Search - Busy Signal :: Loaded

REALLY Stepping Out. . .

Achis | Kingston, JA/Philipsburg, SxM | 09/23/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"(3.5stars)

With the announcement in early 2008 that the world's leading Caribbean music label, the US based VP Records would be acquiring its closest rival, the UK based Greensleeves Records and with it the deepest VAULT of reggae music in the world, it figured to shake up the industry, to say the least. On one hand, the notoriously INCONSISTENT (although they had gotten much better) Greensleeves would definitely take a far more aggressive stance in improving on their shortcomings (namely releases, which happens to be VP's strong point) and, as VP planned to (and has) keep the label running, their artists figured to gain a far greater level of exposure in the mainstream, particular on this side of the pond. Also, what you would eventually have is somewhat of a super group of reggae music, one which becomes WAY more powerful and mobile than the already high riding VP was alone. And with both labels now being under the same distributional umbrella (which is major label Universal), you now, unlike ever before, have a BRAND of reggae music which is entirely more marketable than EVER before in VP/Greensleeves. On the other hand, the action has, at least seemingly, limited options and opportunities at the highest levels of the game for artists and producers alike as VP can take a stance of `our way or the highway' in signing a particular artist or a producer to an exclusive deal, knowing that the option of going to the next best thing has been eliminated (incidentally, the `third' option, the also UK based Jet-Star Records has taken a SHARP decline in the last couple of years and I don't even think they are releasing new albums at all at this time and their catalogue too may be up for sale at some point, if it isn't already) and an inevitable competitor has yet to arrive at the big time (keep an eye out for ANOTHER UK based label, Cousin's Records). From a strictly listener's point of view and a longtime listener and consumer of both labels, it definitely presented a VERY interesting set of circumstances for me. Greensleeves was always known to have a harder edge of vibes than VP. Where VP was the show and dazzle of the Beenie Man's, Sean Paul's and Lady Saw's of the world; Greensleeves had NO problem signing such different talents as Ward 21, Predator (WHO!), Macka Diamond and ultimately culminating with dancehall lyrics demon Vybz Kartel as far more rough around the edges type of characters. The question almost immediately became how would these two styles of approach mesh together and apart from VP naming one its lead executives, Olivier Chastan, President of the `new' Greensleeves, you had to wonder when we would see evidence of a bit of `exchange' in the two labels.



Meet Mr. Exchange. Near the end of Greensleeves' time before it was sold to VP (it was previously ownded by Zest Music Group) it had switched its focus to releasing more cultural artists in place of its dancehall HEAVY focus it had from before. The label did albums for the likes of Lutan Fyah, Ras Shiloh, Jah Mason, Chuck Fender, Anthony B (soon to be twice), Nasio Fontaine (who was retained by Zest actually and Natural Black (twice) amongst others. Yet, in that time (between 2005 and 2007), the one blast from Greensleeves' dancehall past was an artist by the name of Busy Signal who had attracted so much attention here in Jamaica by in such a SHORT time proving himself one of the most talented hardcore dancehall talents to emerge since Vybz Kartel himself. Busy would have DEFINITELY been a fine addition to VP's stable (and it would subsequently go on to acquire the exclusive services of Busy's close friend and constant sparring partner, CRAZY singer Mavado), however, just as in the case with Kartel a few years prior, it was Greensleeves who landed the DJ and released his more than solid debut, Step Out. Also, as part of Bounty Killer's (who VP would also acquire in 2006) notorious Alliance crew, he would have fit nicely in the fact that besides the Killer, also under contract to VP are fellow members Wayne Marshall, the aforementioned Mavado and Elephant Man (via `co-deal' with US major Bad Boy who is also with Universal to my knowledge). Now, VP has essentially TRANSFERRED the contract of Busy Signal (although he may have only actually signed a one album deal), marking the somewhat historical first DIRECT evidence of an artist going from one side to the other under the new label umbrella, with his sophomore release Loaded. Why Busy Signal? If you don't really follow dancehall music too closely then you should just take my word for it: In terms of talents in the dancehall, in my opinion the number of artists with SERIOUS claim to being AS talented than the ST. ANN born DJ is a group ever shrinking and only consisting of the proven champions of the game (and probably Assassin as well and MAYBE Aidonia). At his absolute finest Busy Signal is a whirling dervish of tongue-twisting dancehall brilliance who, besides the flash alone has developed into an artist who can add a great bit of substance apart from the standard dancehall fare of `girls and guns and ganja'. His rise to prominence can definitely be compared to that of Kartel himself and looking at it from as impartial point of view as possible: At a comparable point of the game in their respective careers, talent-wise, Busy Signal is PROBABLY ahead of where Kartel would have been at a similar point of his career (Kartel STILL gets criticized occasionally for having his focus TOO much on the `three G's of dancehall, but not by me). Loaded is an album which, in my opinion, kind of identifies the constant and ever-present differences between what was Greensleeves and what is VP Records. In stark contrast to the GRIMY style of vibes which was the Step Out album (just go and compare the covers!), an album on which the clean cut style of vibes (particularly on the tune I Love You with Alaine) were lauded as SOMETHING DIFFERENT; Loaded is a SHARP and well oiled machine marking Busy Signal's REAL arrival at the top of the game.



Apart from simply being under a new label, Busy Signal himself has, since the release of Step Out, taken his vibes into a different direction adding more and more conscious and socially aware lyrics. He also somewhat `distanced' himself from the Alliance (unlike Kartel and Aidonia, he managed to remain in the group), placing his own personal management into the hands of producer veteran Shane Brown of Juke Boxx (who also signed n with VP/Greensleeves and currently has his Warning Riddim album out on Greensleeves), who co-helms Loaded alongside Busy himself. Beginning the much anticipated Loaded album is the HEAVY People So Evil from Daseca. The tune is just a WICKED piece aimed at the hearts of all envious, greedy and bad minded people waiting for your fall. The tune is one which definitely marks some kind of growth and maturation in the artist, to the point where, were you to lift it and place it just two years ago back on the Step Out album, I may have actually criticized Busy for being a little attempting to be a bit too big for his own shoes. A very nice way to start the album with the BIG and DARK People So Evil. Up next is the INESCAPABLE (Nah Go a) Jail over Jam 2's ridiculously knocking Cry Holy riddim. The tune LOCKED DOWN Jamaica for quite awhile near the end of 2007 and early 2008. I actually have gotten my fill of it, even before getting to Loaded at all, but you still have to give the tune it's respect as, at the end of his career, if we're not calling Jail one of the biggest tunes of Busy's career altogether, then he will have undoubtedly become one of the, if not THE, greatest of all time. Jail is MASSIVE! Completing the opening for Busy Signal's Loaded is the album's first official promotional vehicle, the downright unusual Tic-Toc. Tic Toc is currently receiving the type of interest and spins that VP/Greensleeves can now afford to place on its releases (complete with a BEAUTIFUL video) as the song is literally playing all over the Caribbean and apparently internationally as well. The tune is the biggest and most obvious example of more `glossed' version of the artist as you could NEVER expect to hear such a tune from Busy, before or after his maturation, it almost seems as if it was especially aimed at the crossover market as it (with is WEIRD Asian hip-hop style of riddim) comes on a rapper's cadence (something Busy just doesn't normally do) and hopefully will do some damage amongst that crowd. Its not my favourite tune here (not even close), but still amongst the most interesting without question.



Busy's type of song like that would be more on the insanely popular Wine Pon di Edge which, with a few other tunes here represent the real hierarchy of tunes for the Loaded album. Pon Di Edge is BY FAR a more stereotypical style of dancehall dance tune unlike Tic Toc. The tune spent MONTHS at the top of the local charts (and may STILL be in the general vicinity), and, again, although not my favourite tune, you definitely have to respect it and what it has done. The same has to be said for Real Jamaican, one of but two official combinations alongside reggae legend Mykal Rose. This tune happens to actually be one of my favourites from Loaded and one of Busy's finest over the past couple of years. It actually says a great deal about Busy's progression as an artist that he is now capable of holding a vibes alongside one of the real legends of the game as he and Rose create something MASSIVE strictly for Jamaica, but the international heads are certain to appreciate it as well. You also have to be keen on the current bubbler Unknown Number (if you pick up the single of Tic-Toc, you'll also receive this tune) a VERY clever hit from Busy which is about. . . The Unknown Number. Its better than I'm describing it, definitely check it out. All that being said, Loaded really pinnacles with a tune which is one of the oldest on the album, but the one which is almost CERTAIN to go down as one of the biggest pieces of the era, These Are The Days, for Daseca. The tune was an underground SMASH for quite awhile locally before it even made its way to Jamaican airwaves and ultimately, off the island altogether. The tune actually took quite awhile to grow on me, but you REALLY have to listen to the lyrics here. It was probably the tune which marked Busy's re-arrival on the scene (he had taken a bit of a break for awhile) and his newfound direction in the game and an overhaul of his already LETHAL arsenal. MASSIVE! Also, from the first half of the album, I'll mention Fast, Fast, Fast, Fast, which really snuck up on me. The high-tech new school dance tune is probably the best of its kind on the album for my opinion (yes, better than both Tic Toc and Pon Di Edge), listen to it and relive the type of dance tune the earlier RAW version of Busy Signal would have done. He's still capable of that type of material and the evidence is on Fast, definitely. Check the ridiculous My World (aka Gangsta`s Paradise), Busy's cut of Lefside's HYPNOTICALLY KNOCKING Wild Out riddim. My World is SERIOUS! One of Loaded's real hidden highlights and, for the dancehall heads, having heard a lot of the best material here, it's the tune (if they haven't spun it into oblivion already) which will probably stick out as that riddim just creeps into the brain and hooks itself in, big time! HUGE tune! Speaking of huge. . . Check Cool Baby. Every once in awhile Busy Signal will throw out something of a `gimmick' tune which makes very little actual sense, but almost ALWAYS seems to work for him (check Pon Di Pole, a PURE soca tune from the Step Out album and a next tune name Rasclart, OR just keep listening to Loaded and check the next tune). Cool Baby is no different. The tune is BY FAR one of the COOLEST songs I've heard in a long time. Built over the almost completely absent Freestyle riddim, Cool Baby is pure GENIUS Busy Signal at his absolute best veering all over the place, but not really deviating too far on one of the real highlights of Loaded. There's also Knocking At Your Door which begins (and remains for quite awhile) basically a (VERY) intense discussion over John John's (aka Mr. Lady Saw) epic Shootout riddim. The tune eventually ascends to the heights becoming one of the album's better tunes, but I've again, well had my full of the tune. Loaded ends with the spanking new Murderer alongside the very popular Alborosie. I had LONG marked Murderer as a tune I probably wouldn't like as, for one reason or another, while I respect his undeniable skill, I just don't vibe too well with Alborosie. However, credit is definitely due as I wouldn't call the high profile combination one of my favourites of Loaded, but it still is very good at the end (Alborosie actually does FAR better on the addictive hook than on his verse) and a pretty nice note on which to send out one of the most IMPORTANT albums of the year (and check Busy`s final full verse as he shows just GLIMPSES of that fast chat which made him so popular originally).



Overall, I'll say it flatly, Loaded is NOT as good as Step Out. That album was one which was `loaded' with trips and changes along the way, but all of them seemed to play to Busy Signal's strengths and really made him look better. Loaded is an album, however, which has such a GRAND potential to catch on with the mainstream and, I THINK by design, in the process, not alienate hardcore dancehall heads COMPLETELY by including some of Busy's more recent powerful material which has already proven itself amongst that crowd. Loaded is an album which will have every chance to succeed and will be under the microscope to see if typical reggae promotion at its highest level, notched up several degrees can really generate greater sales. If international heads pay attention, what they'll be getting is one of the most clever, most original and downright most talented names to hit hardcore dancehall in a VERY long time.

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