant, singable reggae.
Machel Montano – Remedy
A big soca tune dropped this week, which was met with a range of responses. It’s soca don Machel Montano, so there is bound to be big love for just about anything he does. But some listeners thought this tune, a straight-up groovy soca jam, was a little too obvious and easy. But if this is Montano just getting started, he could do a lot worse.
A Pass ft. Radio and Weasel – Nah Normal
Uganda has quite a dancehall scene, and A Pass, along with Radio and Weasel of Ugandan group Goodlyfe Crew, demonstrate that Kampala can compete with Kingston. Though there’s patois lyrics, it’s seamlessly blended with just as much Kampala-based slang. Nessim Mukuza’s production style is poppy and heavy on the hook, there’s a bit more focus on melody here than on much of the material coming out of Jamaica these days.
Protoje – Stylin’
Protoje couldn’t release his new album Ancient Future soon enough. This single, his third from the forthcoming record, matches the past-meets-present vibe of the “ancient future” concept. Horns, a casual bassline and robotic vocals show up throughout. The song is accompanied by a creative lyrics video featuring animation and art direction from Taj Francis, an up-and-coming Kingston-based artist.
