Friday, September 28, 2007

Crazy Caribs/Mad Professor - Dancehall Dub


Crazy Caribs/Mad Professor - Dancehall Dub
Label - Ras/Ariwa
Released - 2004
Style - Digital Dub, Dancehall, Riddim, Lee Library

Tracklist:
1. 50 Pence Dub
2. Bengali Dancehall Dub
3. Kunte In The Dancehall
4. Mandras Curry Dub
5. Eastern Delight
6. Ghetto Dub
7. Diwali Dub
8. Girl From Lahore
9. Pagwah Dub
10. Mashramani Dub
11. Bang Bang Lu Lu
12. Hard Channa
13. Baboo
14. Buxton Water

(From Reggae-Reviews dot com):
Dancehall Dub is exactly what the title implies: dubs of dancehall riddims. I'm surprised that such an album isn't more prevalent, but I guess conventional wisdom is that dub music has to be more rootsy in nature. With the explosion in dancehall beats on the pop charts in recent years, however (beyond acts like Sean Paul and Wayne Wonder, you have non-reggae successes like No Doubt, Nina Sky, Pitbull, and Lumidee borrowing the dancehall stylee), an album like Dancehall Dub is a no-brainer. Although you might not be able to tell from the titles, many of these songs will be familiar, even to non-reggae fans. "Diwali Dub", of course, uses the Diwali riddim that supported Paul's "Get Busy" and Wonder's "No Letting Go" (plus a million and two other tracks), while "Bengali Dancehll Dub" is the Coolie Dance riddim that drove hits like Elephant Man's "Jook Gal", Mr. Vegas's "Pull Up", Pitbull's "Culo", and Nina Sky's "Move Yuh Body". Also, you may recognize "Pagwah Dub" from Kevin Lyttle's hit "Turn Me On". There's even "50 Pence Dub", which adapts 50 Cent's already Caribbean-flavored "P.I.M.P." into a dancehall cut. And if you're like me, you'll drive yourself mad trying to recall where you've heard the riddims on "Eastern Delight" and "Girl From Lahore". I'm not exactly sure who the "Crazy Caribs" behind Dancehall Dub are supposed to be, but they include big-name producers Mad Professor, Sly & Robbie, and Mafia & Fluxy. Mad Professor is the main force behind this project, releasing it on his Ariwa label and supposedly writing all of the tracks. I say "supposedly" because it's a known fact that Steven "Lenky" Marsden crafted the Diwali riddim, and I'm pretty sure he didn't have anything to do with the Kevin Lyttle or 50 Cent tracks, either, nor the Coolie Dance riddim. Basically, it sounds like the Professor took these beats, layered some bells and whistles (literally) on them, and claimed them as his own. Such is the mad, mad world of dancehall's "what's yours is mine" recycling riddim system. There's no doubt, though, that these rhythms are hot and enjoyable, and even though you might assume that digital dancehall beats have too sterile and repetitive a sound to sustain instrumentals, the top-notch producers and musicians here keep it all fresh and fun.

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks a million!

P M X said...

a million your welcomes

Anonymous said...

Any chance of a Crazy Caribs re-up?! If yr still in the area, that is..
Many thanks for yer fine blog!

Anonymous said...

can u reup the ALBUM FAM. thanx a lot.

Malcom