Single Reviews

Skip Marley ft. Rick Ross and Ari Lennox: Make Me Feel Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Skip Marley has, to say the least, had a massive year – with the global success of the smash-hit Slow Down. Now, he’s back with another fine cut – which includes some help from Rick Ross and Ari Lennox. Skip Marley Make Me Feel, released via Island Records, sees Marley team up with Ryan Williamson and Nasri Atweh, who also co-wrote Slow Down. Production comes from Grammy-nominated producer Rykeyz. So, you’d expect Make Me Feel to be top-class. And of course, it

Koffee: Pressure Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. After her Grammy success in 2019 with the EP Rapture, Koffee has been steadily releasing output in 2020 – showcasing her pushing the musical boundaries further. Now, she’s back with another storming cut. But it’s been in the making for several years. Koffee Pressure, released via Columbia Records/Sony Music Entertainment, sees Koffee team up with producer Ryan Bailey. The track isn’t new, as such – as she has performed it live several times in the past few years. But it’s certainly been worth the wait. Bailey’s production is sumptuous, slick and

The Lambsbread: Lockdown Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Coronavirus has featured heavily across Roots-derived music in recent months; an indicator perhaps of the toll it’s taking, and anger/frustrating it’s generating, across society. So, with that in mind – enter The Lambsbread with a thoroughly pertinent contribution to the narrative. The Lambsbread Lockdown, released via Next Generation Productions, sees highly-skilled production from the family collective’s keyboardist (and vocalists Kaya and Nadia’s son) Jacob Selassie. It’s overly Roots-based, heady in its arrangement with some glorious touches thrown in. Miami-based Fuller Mastering has done its job exceptionally well – creating a

Jemere Morgan: Your Loving Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. After a touring hiatus, member of Roots royalty Jemere Morgan is back with a fresh single. Teaming up with one of the best production labels in the business has paid off in droves. Not that it’s a surprise, given their last collab together. Jemere Morgan Your Loving, released via The Bombist & Gramps Morgan’s DadaSon Entertainment, sees Morgan and Grammy winning producers Bost & Bim once again join forces, after the success of 2019’s smash Troddin’. Matthieu Bost, is a force to be reckoned with – having done all

Sevad: Revelation Time – Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. At Pauzeradio we value the notion of commitment to up-and-coming artists. So, it’s always a pleasure to come back to someone we’ve appraised before. But it’s even better when you can hear how the artist has grown since their last effort. Welcome back, Sevad. Sevad Revelation Time, released via Sevad Music House Records on the 5th August 2020, sees this up-and-coming man strip his sound back to a more old skool, Roots affair – after the genre smashing witnessed on his album, Black Man’s Government. Heavy on Roots, light

Trudii Harrison: Black Voice Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Ahead of Californian-based CKM Infinity Studio’s new EP, The Message (dropping later this summer), one of the tracks included in the release is out. And it’s a pertinent and ultimately powerful affair – from Trudii Harrison. Trudii Harrison Black Voice, released via CKM Infinity Studio, sees Harrison team up with the label’s founder, producer Cliff Manswell. It’s a haunting, unsettling affair – driven by some elegant production from Manswell which has created a brooding, heavy piece of work – perfectly fitting the subject matter and Harrison’s voice. The track

Jahmiel: We Alone Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. What happens when you put one of the busiest and most-talented artists around, and one of the most exciting producers going, on the same track? Perfection, obviously. Jahmiel We Alone, released via Tru Ambassador Entertainment, sees Jahmiel team up with Week.Day on a glossy, slick yet unpretentious Afrobeats-RnB cut. As a producer, Week.Day’s skill at engineering a cleverly intricate song is no longer in question (his earlier work this year with Julian Marley and Kumar to name two, other sterling examples). So, what about the composition? Top-class, of course. The

Omari Banks: Like a King Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. One of the kings of Reggae-Soul (with Blues and Calypso in the mix as well), Omari Banks is no stranger to musical legend; his dad being the colossus Bankie Banx. But like father, like son – Banks has entered iconic territory himself. And his latest track shows why. Omari Banks Like a King, released via ONErpm, sees Banks on scorching form. With much of the composer, lyricist and producer duties being fulfilled by himself, that alone is a measure of the man’s talents. But the end result is

Cali P: Hit Like Gunshot Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Cali P is the master of hard-hitting, searingly conscious yet modern and accessible music. His EPs with producer Teka (Vizion I and II) were both works of art. Now, in response to the murder of George Floyd, the two visionaries are back – and the result is succinct and furious. Cali P Hit Like Gunshot, released by LowLow Records, is an evocative track; lyrics written by Cali P while in coronavirus lockdown in Gambia. Teka’s production is as to be expected: detailed, infinitely well-balanced and with streaks of

Kabaka Pyramid: Babylon Fallin Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. With almost perfect timing, artistic icon Kabaka Pyramid is back with a new track. And its message is wholly apt, as the world around us slowly burns – both physically and metaphorically. Kabaka Pyramid Babylon Fallin, released via One Time Music and Bebble Rock Music, is a tour de force of musicality and lyricism. Production from Island Wav is stellar – combining both tried-and-tested compositional devices with delicate yet pointed inventiveness. The slick engineering and mastering finishes off the package. And overall, the track is a top-class, haunting 21st