New Dancehall

Roobric

Roobric

Well-known member
Benny B said:
The worst ones, and every artist has a few of them, are the ones called things like Faith or Life Story or Strength or Never Lose Hope, usually with some horrid sentimental piano.
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I have a rule to never listen to a Jamaican song about the singer's mother. The good thing about these pap tunes are you can usually id them within seconds
 
Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
That swanny definitely does it for me, for similar reasons I like that Teejay one I posted on the last page, the riddims ambient qualities in tension with the ultra gratuitous lyrics. But there's an extra bleak feel to some of the Trinidad stuff that reminds me of UK drill a lot in particular, and this track with that more overt drill influence in the bassline really underlines this. Love that vocal effect when he goes STEAM (how do they do that?) Good track.

The Alkaline's great. All his stuff is great really, but I always like to see him come out with a gunman tune which he doesn't do enough of. Then again, I really like this new gyal tune too, he's so good at this sort of thing. I'd say he's stil the best all rounder out of everyone.

 
M

mrfaucet

The Ideas Train
Can't really comment on Alkaline from a historical perspective given basically all my serious dancehall listening has come in the last 12 months and has mostly been focused on tracks released in that time, but the stuff from this year hasn't really clicked for me (thinking mostly of the album here), although I'd struggle to say why. Like the tunes just posted, they're decent but not something I'd really go back to.

Any thoughts on the Masicka album? Inevitably there are a few sentimental piano tracks on there, but it has some good stuff on it. This is probably the standout for me.

 
Roobric

Roobric

Well-known member
That's it exactly Benny. Swanny's appeal for me is how mournful and wragged he sounds, it fits those bleak, funereal (there's always an acoustic guitar or a harp on his best tunes) riddims well.

The only other realistic contender for ~decade's best is Popcaan, who I think I have a softer spot for than most around here, but I'd probably go with Alkaline too. I know a few people who'd pick Kartel, which is lol but I almost respect the loyalty. Alka and Popcaan are both undeniably past their peaks though. Not terminally, but if you start with their 2021 material you're not going to be wowed.

That Masicka song is great, but in a way his "flaw" is being incredibly consistent over years. I don't always think to check his tunes out because they're rarely surprising in any way.
 
Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
Fair assessment of alkaline, roobric. He's not as prolific nowadays and has matured somewhat, but I still think he's done some quality stuff over the last 18 months or whatever, and some of the tracks on the album really grew on me with repeated listens - miles better than Masickas anyway, which I'm listening to now and is pretty boring (liking this one with dexta daps though, and contract killer - surprised to see different types not on it, that was great)

I like Popcaan a lot, especially the early stuff like only man she want and party shot etc and the odd one off single. I refuse to listen to the mixpak stuff though on principle.
 
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Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
I only really got properly into Alkaline properly this year, I made this massive chronological playlist of the type you never actually listen to normally, but I've been caning it all year, blown away by him.

 
Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
The gliding uk (via Brooklyn) drill bass sound is pretty firmly embedded in dancehall now.

For eg, this one that's
just dropped: Govana X Intence - Mxrdah
 
F

forclosure

Well-known member
Benny B said:
WOW SKENG IS ON 🔥
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i can't lie as good as some of these tunes are the fact that they're so flat is something that can be a problem for me going into it, its like after a while i'm like ffs somebody get hype or suttin flip a table get mad not saying they have to go Tempa T or sound like a metalcore singer but that off the cuff energy that add to a tune
 
Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
I think the 'flatness' you're referring to, and that I've seen Luka complaining about as well, adds to the cold blooded menace of it all. Skeng sounds like an evil spirit coming to take your soul or something.
If Skeng's too flat for you, what do you think of, say, Tommy Lee? Plenty of vocal pyrotechnics there.
 
F

forclosure

Well-known member
Benny B said:
I think the 'flatness' you're referring to, and that I've seen Luka complaining about as well, adds to the cold blooded menace of it all. Skeng sounds like an evil spirit coming to take your soul or something.
If Skeng's too flat for you, what do you think of, say, Tommy Lee? Plenty of vocal pyrotechnics there.
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i think one or two people in here have this impression that i don't like Tommy Lee Sparta and its not that i just think he's ridiculous lol

As for the flatness i can see that and it can work but like man even Prodigy who used that flatness like an ice pick at his very worst sounded like a husk of a man who couldn't even bother to make words rhyme lol
 
Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
WebEschatology said:
i can't lie as good as some of these tunes are the fact that they're so flat is something that can be a problem for me going into it, its like after a while i'm like ffs somebody get hype or suttin flip a table get mad not saying they have to go Tempa T or sound like a metalcore singer but that off the cuff energy that add to a tune
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Getting hype just sounds corny nowadays in this climate, the energy is very different. Now you have to sound like a vengeful ghost, it's just how it is.
 
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