Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Beenie Man, Janet Jackson, Lady Saw, Sean Paul, Tanto Metro, Devonte, Calibe (vocals); So Solid Crew, J1, Lil' Kim (rap vocals); Mikkel Se, Tor Erik Hermansen, The Neptunes (various instruments, arranger); Dave Kelly, Chink Santana, Tony Kelly, Irv Gotti, AC Burrell, Double R (various instruments); Paul Titus Green, Jarl Ivar Andersen (guitar); Paul "Wrong Move" Crossdale (keyboards); Robbie Shaespeare, Donald "Bassie" Dennis (bass); Sly Dunbar (drums); Chris Damherst, Melbourne "George" Miller (programming); Noth, Rachel Pagan, Brian Gold, Tony Gold (background vocals). | | Producers include: The Neptunes, Dave Kelly, Chink Santana, Irv Gotti, Anthony Kelly. | | Personnel: John Vince, J., Calibe (vocals); Mikey Chung, Paul Green (guitar); Christopher Wade Damerst (keyboards, programming, drum programming); Steven "Lenky" Marsden, Paul "Wrong Move" Crossdale (keyboards); Sly Dunbar (drums); George "Dusty" Miller (drum programming); Tony Gold, Brian Gold (background vocals). | | Audio Mixers: Dave Kelly; Milwaukee Buck; Patrick Viala; Peter Mokran; Phil Nicolo; Serban Ghenea; Tony Kelly. | | Recording information: Hit Factory Criteria, Miami, FL; Mastersound Recording Studios, Virginia Beach, VA; N-Junction Studio; One Pop Studios; Shocking Vibes Recording, Kingston, Jamaica; Stargate Studios, Norway; The Boxx; The Bridge Studios, Conshohocken, PA; The Enterprise, Birbank, CA; The Hole, Kingston, Jamaica; The House, FL; the Record Plant, Hollywood, CA. | | Photographer: Eric Johnson . | | Arrangers: Dave Kelly; A.C. Burrell; The Neptunes; Tony Kelly. | | The latest from dancehall superstar Beenie Man is a complex and rewarding exploration of the many musical and lyrical themes that tie contemporary reggae and hip-hop together, from the increasingly similar beats to the rudeboy/gangsta continuum that has been a feature of reggae since the 1960s and of hip-hop since the 1980s. Dancehall "slackness" (i.e., sexually explicit lyrics) has its modern counterpart in hip-hop as well, as Beenie Man's duet performances with Lil' Kim and Lady Saw here demonstrate. Some of the most powerful tracks on Tropical Storm find Beenie Man chatting over rhythms provided by the Neptunes, who support him with arrangements that are both warm and aggressive; the effect is especially nice on "Feel It Boy," a sweetly romantic duet with Janet Jackson. Beenie Man does occasionally come across as a bit too eager to establish his bad-boy credentials -- too many of these songs find him repeatedly insisting on his gangsta status. It may be true that "real gangstas don't play" (as he says, over and over, on "Real Gangsta"), but they also don't waste a lot of breath saying "I'm a gangsta I'm a gangsta." Overall, though, this is an album sure to please Beenie Man's growing legion of American fans. ~ Rick Anderson | | Dancehall king Beenie Man continues his quest for crossover success with TROPICAL STORM, an outing benefiting from the marketing muscle of Virgin Records and all-star guests drawn from the worlds of R&B, rap and reggae. Among the major names dropping in to mix it up with this Jamaican master are queen bee Lil' Kim and hip-hop producer DJ Clue on the percolating "Fresh From Yard," and Janet Jackson, who sweetens the bubbly "Feel It Boy." Superstar producers The Neptunes also check in to ride the board and pump up the relentless "Bad Girl," along with the infectious "Bossman" featuring reggae brethren Lady Saw and Sean Paul. | | Other island natives checking in are the So Solid Crew (the jacked-up "Yagga Yo") along with Tanto Metro and Devonte (a soulful "More We Want"). Amid the various talents coming and going on TROPICAL STORM, reggae legends Sly & Robbie stand out thanks to their skilled production hands. A gnarly funk loop defines the stripped down "You Babe" while the anthemic "Party Hard" (which also appears on the BLUE CRUSH soundtrack) features an infectious cadence that earmarks this cut for prime mix tape status. |
Musical Guests | | Janet Jackson | | Sly Dunbar | | Lil' Kim | | Lady Saw | | Robbie Shakespeare | | Sean Paul | | Tanto Metro & Devonte | | J1 | | So Solid Crew |
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