Notes & Personnel Info |  | Initial pressings included a bonus DVD. | | Includes liner notes by Scott Hunter Smith. | | Includes liner notes by Scott Hunter Smith. | | Personnel: Maurice Gregory (vocals, keyboards); Megan Milanese (vocals); Steven "Lenky" Marsden, Nigel Staff (keyboards); Robbie Shakespeare (bass guitar). | | Audio Mixers: Donovan "Vendetta" Bennett; Mark Gray ; Bonzai Jim Caruso; Alvin Speights; Tony Kelly; Shane "Bermy" Woodley. | | Recording information: Anchor Recording Studios, Kingston, Jamaica; Big Yard Studios, Jamaica; DPS Studios, Atlanta, GA; Patchwerk Studios, Atlanta, GA; Quad Recording, New York, NY; Renaissance Studio, Jamaica; Sony Music Studios, New York, NY; The Boxx, Miami, FL; The Garage, Houston, TX; The Hit Factory, New York, NY; The House, FL; The Idea Lounge, Jamaica; The Lion's Den, Miami, FL; The Ranch, New York, NY; U.W.M.S.C. | | Illustrator: Martin French. | | Though hip-hop ruled the singles charts all through 2002-2003, artists weren't progressing very much, reliant on warmed-over R&B as well as the fourth or fifth comeback of the gangsta movement in the past ten years. Dancehall artists started picking up the slack(ness) starting in the summer of 2002, led by the wildly popular diwali rhythm as well as killer crossovers from Sean Paul ("Gimme the Light," "Get Busy"), Wayne Wonder ("No Letting Go"), Elephant Man ("Pon de River, Pon de Bank"), and Tanto Metro & Devonte ("Give It to Her"). On the wings of rap's continuing fascination with exotic ports of call (from Rio to Kingston), rap heavyweight Def Jam brought the two genres closer than they'd ever been with Def Jamaica, a collaboration with the Island/Tuff Gong label axis (all three of which are owned by Universal). Though only a few of these tracks were recorded in Jamaica, the crossover works nearly perfectly; the stuttered digital perfection of dancehall producers like Tony Kelly (a veteran trackmaster for Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Lady Saw, Shabba Ranks, Shaggy) makes the perfect backing for Redman, Scarface, Joe Budden, and Ghostface Killah, whether the rappers are influenced by dancehall and ragga or not. And the dancehall vocalists are the best in the scene. Wonder, Paul, Elephant Man, and Tanto Metro all make appearances, peppering the choruses with the hooks while the rappers build the verses. The largely hip-hop track "Lyrical .44" is the best here, featuring Method Man and Redman collaborating with Damian "Junior Gong" Marley. The three bonus tracks rank highly as well; first up is a remix of Beenie Man's "Dude," followed by the prototype for this compilation, 1998's "Top Shotta" featuring DMX with Sean Paul and Mr. Vegas. Last of all, Wayne Marshall freestyles over a remix of one of 2003's most ubiquitous singles, the Neptunes' "Frontin'," featuring Pharrell and Jay-Z. ~ John Bush | | This compilation highlights a musical form that has been a shot in the arm for the ailing U.S. hip-hop collective. Beset by warmed-over gangsta-style imagery and threadbare production values, the industry came up with a winning formula in the combination of hip-hop and Jamaican dancehall, a perky amalgam of bossa-nova beats, reggae, and old-school toasting that had been popular almost everywhere but the U.S. since the mid-1980s. | | DEF JAMAICA features established American artists such as Cam'ron, Shawnna, and Juelz Santana on infectious cuts spiced up with insistent ubiquitous dancehall beats. On the triumphant (and wildly popular) "Dude," Ms. Thing gets sultry in Indian style with Shawnna, assisted by the broader-than-Broadway vocal stylings of Beenie Man. Nokio puts recent U.S. gangsta rap efforts to shame with the crisp production style and rhythmic smarts of "Murda," while the Ghostface Killah/Elephant Man collaboration, "Girls Callin'," shows that gangsta rappers and dancehall toasters can play together quite nicely, thank you. With musical influences ranging from R&B to Indian pop, DEF JAMAICA combines the energy of Jamaican pop with sophisticated American production techniques in an irresistible mix. |
Producer: Daron Jones; Dave Kelly; Donovan Vendetta Bennett; The Platinum Brothers; Matt Stein; Sly & Robbie; Stephen Marley; Tony Kelly |
Engineer: Keith Slattery; Dave Hyman; Colin Michaels; Vernon Mungo; Niko Marzouca; Donovan Vendetta Bennett; Jason Rea; Bonzai Jim Caruso; Jim Caruana; Matt Stein; Rudy Valentino; Tony Kelly; Shane Woodley |
|
CD
