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Title Artist Label Format Date |
Loaded
Busy Signal VP Records - Groove Attack CD September 19, 2008 |
Track list
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Rating :
from 5 (excellent) to 1 (poor) |
| Vocals : 5 | Backing : 4/5 | Production : 5 | Sound quality : 5 | Sleeve : 4 |
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Since he stepped out onto the dancehall scene in early
2003, Busy Signal (born Reanno Gordon) has
shown incredible talent and lyrical skill that has taken him swiftly to the forefront
of the business. Busy's breakout single "Step Out" was one of the hottest tunes of 2005
and with the accompanying music video, it signalled the arrival of dancehall's next big
thing. Then, riding on the back of numerous hits on big riddims including "Because of
You", with Tami Chynn on the 'Throwback Giggy'-riddim, "Wuk Gal (Pharmacy)" on the
'Kopa'-riddim and "2 Much Gun" on Daseca's well built re-lick of the 'Man Fi Dead'
a.k.a. 'Petty Thief'-riddim, Busy delivered his solo debut "Step Out" two years ago. And
now the only dancehall DJ as hot as Mavado delivers his sophomore album "Loaded" for VP
Records. This album opens with the massive "People So Evil" across the first riddim by Shawn 'SSMG' Scott on this album (laid together with the these days omnipresent Demarco, followed by the Jammy 'Jam 2' James produced strong 'Cry Holy'-riddim backing the massive Nah Go A "Jail" Again and the first single taken from this release, the atypical "Tic Toc" with its Asian hip-hop style of riddim and Busy's delivery US-rap styled. Next is his big hit for Star Kutt "Wine Pon Di Edge" produced by Colin 'Demarco' Edwards', before he delivers the extremely strong "Fast, Fast, Fast, Fast" for ZJ Chrome's CR203 label and the unbelievable "Hey Girl" a.k.a. "Nicky Titty" over Juke Boxx' 'Warning'-riddim, produced by his current manager Shane Brown and the big combination "Real Jamaican" with Mykal Roze for 'John John' James' Awful Productions. Then the B-side of first single "Tic Toc" follows "Unknown Number" for Juke Boxx Productions (like the two riddims before also laid by Demarco again), a tune that is among the strongest of this big tune filled album, as well as his smash hit "These Are The Days" for Daseca - the Harrisingh brothers together with Craig 'Serani' Marsh -. The grimey "Hustle Hard" is one of the first promising productions by Jason Alexander for his Lifetime Records label and "My World" a.k.a. "Gangsta's Paradise" is Busy's big tune across Craig 'Leftside' Parkes' hypnotical 'Wild Out'-riddim. "Strappings" is an ultraviolent sounding tune again produced by Jason Alexander for Lifetime and then the odd "Cool Baby" over Shawn 'SSMG' Scott's strange 'Freestyle'-riddim (that Busy himself helped programming) fully grabs your attention. Of course by now some readers of this review might have become tired already with "No Escape" a.k.a. "Knocking At Your Door" over John John's epic 'Shoot Out'-riddim, but I can't get enough of this riddim and of Busy's completely over the top but extremely entertaining tune. The last tune on this album is a strong combination with Italian Jamaican Alborosie who delivers a brilliant hookline alongside Busy's rhymes on "Murderer" across the 'Tempo'-relick by France(!)'s Soul Vybz Records. Busy Signal proves with this sophomore album "Loaded" that he can live up to the high expectations and is one of THE artists in the current Jamaican dancehall scene that will get the attention he deserves both within and outside his original audience, you do need to pick up this album as a dancehall aficionado. |
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