RiddimJamaica Review - Busy Signal - Loaded

Busy Signals latest full length effort entitled, “Loaded” has become the latest victim of VP Records over priced mediocrity by the powers that be at Reggae Giant.
A half bred sophomore album, it can only pass as a compilation. There’s nothing loaded about it. Yet still it carries a few singles that could have been themed into a good full length effort.

With a slew of “daggering” singles, mixed with an anemic blend of ghetto and gangster inspired lyrics the album does no justice to the man whose name graces the cover.

For it is not an album, but a well executed compilation.

Yet from the jump street track “People so Evil” the album is a head bouncer. No need to press the skip button, even on the over exposed “Jail”, which braces the album at track two.

The cross over flavored “TicToc” presents some spice to the set, followed by the monster hit, “Wine Pon De edge”, which has become a staple play in the Dancehall circles worldwide.

“Hey Girl” and Real Jamaican featuring Mykal Rose are somewhat forgettable. The underground club banger “Unknown Number”, is slotted on the album and should be a good cross over single if properly marketed in the United States and Canada.

The monster single “These are the days” regarded by many as a “Dancehall Classic” drops in on track 9, giving time for retrospect before the hiphop induced “Hustle Hard” creates a drag on the vibe of the album, and the punch line becomes a bit tedious after three minutes.

Once “My World” bounces through the speakers, the realization hits me.
After bracing for nearly two years for a second album, VP spits out a well hyped compilation disc.

I feel shafted when the underground single “Strappings” hits track 12.

My expectation of Busy Signal might have been too high(or hyped). A great lyricist, with beautiful writing skills, we have all been waiting for him to finally separate himself from the pack and step forward with a mint fresh flavor to dancehall. It was expected in this release. But Busy did not deliver.

So as the dancehall hit “Cool Baby” rolls in on track 13, I am convinced that the so called album is simply another botched product that VP coughs up when they don’t understand the potential of the artist.

“Knocking on Your Door” steps in on track 14, I was barely consoled, but why cry over spilt milk?

The final track featuring Italian Reggae Star Alborosie, “Murderer”, is an anemic effort to seal off the atrocity that has occurred to what was proposed to be a fresh plate of musical delicacies from an artist who has created some of the best lyrical chops that dancehall has tasted in the last decade.

Cheer up Busy. It wasn’t your fault.

Not this time.

Selah

The Reggae News Agency

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