Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Jamrock, etc.

"Welcome to Jamrock"; heard David Rodigan killing this single during late 2004, also playing a killa jungle version of it. Wow di album really bus big on the Billboard 200. Debuting at #7!! He beat out his father's #8 debut of Rastaman Vibration back in 1976. I hope it actually goes up the chart from this point and not just slip down. They HAVE TO re-do that video though, it has cheap written all over it. Got to get something nice and "glossy" to drive the single over to crossover success. Even TOK is doing over the Footprints video in L.A. to help with U.S. marketing of the single. As Rodigan keeps pointing out the JR Gong is a very strong essential album. Great fusion of roots reggae, dancehall and hip-hop. Tank God fi Stephen Marley, the obvious talent behind the entire project. Hope Stephen finally releases his "Got Music?" album this fall. After Bob, Stephen is by far the most talented Marley. Its a shame that "Got Music?" is going to be over-shadowed by Damien and Sean Paul.
Speaking of Mr Paul, his album Trinity sounds pretty average so far. "Burning" is so-so, but the video is hot and will drive the single up the pop charts. That will in turn give the album a solid launch, I predict at least 2 million sold stateside when all is said and done. Its all about the marketing. The track with Tami Chynn is just plain WEAK though: Even I could have put together a better production with Tami than that. Between 2003 and now he really has not had any real hits to speak of, and the roots music revolution isn't helping him much either. Just name recognition and heavy marketing should push him way over platinum status though.
Hope Tami Chynn does not intend to pack her Universal debut with those lame dancehall tracks she has been recording over the past year. Only "Why" and "Hyperventilating" even come close to being acceptable for a major label effort. "Hot" is dyam foolishness!! "All Because of You" is filler music. She needs to take a HARD LOOK at the fate of Brick & Lace. Universal does reserve the option to "shelf" your product if they think its crap.
Anyway mi gone a my bed.

DAWG

Imagine! mi a liv in house wid dawg (dog)! 19 years an' mi all a liv wit dawg!!
He is a good looking mongrel, supposed to be my daughter's, but yu kno 'ow it go; me feed it, me bade it, me play with it, me (and de wife) walk it. Yes it lives in the house, all 55 lbs of it. It has a sick leg now, took him to the local vet, dyam bitch (the vet that is) manage to squeeze $185 out of me!! For what?!? All she do is shave off the hair and tell me it look infected (after 4 hours!). She also gave me some anti-biotics for it and one of those cone things for him to wear over his head. BUT $185 just for dat!!? If it deh a yard dat foot hafi jus tek time drop off!
The Vet; young black girl around 26-30, just works from 10am-3pm, and obviously making a killing. Only in Atlanta.

Saturday, September 24, 2005

This place Atlanta

This place Atlanta. It has changed so much since the late 80's when I first stepped off that Air Jamaica jet from Kingston. From under 2 million to almost 5 million people for starters. From a small West Indain population of a few thousand to to over 100,000 of us now. Most of which are New York and other northeast transplants of course. From seeing Toni Braxton going around begging for a recording contract to seeing her blow up big time (same for Ashanti), from seeing Lil' John being a go-for for So-So Def to becoming a rap super star, from seeing Ludacris be a go-for at the hip-hop local radio station and being constantly mocked by the on-air dj's, to seeing him blow up big too, and having those said dj's work for him. From only being able to get an Outkast cd to buy out of Andre's car trunk to seeing them eventually get super huge!
This metro area really just sprawls out almost endlessly. After 17+ years you learn to luv it. Hated it for the first 3 years, but after a while you just have to call where you end up home. You learn that its not where you are, but what you actually make of your situation that really counts. As you can see from above I have always been heavily into the local entertainment scene. Just luv music and putting on productions. Really haven't done much recently though. Family changes everything. Yes, got a wife & kid for 8+ years now. I guess the happy -go-lucky days are over. Anyway back to the Atl.; not many people that live here actually come from Georgia. Most (black, white, W/Indian, etc) come from up north (Yankee land). Also surprisingly most of the racial agitations black or white initiated, (not that there is much of it), comes from the northerners, especially the New Yorkers, both black and white. Southerners, I have learnt over the years, are some of the nicest, sweetest, and most pleasant people in this country. Fi real!! Especially the females! Should have married one, ended up with a Yardie. Anyway enough for one day.

Ja to Ga Part 1

Part one? The move was made in the late 80's but it could have been last year, because once you leave Ja after 20+ years; primary school, high school(s), UWI, corporate Jamaica, it never leaves you. Not to mention the fact that I have been visiting practically every year since then!
Hope I can be consistent with these writings, I can get distracted for long periods and even rather lazy at times. Anyway we will see 'ow tings turn out.