:: Buy Now: $18.98
:: Details
Sex and weed. Dancehall is a heady celebration of those twin totems of hedonism. Its lyrics spell it out, but they don't need to; druggy stutter rhythms and lascivious bass grooves pretty much say it all. The music was born in the sultry dancehalls of Kingston, where bodies grind in the shadows under a sweet ganja haze. The best dancehall takes you to these dark rooms. Close your eyes and you can taste the sweat.
Many in the U.S. got their first taste of dancehall thanks to Jamaican artist Sean Paul. His 2003 album, Dutty Rock (VP), was a breakout hit. Paul took some liberties with the sub-genre, steeping his tracks in hip hop and R&B, but the CD's best jams lost nothing in the translation. Dutty Rock's two standout hits—"Gimme The Light" and "Get Busy"—are dancehall classics, alive with the kind of infectiously raw carnality that marks the best of the breed.
With The Trinity, Paul seems to be angling for an even bigger slice of the sales pie. The CD's first few tracks sound more like trite pop than anything else, watered-down for maximum accessibility. Production-wise, songs like "We Be Burnin'" and "Head In The Zone" could easily be filler from a Britney Spears album.
It isn't until about halfway through that things start to get interesting. "Give It Up To Me" has an earnestness that's instantly engaging. "Connection" takes flight, lifted in part by a breezy hook that comes courtesy of Nina Sky. With its honeyed melody and loping groove, "Head To Toe" is made of the same brilliant stuff as Dutty Rock's finest. And there's no denying the lurid charms of "Straight Up" and "Temperature." Sexual and insistent, these tracks put the dance in dancehall. It's the kind of music designed to spark rhythm and motion in even the stiffest pair of hips.
Subscribe to Feed
