Gangsta Blues (2004)

Product Summary Label: Vp Records UPC: 00054645169127 Release Date: 3/25/2004 Buy.com Sku: 61005752 Item#: M5MM7R Format:  CD Song Listing Disc 1 Song Title Sample 1. Intro ~ Tanya Stephens 2. Way Back ~ Tanya Stephens 3. Boom Wuk ~ Tanya Stephens 4. Damn ~ Tanya Stephens 5. Good Ride ~ Tanya Stephens 6. Little White Lie ~ Tanya Stephens 7. It's A Pity ~ Tanya Stephens 8. Tek Him Back ~ Tanya Stephens 9. I Am Woman ~ Tanya Stephens 10. This Is Love - (featuring Wyclef Jean) ~ Tanya Stephens 11. Gangsta Gal - (featuring Spragga Benz) ~ Tanya Stephens 12. What's Your Story ~ Tanya Stephens 13. Can't Breathe ~ Tanya Stephens 14. Sound Of My Tears ~ Tanya Stephens 15. Other Cheek, The ~ Tanya Stephens 16. What A Day ~ Tanya Stephens 17. We A Lead ~ Tanya Stephens   Album Notes and Credits Notes & Personnel Info Personnel includes: Tanya Stephens (vocals); Wyclef Jean, Spragga Benz. Producers include: Andrew Henton, Mr. Doo, Pionear, Anthony Senior, Phillip "Fattis" Burrell. Editor: Paul Shields. Photographer: William Richards. Onetime dancehall diva Tanya Stephens is back after an extended exile in Sweden, where she spent three years away from her beloved roughneck riddims making alternative rock for Warner Bros.' Swedish subsidiary label. She picks up pretty much where she left off, with expert but not exactly revelatory dancehall reggae based on rhythms provided by a handful of A- and B-list producers. Stephens' most significant asset is her genuinely rich and cultivated singing voice, a dark and supple alto that slips effortlessly from melody to chat and back again. Her lyrics are mostly a predictable mix of defensive braggadocio and by-the-numbers slackness; exceptions include the emotionally complex "Little White Lie" and the brilliant "What's Your Story." (She also makes an interesting choice of covers with a pretty fair version of Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman.") The more vintage-style rhythms seem to bring out her best performances -- the album's highlight is "It's a Pity," which is built on a rich and dubwise Fatis Burrell production. Like most rap and dancehall albums, this one is too long by half -- of the album's 17 tracks, maybe nine are worth repeated listenings, and most of the rest feel like filler (not to mention the tiresome spoken word interludes). Not bad overall. ~ Rick Anderson   Compilation Appearances Reggae Gold '97 Vol. 19-Strictly The Best Bookshelf Vol. 21-Strictly The Best Vol. 23-Strictly The Best Good Living Dancehall Sensation 2000 Hip Hop-Reggae Vol. 9-Superstar Hit Parade Three Dimension Vol. 1-Blazing-Chiney Gal Real Love Hardcore Dancehall (Explicit Version) Diwali (Explicit Version) Hard Drive Part 2 Belly Skin Clappas (Explicit Version) Reggae Now Vol 2 Summer Bounce (Explicit Version) Reggae Lasting Love Songs Vol 4 Universal Message 3 0205 The Living Fire Guala Guala Riddim Reggae Now Vol 4 Dancehall 101 Volume 6   Technical Info Release Date : 05/23/2005 Original Release Date : 2004 Catalog ID : 1691 Label : VP Records Number of Discs : 1 Studio/Live : Studio Mono/Stereo : Stereo SPAR Code : n/a UPC : 00054645169127    Related Videos Christmas In The Heart : ... A Cherry Cherry Christmas... In Search of Solid Ground...