Search - Elephant Man, Vybz Kartel :: Toe 2 Toe, Vol. 6

Toe to Toe, Hype .vs. Skill

Achis | Kingston, JA/Philipsburg, SxM | 01/07/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"2003 was a huge year for dancehall music. Finally it attracted the type of attention that it so desperately fought for in the 10 or so years that it had taken the backseat due to the disappearance of its most recognizable international face, Shabba Ranks. One of the most serious beneficiaries of this explosion has been Elephant Man. He scored with his biggest international hit Pon Di River, and currently has loaded his Signal Di Plane set to acheive an even greater audience. Dancehall's self-proclaimed 'Energy God'has made himself known to an audience who was previously only familiar with him through his mega hit Log On making the rounds on the mix-tape circuit, two years prior.
Meanwhile, back in Jamaica, a severe talent emerged that took the traditional dancehall scene by storm. This severe talent came in the form of a slight 24 year old man with a funny name. Vybz Kartel compiled a thorough number of hits and despite his recent actions (at STING) he still enthralls fans based on his ridiculous penchant for writing lyrics that capture the interests and concerns of Jamaica's youth.
Not surprisingly UK reggae giant Jet Star has managed to pit the two together in the newest edition of their generally high-quality series Toe to Toe.
Taking this in terms of a truly "Toe to Toe" sense and its a white wash, by far the better tunes are done by Kartel, Elephant Man isn't necessarily a man who likes to share the stage, and never before is it more evident here. He scores well with his hits Fan Dem Off and Escalade Bumper, both of which appear on his album (the latter in a remixed version) and his best effort on the album Somebody Wife. But the star of this show is Kartel, whose flow is just dominant on his When Bad Man Drive by, Fashionable Girl and Up 2 Di Sky. He even closes the show in a wicked combination with Frisco Kid which finds him in an unusual cultural mood. The most interesting tune from this album is done by Vybz Kartel. And when I say Vybz Kartel, I mean VYBZ KARTEL. Prior to breaking out as a solo artist Kartel was part of a group called Vybz Kartel which included himself (as Adi Banton) and 2 other members Mr. Lee and Escobar. And Weed Partner showcases Kartel with Mr. Lee absolutely killing a flow, which would later prove to be the basis for his Up to the Sky tune, not surprisingly, and correctly, Kartel assumed that not many people had heard the verse in its original form.
Overall, non-veteran Elephant Man fans will probably pick this one up, but when they do, they may be shocked to find an even greater star sharing the stage with the Energy God."