Lion Pride Riddim – Review

Lion Pride Riddim Review

Over the past year I have noticed that many I and Pauzeradio.com collaborate with have stepped up their work rate and this is the exact description needed for Upsetta Records and all involved in their projects. With the last release from them being the Reggae Robin riddim, which was smothered in big tunes, I had high hopes for this latest release the Lion Pride riddim.

The line up to the riddim at first glance had me thinking right away “wow” what a collection of greats all on one riddim and I had a feeling that I was going to love it. The beat, being a musical lover, instantly I heard the variety of instruments in the sound. The riddim. having a laid back feel, with a natural steady flow to it and fully musical, reminding me almost of the riddim accompanying Buju Banton’s hit song from 1997 “Close One Yesterday”.

Agent Sasco is first up on the roster with “Winning Right Now” a very powerful cut and uplifting with the lyrical content, a little rough in his vocals but again totally suited to the silky smooth riddim track. Sasco is a clever lyricist combining that singjay style he so effortlessly pulls off, coupled with some sweet female backing vocals which creates an incredibly effective end product.

Moving swiftly on to a different style from the first track with the unique style of Bobby Hustle and “Never Know” which I think many will be able to relate too. Bobby’s quite defined with his vocals and lyrics which pulls us into listening to the full song with open ears.

Bud gives us “All For You” with a beautiful serenade to the one and only in her life and sung with conviction it makes to be a very addictive sound to listen too. I really love Buds tone and singing style which totally switches up the variety on the riddim, almost to a pop kind of level, I highly rate this track and now she has my fingers twitching to search for more music from her.

Giving a break down on each song on this album I feel is essential, as there is nothing worse than investing in an album and knowing nothing about it and one thing I need to cover and praise about this album is the variety of the song meanings, and we are only on track 4, which is from Capital D who gives us “Dance Nice Again” This smooth sing along track will have you chanting the lyrics with him as he graces from verse to chorus in a quick fire march, mentioning many legends that have and do contribute to make the dance nice again.

Delly Ranx, a regular on Upsetta’s releases, here on this one with a song called “My Backative” which has recently had a video released with it on the Reggaeville website. True Delly Ranx style, the lyrics are positive and well thought out. Another great sing along track, which we have become accustomed too with Ranx.

A little surprised at this addition to the riddim we have the absolute legend Gregory Isaacs blessing the album with “Please Forgive”. As usual Gregory’s unique sound sits firmly on the riddim pulling in our ears to listen to his tale that he is portraying to us. This has not only surprised me but reminded me just how much I love his vocals and the way that he sits on the beat (not that I needed reminding still).

Next we have Greg Roy with “Get Out”. A new artist to my ears, but WOW! I must say, how have I not heard this artist before? What amazing vocals and lyrical content, a tight and edgy vocalist and his singing skills are phenomenal. Again, with positive lyrics that are motivating and uplifting.

Jah Wisdom is yet again another new artist to me, his song “Hold Up Your Light” is a progressive and smooth track, touching on faith and strength. Another certified anthem that you can sing along too.

Last but far from least we have the talented Perfect Giddimani and “Faith” Yet again I must say that Perfect absolutely nails this down to a tee. His distinct and passionate vocals, mixed with his unique and totally individual performance is always more than enough to create a big tune. This is an ideal finishing track for this album.

Summarising this new release from Upsetta Records and Flow Production, it’s not what I expected, the laid back beat is powerful and steady but I would say that the Lion Pride Riddim is a massive step up from the last release. I say this mainly because of the artist selection on the album. It’s not really the sort of riddim I usually pay that much attention too as normally I prefer things a little more pacy, but with that in mind, upon listening to this album all the way through I actually really like it.

The production is tight, but so was the last release, so I say that the production is consistent and there is not much room for improvement because of the high standards that the production team holds already and it’s nice to see that carried through. I can imagine that the Lion Pride Riddim will gain a lot of radio support, especially with it coming up to summer, as it owns that nice relaxed summertime vibe and all of the songs are quite easy to sing along too. Review by Gav Pauze.

MP3 Download: Lion Pride Riddim – Various Artists