Sizzla – The I-Grade

0n April 24th, Lead Out Productions released Sizzla’s Run Tingz. The album, produced by $paceAgeRasta with additional co-production from Scur Lowe, Jason Hammer, Puri Fya, and Sizzla himself, was initially hyped as one that would become a future classic. However, it ultimately proved to be one of the weakest albums from the artist from August Town.

Just under four months later, a fresh 13-track album titled The I-Grade has emerged following the release of Run Tingz. One would hope that this quick follow-up would help erase the unpleasant memory left by the previous album. Unfortunately, the opposite seems to be the case. The I-Grade fails to truly turn things around for the better and ultimately disappoints, much like its predecessor. This has become a recurring trend in Sizzla’s recent album releases. The issue lies in his tendency to veer too often towards hip-hop and r&b, a musical direction that does not resonate with true reggae and dancehall fans. It’s truly disheartening to witness such wasted talent. So, are there no songs really worth listening to? To be honest, no there aren’t! The only one that probably surpasses the below average efforts is Now Dem Know, the concluding track of this album. Of course, some fans will argue that an artist’s musical expressions naturally develop over time. While this is undoubtedly true, an artist can also veer off in an entirely wrong direction as is seemingly the case with Sizzla.

Similar to its predecessor, The I-Grade is an album that is meant to be forgotten. It’s time to go and listen to Praise Ye Jah and then Black Woman & Child, as they are sure to uplift my spirits.