‘Lonely Soldier’ Gregory Isaacs Dead at 59

Photos by Lee Abel, reggaeportraits. com

Gregory Isaacs at Sunsplash, 1988  Read more... (376 words + 2 images)

Virgin Islands’ Rapper Benny D Releases Mixtape

Virgin Islands native Benny Demus, infamous for being the kilt-wearing, fire-breathing, mohawk-sporting selector for Akon and Rock City, recently dropped his Ben In Black Mixtape, and, no, he isn’t spinning; he’s rapping, with the raspy growl of an angry, caged animal. While it is difficult for some DJs and selectors to evolve without being typecast,  Akon’s DJ is also a DeeJay, and a rapper, as exemplified on his latest release.

While it’s natural to normally associate reggae and dancehall with its birthplace of Jamaica, Big Bad Benny Demus’ message is that the Virgin Islands is not to be ignored in terms of talent. Benny D is to the VI what Bob Marley is to Jamaica and Collie Buddz is to Bermuda, i.e., a musical ambassador. With a hardscrabble, single-parent upbringing familiar to many ghetto youth, his true-to-life lyrics pierce bitterly one moment, while evoking hope and encouragement the next.  While disreputable anti-heroes-with-attitude have typical cache in the rap game, Benny D comes across as strikingly more sincere,  and intelligent, than your average gunman-turned-musician. This is definitively elucidated on Track #19, the aptly titled Path to Ambassador. “I was a misled, to believe I had the chance to get the go-ahead, to pursue my dreams, but I’m from the islands, and people always seem to want to stereotype us. See we have an attitude, and we talk rude, some people think we don’t even have schools...”

On  track 10, Not Tonight, Period!!! (featuring Tori Alamaze), a seductively smooth ladies jam,  his appeal to women is explained by the dichotomy of his nature, both past- the hood dreamer, who will make a women a screamer, and  present- the iconoclast, who is the mack in the sack. While you are left with the distinct, overall impression that Benny D would “saw your head off with his sawed off ” just as soon as look at you,  you still can’t help but want to come a little closer.

General Steele of Smif N Wessun presents: Amerikkka’s Nightmare Part 2 Children of War

Unlike the hypocritical rhetoric of some backpack rappers that preach black empowerment during performances to all white audiences, in places like Norway, because they can’t pull a crowd on their home turf, Smif and Wessun are the real deal. Their first album Dah Shinin’, released in January 1995, debuted in the top 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and went on to sell over 300,000 copies in the United States.  Read more... (455 words)