Jamaican Slang EditorialTHE Blog for Jamaican Slang, Patois, Reggae, Rastafari, Real T’ing dem and Jamaica

Have you ever met someone and just felt like you instantly would be friends with that person? Well, that is what happened when we did an interview with Selectas Jaw Breaker and Fyah Starter of Riddim Express. These guys are true music heads and focus on quality musical content in every podcast and mix that they do. No, these guys are not Jamaican, but they definitely know their reggae, dancehall, lovers rock and hip hop. Like so many people, their love for Jamaican music came out of a love for hip hop music. Right now, they have a couple of projects in the pipeline. There is even a top secret project that is soon going to take world by storm, so get over to www.riddimexpress.com to stay tuned to updates. Here is the exclusive interview Spliffy and I did with Jaw Breaker and Fyah Starter. Enjoy it and let us know your feedback!

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You can find out more about Riddim Express at :www.riddimexpress.com  or riddimexpress.podomatic.com

Big Up Jaw Breaker, Big Up Fyah Starter and go ahead and subscribe to their podcast…it’s FYAAAHHHHH!!!!

Yes, the Major Lazer Essential Mix is nothing new now. In a matter of 5 days, it spread all over the internet, but the truth is that it is MAD (good thing). Basically, the Essential Mix is a BBC Radio 1 show that consists of the best DJs in the world doing Dance mixes. The most recent Essential Mix was done by Diplo and Switch, the DJs/Producers behind Major Lazer. This mix is just too good. It is not a pure reggae mix nor is it a dance mix. Rather, it is a mix done in the typical Mad Decent manner, all over the place. Despite being all over the place, this is just a a quality mix with many dancehall, reggae and mash up gems! If you can get your hands on the complete thing, do it, but if you aren’t go to the Mad Decent website to get the Diplo half of the mix. Click here to listen to the full Major Lazer Essential Mix.

Diplo Mix:

Shut Up And Dance ‘Ravin I’m Ravin’
Barrington Levy ‘Reggae Music Dub’
Barrington Levy ‘Send A Moses’
Alton Ellis ‘Africa Descendants’
Burning Spear ‘Live It Out’
Artibella ‘Unknown’
Toyan ‘African Thing’
John Holt ‘100 Weight Of Collie Weed’
Barrington Levy ‘Murderer’
John Holt ‘Police In Helicopter’
Clint Eastwood & General Saint ‘Another One Bites The Dust’
Yello Man ‘Mr Chin!’
Unknown ‘Sweet Dreams’
Don Carlos ‘Ababa John I (Father Majesty)’
Johnny Osbourne ‘No Ice Cream Sound’
Admiral Bailey ‘Big Belly Man’
Wayne Smith ‘Under Me Sleng Teng’
Bruk Up ft. Shaggy ‘Sunglasses At Night’
Ricky Blaze ‘How Mi Look’
Martyn ‘Seventy Four’
Black Eyed Peas ‘Boom Boom Pow’
Seductive ‘Underground Sound’
Major Lazer ‘Jump Up’
Party Quad ‘Pull Up’
Digital Manges ‘Manges (Sharkslayer Club)’
Major Lazer ‘Pon Di Floor Beatacue Mix’
Major Lazer ‘Pon Di Floor’
Nirvana ‘Lithium’
Wamdue Project ‘King Of My Castle’
LBG ‘Don’t Stop The Music’
Solid Groove ‘This Is Sick’
Mavado ‘Weh Dem A Do’
Dandy Livingstone ‘Rudy, A Message To You’
Unknown ‘Unknown’
Unknown ‘Unknown’

Switch Mix:

Mr. Oizo & Sebastian ‘Arrival’
Major Lazer ‘Lazer Theme’
Artist Unknown ‘Mash Up De Place’
King Jammys ‘Judgement Day’
Bjork ‘Nattura’ (Switch Remix)
Ace Of Base ‘All That She Wants’
Ninjasonik ‘Pregnant Accapella ‘
Major Lazer: ‘Baby Riddim’ Feat. Prince Zimboo And M.I.A (Switch Remix)
Donny ‘Symptomless Coma’ (Current Value VIP)
Major Lazer ‘Rebellion (Anything Goes) Accapella’
Leftside ‘Shi Nuh Wahh’
Terror Fabulous & Nadine Sutherland ‘Action’
The Shadow And The Ventures ‘Hawaii Five-O’ Feat. Andy Milonakis
Major Lazer ‘Hold The Line Accapella’
Shawna Feat. Twista & Ludacris ‘R.P.M’
Unknown ‘Unknown’
Rye Rye ‘Shake It To The Ground’ (Switch And Santigold Remix)
Major Lazer ‘Cash Flow’ (Subskrpt Remix)
DJ Malvado ‘Puto Mekie’
Major Lazer ‘Can’t Stop Now Accapella’
Switch & Crookers ‘Untitled’
Mapei ‘Belly’
White Label ‘F***in’ House’
Major Lazer ‘Pon De Floor’ (Drop The Lime Remix)
Unknown ‘Unknown’
DJ Sega ‘I’m A Flirt’
Major Lazer ‘Pon De Floor Beats’
Par-T-One ‘I’m So Crazy Accapella’
Amanda Blank ‘Something Bigger, Something Better Accapella’

From the get go, I gotta say, DJ Serg is talented! The music really does all of the talking, but I needed to put it out there. 

Showtime - Dancehall Mix Volume 5 is the most recent release from the Bay Area selecta and it does not disappoint. Serg brings out all of the latest riddims and only plays the best songs on each riddim. If you haven’t stayed up on your dancehall in 2009, this mix is the perfect refresher. One thing that Serg does, and maybe without realizing it, is do some Gaza (Portmore) vs. Gullyside (Cassavapiece).  Gaza vs. Gullyside is a big deal in Jamaica right now, so by listening to this mix you will get exposed to some of the music that each side is putting out. 

As far as the DJing, it’s good. This isn’t some mix where a bunch of songs are just played one after the next. Each track is mixed in and the track selection is great. Equally important, you could play this mix in Jamaica or in Iceland and people are going to shake their “battys!” Basically, download this mix and get ready for the summer. This is the perfect vibe for the summertime and Serg does not disappoint.

P.S. - Almost all the songs are great for learning Jamaican Patois!!! Highly Recommended.

Download the Mix HERE

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Tracklisting for Showtime - Dancehall Mix Volume 5

1. Beetlejuice Intro

2. Busy Signal - All About My Money (SINGLE)

3. Demarco - Hustlin Forever (SINGLE)

OUTLAW RIDDIM

4. T.O.K. - Push It

5. Leftside a.k.a Mr Evil - Hardcore

6. Rymzo de Gusto - Can’t Underestimate 

7. Determine - Blast It

BOASTY RIDDIM

8. Chino - Boasty

9. Beenie Man - Pop Off

10. Bramma - Every Man To A Gyal

11. Elephant Man - Horny Wine

ATM RIDDIM

12. Busy Signal - Blaze Up The Herb

13. Bling Dawg - Jamaica Jamaica 

14. Assailant - Dirty Money

15. Busy Signal - Blaze Up The Herb pt.2

16. Assassin - Stimulus Package (SINGLE)

BADDAZ RIDDIM

17. Busy Signal - Hustlin

18. Beenie Man - Ghetto Yutes

19. Elephant Man - Dance

20. Vybz Kartel - Selassie I Luv We

GOOD LIFE RIDDIM

21. Movado - High Under

22. Serani - Badmind

23. Elephant Man - Liv It Up

24. Mr. Vegas - Blessings

25. Vybz Kartel - Hustle Money

CLEAN SWEEP RIDDIM

26. Elephant Man - Please

27. Sizzla - Education Is  The Key

28. Demarco - Ghetto Life Hard

29. Wayne Marshall - Look Ahead

RAIN FOREST RIDDIM

30. Capeton - Stamping Flat

31. Sizzla - U A De Boss

32. Collie Buddz - Par Wid I Mon

33. Beenie Man - Walkout Mi Gal

34. Munga - Change Position 

DALLAZ RIDDIM

35. Elephant Man - Elephant Man

36. Vybz Kartel - Dallaz

37. Munga - Gangsta Sumu

38. Sustain - No Talk Eh Talk

39. Movado - So Blessed (SINGLE)

VELOCITY RIDDIM

40. ZumJay - Been Dere Did It

41. Bling Dawn - Some Times

42. Tornado - Bun Bad Mind

43. Assassin - Smooth Operator 

CASINO RIDDIM

44. Vybz Kartel - Money

45. Beenie Man - Pum Pum Power

46. Anthony B - Ganja Blaze

47. Wayne Mashall - Badness Outta Style

MIGHTY ODAY RIDDIM

48. Bounty Killer & Demarco - Gal Dem Want

49. Frisco Kid - Real Ruff Rider

50. Mad Cobra - Good Fah

51. Vybz Kartel - Watch Your Appetite 

SWAGGA DAGGA RIDDIM

52. Elephant Man - Tip Up

53. T.O.K. - Upinayah 

54. Aidonia - I Like Her

10 POUNDS OF KUSH

55. Sean Paul - Sweat

56. Beenie Man - Jiggle Up

57. Munga - Ride It

58. Demarco & Konshens - Paper Chasing (SINGLE)

COLLIE MONSTER RIDDIM

59. Turbulence - Overcome 

60. Mykal Roze feat Cali P - Mr Collie

61. Vybz Kartel - Mi Talk With Gunshot 

62. John Wayne - The Real John Wayne

63. Sizzla - World Leader In Problem

64. Buju Banton - Sensimilla (Remix)

65. Demarco - Life As A Juvenille (SINGLE)

NYC RIDDIM

66. Beenie Man - Badman

67. Demarco - Dem A Fool

68. Erup & Mr. Peppa - Survival

69. T.O.K. - Hustlers 

70. Demarco feat Tarrus Riley - Over and Over (SINGLE)

Mavado is a big deal right now in the whole dancehall reggae scene. Not only is he holding down the fort for Gullyside aka Cassava Piece (a Kingston, Jamaica neighborhood/community) in the music battle against Gaza’s Vybz Kartel, he is truly experiencing mainstream crossover appeal. He has songs with Jay-Z, 50 Cent and has been remixed by many including Mad Decent’s, Diplo. Mavado is THE HOTTEST Jamaican artist out there right now, but one has to ask what makes Mavado so hot and special.

Earlier this year, Mavado released his sophmore album Mr.Brooks…a Better Tomorrow and from the beginning people were torn whether the album was an instant classic or a flop. The truth is that many of the songs on the album were out in Jamaica months ago with some dating back over a year, so if you heard all the songs before, then you already know what I am going to say. This album is AMAZING and an INSTANT CLASSIC! But before I review the album, I need to talk about my history with Mavado.

When Mavado first came out, everybody was on him like a human shish kabob. It took me a long time to really get into Mavado, there was something different about this guy. When I bought Mavado’s first album “Gangsta For Life - The Symphony of David Brooks”, I listened to it once and told my friends that it was garbage. They thought I was crazy and now, I think I was crazy at the time. But what changed? The Gang War Riddim! Although, I had heard his song “Me and My Dogs” on his album, it became part of a jumbled up sound, but when I heard the Gang War Medley that included Mavado, Sizzla, Elephant Man, Damian Marley, Bounty Killer and more…I became hooked to Mavado. And it is on Mr.Brooks…A Better Tomorrow where we see an even more refined and better Mavado.

On Mr.Brooks…A Better Tomorrow, Mavado continues his portrayal of the ghetto violence and ambitions in Jamaica. He doesn’t deviate from the “badman talk” and he is still a “Gangsta for life”, so do not expect to hear about peace, love and happiness. What makes this album and Mavado so special is his voice. Mavado’s voice is infectious and it is truly unique. No one can ever say that he copied somebody else’s style because they would be dead wrong. Mavado is really a dancehall singer and this album clearly shows that he holds the thrown in that area.

The album starts out with a slower pace with “Every Situation”, a tribute to Jah that Mavado kills. Next up is the radio hit, “On The Rock” which is almost like a prayer in the form of a song. The song’s hook was heard by Jay Z and the remix became an instant hit. Mavado picks up the pace of the album on “So Blessed” another song that could be a prayer or more of a confession. It almost seems like Mavado stuggles with being a “badman” and he wants to thank Jah (God) for keeping him protected. Mavado stays on the “So” themed songs with the next hit “So Special”. This is also a faster paced song and it is truly a song you are going to hear in a party, but Mavado also starts to move away from being thankful and increases the “badman talk.” The next track, “Life of a G” is pretty much a track dedicated to more “badman talk”, but it definitely wins the award for the best song to learn Jamaican Patois. After “Life of a G” there is a brief interlude discussing Armegedeon and then Mavado hits us with another dancehall classic, “Gangster Don’t Play.” This song is “fyah” despite the song not deviating in subject matter. The riddim and the vocals on this song are just sick. The song that stands out from the rest of the songs is “Money Changer”, a declaration of Mavado’s succcess and the fact that he is not going to change regardless of money, success or women. “In Di Car Back” is a faster paced song, almost a pop reggae song. It is certainly a deviation from the Mavado standard, but he still kills it with his special voice.

All in all, this album is a classic and should be part of your collection. Mavado’s voice is his biggest asset and it is a MASSIVE asset. There really cannot be any imitators similar to Akon and R.Kelly. Many will try to repeat the success of the Gully God (another Mavado nickname), but few will succeed. If you want to hear peace and love music, Mavado is not the sound you are looking for, but if you are learning to speak Jamaican Patois or want to pick up a few Jamaican Slang words, this album is definitely worth it. It is also a great album to listen to in the car or to dance to. Just buy the album, you will not be sorry. Mavado’s voice is infectious and never disappoints and neither will Mr. Brooks…A Better Tomorrow. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Mavado - So Special

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http://www.vimeo.com/3979390

Reggae, especially dancehall reggae, is highly competitive and territorial. Similar to hip-hop and sports, there are rivalries. Most of the rivalries develop out of something small and then blow up, but there are definitely some people like Bounty Killer and Vybz Kartel that attract drama all of the time. With the Vybz Kartel and Mavado beef continuing to escalate like Ja Rule and 50 Cent or Nas and Jay-Z, I thought it was time to shed some light on some classic dancehall beefs. Here is Jamaican Slang’s interpretation of Complex Magazine’s list of the Ten Biggest Reggae Beefs. We have reduced it to the five best, zeen!?:

#1 - Beenie Man vs. Bounty Killer :

This one is the grandfather, king, and still champion of feuds inna di dance. They’re both legends, and they’ve found more things to squabble about over the past 15 years than a long-married couple. Whether it’s Beenie kissing RuPaul on an American talk show, Bounty appearing in a No Doubt video with a naked man, or most recently Beenie marrying Bounty’s longtime girlfriend D’Angel, they’re the Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant of reggae (except they’re both alive and neither of them has a she-male for a daughter). Their dysfunctional relationship is the defining thread of modern dancehall, even going so far as to entangle their younger protégés (the beef between Bounty’s protege Mavado and Vybz Kartel intensified when Kartel attended Beenie’s wedding).

#2 - Vybz Kartel vs. Mavado :

This feud started back in 2006 when Vybz left The Alliance, an unofficial group of artists (with Mavado, Busy Signal, Wayne Marshall, and a few dozen other DJs) started by Bounty Killer. At the time of his departure, Vybz Kartel was a member of the Alliance along with Mavado. Once separated from The Alliance, in typical Vybz Kartel style, Vybz started to diss members of The Alliance and it was the rising star Mavado that responded. There are dozens of diss tracks recorded by both artists and although, the beef take a breather in 2007, the heat was on again in 2008 with Sting 2008 as the battle of all battles to decide who would win. Four months later and people are still debating who won on stage at Sting 2008. This beef is pretty personal because both know each other well.

#3 - Beenie Man vs. Capelton:

This feud made it to the top because it’s like the Crusades. You have the Bobo Ashanti Fire Starter vs. The King of the Dancehall. Two ideologies against each other. Truthfully, this stems from Beenie calling out Capelton’s Bobo Ashanti rhetoric on the song “Hypocrites”. Capleton fires back with a CLASSIC track called “Who Dem.”

#4 - Vybz Kartel vs. Assassin & Spragga Benz:

Kartel and Assassin clashed first as a friendly rivalry, but then things got heated. Eventually, Assassin’s big homie Spragga Benz (pon di ends) had to get involved for the feud’s climax over the “Stepz” riddim. This one turned out like 50 vs Game: both landed stinging shots, but both also lived to fight another day. It just seems like Kartel is looking for fights!

#5 - Mavado vs. Beenie Man:

Mavado’s line in the song “How High” mentions “Baby Brian” (“give him some fat teflon fi try on/mek him madda cry ‘cause him die by my han’”)—and even though the song was released before Beenie’s half-brother Brian was murdered in 2006, Beenie understandably caught feelings. Based on the timing, it might be Mavado making a 50 Cent move going after the King of the Dancehall. For those that do not know, 50 Cent dissed Jay-Z well before Get Rich or Die Trying. Later on 50 admitted that by dissing Jay-Z he figured Jay would come back, which he did, thus helping 50 get on the map. The Alternative view is that Bounty Killer sent his new top soldier to go after the reigning (self-proclaimed) King of the Dancehall.

Here are some other honorable mention beefs in dancehall:

Ninja Man vs. Mad Cobra

Vybz Kartel vs. Bounty Killer

Ninja Man vs. Pretty Much Everyone to Step on Stage

Super Cat vs. Bounty Killer

Super Cat vs. Nitty Gritty

Deva Bratt vs. Munga

Merciless vs. Bounty Killer vs. Ninja Man vs. Beenie Man

To hear more of the songs associated with these beefs to learn more about them, visit the Complex Magazine Feature. Complex probably needed to link up with www.jamaican-slang.com to get better with the Jamaican Patois, zeen?!

A few weeks ago I did a post on Buju Banton. If you didn’t read that post, please click here to get caught up to speed. In the post I mentioned that Buju was one of the most controversial Jamaican artists and with good reason, he has made some songs that bothered people. One of the first songs he recorded that really got people mad, especially women, was “Love Me Browning” off of his 1992 album Mr. Mention (definitely a classic and worth getting…the “Love Me Browning” single came out in 1991 though). You see, in Jamaican Patois a Brownin‘  is a light-skinned woman and the song is describing Buju’s love for lighter skinned women, but anyone who is familiar with Jamaica knows that the majority of the people are darker in complexion. Darker-skinned women took offense to the hit song and Buju moved quickly to create a song dedicated to the darker women of Jamaica appropriately called “Love Black Woman”.

Although, this song casued controversy in Jamaica in the early 90s, the roots of the controversy date back to slavery. More often than not, lighter-skinned people of African descent fared better in Jamaica and other parts of the New World. Many were able to move between the world of the slave and the slave master. As time went on and the slave masters left Jamaica, many of these lighter-skinned people became the island elite. This might be shocking to some, but this can be seen today in Jamaica and other post-emancipation societies. If you want to see this for yourself, head to Kingston and visit Downtown and then Uptown. This is a complex topic, but it is important to understand the roots of the controversy of Buju’s song. Not surprisingly,  this incident would certainly not be the last time Buju Banton released a controversial song, but that is another blog post for another day.

One of the great things about both of “Love Me Browning” and “Love Black Woman”, is that they are great songs to learn Jamaican Slang/Patois. The whole Mr. Mention album is a Jamaican Slang Classic.  The album has so many classic riddims, essential patois grammar and vocabulary and just hit track after hit track. Buju was on “fyah” at this point in his career, kind of like Mavado is now, even though their lyrics are so different.

If you want to learn more about Buju and Jamaican Patois, head over to www.jamaican-slang.com and pick up a copy of the Rastaman Vibration. The book is a wealth of knowledge and has a section about Buju in the book.

What? You thought I was going to leave you hangin’ without posting those classic Buju songs, not this time! Here they are:

Buju Banton - Love Me Browning

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Buju Banton - Love Black Woman

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I think the header/title of this post says it all. Every now and then, there are some riddims that reggae artists get to record over and EVERY track is classic. Without a doubt, the Dem Gone Riddim is one of those. Every song on the riddim is special even though the beat is about the same. The riddim was so good that it went beyond reggae when Akon decided to record Mama Africa over the riddim for his 2007 album, Konvicted.

If you haven’t heard these songs before, you are in for a treat. If you have heard them…think back to the first time you heard them. I was on a bus in the Caribbean when I first heard the songs. Sizzla (this is some of Sizzla’s best work to date) was first and then Gentleman (the song that put Gentleman on the map). A moment I will never forget, the perfect soundtrack to the Caribbean! I am sure you will enjoy these songs as much as I do.

Akon - Mama Africa

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Gentleman - Dem Gone

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March 9th, 1997 will forever be remembered as the day Christoper Wallace aka The Notorious B.I.G. left this earth to be with the Most High. And although,  I like Biggie, as he is affectionately called, we are not here to discuss his classic hits or whether he was the greatest rapper ever. This is a blog about Jamaican Slang, Jamaica and Reggae Music. Fortunately for us, the late great rapper covered two out of the three. Biggie was the only child of Jamaican immigrants, Voletta Wallace and George Latore. As far as reggae music, early in Biggie’s career he did a  classic track  with dancehall legend Super Cat. This was my JAM and we want to dedicate this one to BIG POPPA. Enjoy this classic hip-hop/reggae track, “Dolly My Baby”, but don’t expect to learn any Jamaican Slang!

Buju is special. If you don’t know Buju, you should!! Buju Banton is one of those artists that waves the flag for Jamaica, Reggae, Rastafari and just good music. I remember the first time I heard Buju and it was magic. Buju is one of the few Jamaican artists that is able to do dancehall tracks and roots reggae tracks. It almost seems ironic that he recorded the track Destiny because he was destined to make classic music.

Buju Banton (born Mark Anthony Myrie, 1973, Kingston, Jamaica) was born on August 20, 1973 near Kingston, Jamaica in a poor neighborhood called Salt Lane. “Buju” is a  nickname given to chubby children which means Breadfruit. The name is ironic in light of Mark Myrie’s slim frame, but it is, nevertheless, the nickname his mother gave him as a child. “Banton” is a Jamaican word referring to someone who is a respected storyteller, and it was adopted by Myrie in tribute to the deejay Burro Banton whom Buju admired as a child. It was Burro’s rough gravelly vocals that Buju emulated and ultimately made his own. Buju’s mother was a higgler, or street vendor, while his father worked as a labourer at a tile factory. He was the youngest of fifteen children born into a family which was directly descended from the Maroons, a group of escaped slaves who proudly fought off the British colonialists.

As a youngster, Buju would often watch his favorite artists perform at outdoor shows and local dancehalls in Denham Town. At the age of 12 he picked up the microphone for himself and began toasting under the moniker of “Gargamel”, working with the Sweet Love and Rambo Mango sound systems.

In 1991, Buju joined Donovan Germain’s Penthouse Records label and began a fruitful partnership with producer Dave Kelly who later launched his own Madhouse Records label.^[3] Buju is one of the most popular musicians in Jamaican history, having burst onto the charts there suddenly in 1992, with “Bogle” and “Love me Browning“, both massive hits in Jamaica. Controversy erupted over “Love Me Browning” which spoke of Banton’s preference for light-skinned women: “I love my car I love my house I love my money and ting, but most of all I love my browning.” Some accused Banton of promoting a colonialist attitude and denigrating the beauty of black women. In response, he released “Love Black Woman” which spoke of his love for dark-skinned beauties: “Mi nuh Stop cry, fi all black women, respect all the girls dem with dark complexion”. 1992 was an explosive year for Buju as he broke the great Bob Marley’s record for the greatest number of number one singles in a year. Beginning with “Woman fi Sex”, Buju’s gruff voice dominated the Jamaican airwaves for the duration of the year. Banton’s debut album, Mr. Mention, includes his greatest hits from that year. 1992 saw the release of a re-recorded “Boom Bye Bye“, which almost destroyed his career.^[3] The song was the subject of outrage in the United States and Europe, leading to Banton being dropped from the line-up of the WOMAD festival that year.^[3] Banton subsequently issued a public apology.

Now on the major Mercury label, Banton released the hard-hitting Voice of Jamaica in 1993. The album included a number of conscious tracks. These tracks included “Deportees” a song which criticized those Jamaicans who went abroad but never sent money home, a remix of Little Roy’s “Tribal War,” a sharp condemnation of political violence, and “Willy, Don’t Be Silly” which promoted safe sex and the use of contraceptives, particularly the condom, profits from which were donated to a charity supporting children with AIDS. He was invited to meet Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson, and won several awards that year at the Caribbean Music Awards, the Canadian Music Awards, and the Topeka ceremony.

Banton’s lyrics often dealt with violence, which he explained as reflecting the images that young Jamaicans were presented with by the news media, but the reality of Kingston’s violence was brought home in 1993 by the murders in separate incidents of two of his friends and fellow recording artists, the deejays Pan Head and Dirtsman. His response was the single “Murderer”, which condemned gun violence, going against the flow of the prevailing lyrical content in dancehall. The song inspired several clubs to stop playing songs with excessively violent subject matter. Late in 1994, Buju was also affected by the death of his friend Garnett Silk. Buju’s transformation continued, embracing the Rastafari movement and growing dreadlocks. He joined “conscious” deejay Tony Rebel, Papa San, and General Degree in the Yardcore Collective. His performances and musical releases took on a more spiritual tone. Banton toured Europe and Japan, playing sold out shows, and performed before 20,000 in Trinidad and Tobago.

‘Til Shiloh (1995) was a very influential album, using a studio band instead of synthesized music, and marking a slight shift away from dancehall towards roots reggae for Banton. Buju claimed to have sighted Rastafari and his new album reflected these beliefs. Til Shiloh successfully blended conscious lyrics with a hard-hitting dancehall vibe. The album included earlier singles such as “Murderer”, and “Untold Stories”. “Untold Stories” revealed an entirely different Buju Banton from the one that had stormed to dancehall stardom. It is regarded by many as some of his best work, and is a staple in the Banton performance repertoire. Reminiscent in mood and delivery to “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley, “Untold Stories” won Buju Banton many favorable comparisons to the late singer. This conscious album had a large impact on dancehall music and showed the hunger the dancehall massive had for conscious lyrics. Dancehall music did not move away from slack and violent lyrics, but the album did pave the way for a greater spirituality within the music. In the wake of Buju’s transformation to Rastafari, many artists, such as Capleton, converted to the faith and started to denounce violence.

Inna Heights (1997) substantially increased Banton’s international audience as Buju explored his singing ability and recorded a number of roots-tinged tracks, including the hugely popular “Destiny” and “Hills and Valleys“. The album also included collaborations with artists such as Beres Hammond and the legendary Toots Hibbert. The album was well-received but had distribution problems. Also, some fans were disappointed, having hoped for another ground-breaking album like “Til Shiloh.” Still, Buju’s experimentation and soaring vocals impressed many fans and this album remains a highly regarded work.

After Inna Heights, Buju went on to make other albums, but the albums he made in the 90s are about as good as it gets. I recommend you get them all, especially if you want to learn Jamaican Slang while listening to some great music.

Source: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buju_Banton]

Here are a few Buju tracks that are well known…get familiar:

Buju Banton - Champion(remix)

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Buju Banton - Murderer

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Yea, I know mixtapes aren’t really around anymore, but I grew up with the word and always “copping” new mixtapes. Besides, at this point I am not really ready to say digital mix…it took a while just to get comfortable with mix cd, so “gi mi a bligh”!!

I was put on to DJ 100dBs by a friend in New York who always goes to the events sponsored by 100dBs’ bredren, Theory Events (All of the parties are “fyah”, but especially the reggae parties, so if you are in NYC, make your way to Leopard Lounge to hear the young master in action). So, 100dBs made a mixtape dedicated to Ganja and the Ganja holiday, 4-20!

Basically, Ganja Tunes is the perfect mix for anyone that just wants to “cool out” and wants to hear a collection of reggae spanning three decades. Most of the songs are well known to reggae aficionados, but can be appreciated by all.  The songs that most people will recognize are Pass the Kutchie (The Mighty Diamonds) and Legalize It (Peter Tosh), but just about everything on this mixtape is classic. And everything is focused around Ganja (I mean the mix IS Called Ganja Tunes). Here are my 3 favorite tracks:

1) Morgan Heritage - Give We a License

2) John Holt - Police in Helicopter

3) Barrington Levy - Sensimilea

As far as learning Jamaican Slang, this is not really the mixtape that is going to take your Patois to the next level, but it will certainly educate you on just about every word used for weed. Although this mixtape was mixed around the theme of 4-20, you can really listen to it anytime of the year. It’s great to listen to when you are cooling out, having a house party, at the beach with your bredren or taking things to a higher level! By the way, the DJing on this mix is actually good and 100dBs does a great job of focusing on the music and not sound effects. Go download this mix now and check for more from 100dBs! Big up 100dBs, Ashir and the whole Theory Events family!

Click here to download Ganja Tunes.

Tracklist:

Pinchers - Sensimina

Morgan Heritage - Give We A License

Collie Buddz - Come Around

Carl Murphy - Lick I Pipe

Sugar Minott - Herbman Hustling

The Mighty Diamonds - Pass The Kutchie

Barrington Levy - Sensimilea

Barrington Levy - Under Mi Sensi

Peter Tosh - Legalize It

Neville Brown - Babylon Don’t Touch My Sensi

Richie Spice - Marijuana

Top Cat - Love Mi Sess

John Holt - Police In Helicopter

Dice & Cummie - Free The Weed

Michael Palmer - Don’t Smoke The Seed

Eek A Mouse - Ganja Smuggling