BUSY SIGNAL – Loaded (VP Records)

 

Dec 17, by Daneekah

After bursting onto the scene in 2005 with his debut album “Step Out”, there’s no doubt Jamaican superstar Busy Signal is the next big thing in dancehall. Born Reanno Gordon, Busy Signal was given his nickname as a teen due to his eagerness to be everywhere at once. As a youth he lived in the notorious garrison of Tivoli Gardens, Kingston, where he would sneak out of the house to listen to Jamaican sound systems like Stone Love and Bass Odyssey. However, it was his mentor, Bounty Killer, who shot him to stardom by inducting him as member of the Alliance crew and inviting him to perform onstage.

Busy Signal’s lyrics reflect on the reality of life in Jamaica rather than religion; yet he still manages to maintain an uplifting consciousness. The smash hit “Jail” was written after his stay in a US prison, and “These are the Days” is a somber yet real look at the state of the system. “Unknown Number” is another tune for the gangsters, as well as “My world” which speaks on weed, guns and girls. Busy shows his lighter side and love for the ladies in the irresistible crossover tune “Tic Toc”, as well as “Cool Baby” and the dancehall anthem “Wine Pon Di Edge”. With his recently expressed interest in writing more conscious lyrics, Busy pairs with ex-Black Uhuru singer Mykal Rose for the catchy hip hop tune “Real Jamaican”; and “Murderer”, with Alborosie, is an excellent re-lick of the classic tempo riddim. Busy’s ability to deliver on hip hop riddims (of which the album is surprisingly full of), as well as roots and dancehall ensures his appeal to a wide range of audiences. The current era of dancehall has seen prominent use of autotune, an audio distortion tool used to correct pitch, and Busy’s latest album most certainly contains plenty of it. Critics argue that it takes away from the artist’s natural voice delivery and that their live shows will suffer; but controversial or not, Busy Signal is hot right now, and “Loaded” leaves fans hanging to see what he’ll be busy with next…