The Sounds Of Music 8 3
bleak, funny, sad, eerie and odd look at Grae’s seven day
cycle. “Days have different emotions too, so I just tried to tell
that story,” she says of the record’s concept, before pointing
out it contains more than musical benefits. “There are no
carbohydrates,” laughs the South African-born, New Yorkraised rapper. “You can buy this album and feel completely
guilt free, like the Atkins diet. It’s really, really good for you.”
Sean Paul’s dutty dancehall may have eclipsed reggae in
recent years, but roots music is still alive and thriving on the
Isle of Jamaica. In a shop near you now, Al Pancho, Daddy
Freddy and Gregory Issacs have all recently released records.
From Pancho’s conscious Righteous Men to Isaac’s rootsrocking Revenge, the three prove you don’t have to be bashy
to be brilliant.
Another trio of male solo artists with sumptuous
sounds to be found are LA-based, Aceyalone, Mikah 9
and Abstract Rude a.k.a Haiku D’Etat. Their second
album as a group, Coup De Théatre takes on
Japanese poetry, hip hop, death and massconsumerism. The antithesis of over-sampled,
braggadocio-bloated hip hop, here we have
utterly sublime sonics, laid-back grooves,
jazz-soaked snares and more abstract,
witty wordplay than you could possibly
know what to do with.
Artistes from left to right: Jean Grae, Ayak