Whaddat?com V.03 :: Vybz Kartel's "Up 2 Di Time" Album Launch

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Page updated November 21 :: V.03

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By Carleene Debbie Samuels
Up 2 Di Time is here. Though mix tapes and constant radio play kept our appetite in check, we all wanted to see, hear and feel the Greensleeves debut album fron Vybz Kartel, the time keeper, time minister, war angel…
From the opening words he gets us “This ain’t the Jamaica Labour of the People’s National, you know what this is…Bad Man Party.”
With an opening like Bad man Party, you know you are in for a smorgasbord, ideas, stories, tongue twisting rhymes and Vybz.
You find yourself musing that with the patios and references this is purely Jamaican and you pity the person who is lost by the second song. It’s 100% diluted just the way we like it.
You are forced to listen to the lyricist and you are told so much in the first three songs that you know you cannot stop listening whether you are interested in the subjects or not. The flow and style changes sometimes mid song and everything but the next rhyme becomes irrelevant.

Kartel manages to capture both the male and female audiences which is the goal of every DJ. Girls have Tatoo, Good Inna Clothes, Sweet to the Belly, Pussy Jaw and Buss It Off. Wanna be Shottas and herb heads get their highs with Bad Man Party, Sen On, Di Way We Roll, Badman Nah, Pussy Jaw and Buss It Off. Got it? He’s on the fence, so the “girl’s tunes” appeal to the shottas because it’s their point of view but they are really made for the girls. So he covers all bases, street cred, girl’s cred, he’s got it locked.

It’s hard to choose a favourite track and not want to change it a couple songs later but these choices are based on wicked riddims and wicked lyrics and flow working together, in these songs Kartel is riding the riddim with a lyrical flow that rivals any in dancehall, present and past, these songs seal his spot in the Top 10 of all time. Here goes…tracks 1, 2, 6, 9, 12, 14, 17 and 18 that’s Bad Man Party, Tatoo, Sen On, New Millennium, Why You Doing It, Pussy Jaw, Why Again and Buss It Off.

Sen On is definitelty the stand out song, everything is right with it, crazy triple rhymes, a wicked riddim and an international subject that, if remixed could not miss with rock and roll, hip hop, electronic audiences. Herb heads worldwide give this one a thumbs up. In this song, he does not leave the riddim or the “subject matter.”
Wayne Marshall appears on three tracks, New Millennium, Why You Doing It and Why Again. We will always feel Marshall and Kartel combination as a highpoint of dancehall circa 2003. These combinations introduced Kartel to the Jamaican mass audience and gave him radio friendly hits. These are Don Corleon at his best, this trio cannot miss. Don counts both artistes among his favourites and magic happens in the studio when they all work together. They light up the riddims and make them their own.

all Samples mixed by Quizz

Donovan Bennett of Don Corleon Records and Vendetta Disco produced 13 of the 18 tracks on "Up 2 Di Time". In this Sample you will hear Track # 4 - Sweet To The Belly (on the hugely successful Egyptian riddim, built by Don and fellow beat-maker Blaxxx), Track # 9 - New Millenium feat. Wayne Marshall (on one of the big riddims of '03, Mad Ants, built by Shiah Coore), Track # 14 - Pussy Jaw, also on Mad Ants riddim, Track # 12 - Why You Doing It feat. Wayne Marshall (on the Crazy riddim), Track # 13 - Start Well, an exclusive from Don Corleon, Track # 5 - Kartel & Kardinal feat. Kardinal Offishal out of Toronto (another Don Corleon exclusive) and finally, Track # 17 - Why Again feat. Wayne Marshall, again (on the big, big Good To Go riddim).
		"Guest Producers" include Lenky (Sen On on Time Travel riddim), Baby G (Good inna Clothes on Cookie Monster riddim), DJ Wayne (Tattoo), Renaissance (Buss it Off on Rebirth riddim) and Vybz himself (Who Knows on a Leftside built riddim).


This Sample features another ace lyricist, Kunley from Ward 21, voiced at Don Corleon's studio, a Sweet To The Belly "dub plate".		Pharell's original # 1 hit, Beautiful featuring Jay-Z, remixed good 'n' proper with Marshall and Kartel added to the blem. Excellent.

sound man - Coolface (Vendetta), Smoke (Renaissance) & Foody

					My turn... Vybz Kartel's album launch was sweet. Haffi big up the big chick behind this organised success, and that is none other than Carleene, author of the review up there. Of course the big man behind it all is Vybz Kartel. That night I asked a dozen people what word comes to mind when they think of Kartel. "LYRICIST" came out of 10 mouths. "Timeless" was the other word. As Carleene said, "a lyrical flow that rivals any in dancehall, present and past". Straight. If you remember, Whaddat?com interviewed Kartel a year ago, when he was still a fledgling in the business. From Whaddat v.02, check that interview out here. This album launch was an example for all artists. Good food, a good venue (the Attic on Mannings Hill Rd.) good music and premium liquor flowing through the night. Apart from the exquisite launch, I have to send kudos to the man of the moment, Mr. Vybz Kartel. If you are not familiar with his work, just listen to the Samples. Supreme artist. I got one thing to say about that... UP TO DI TIME! DOWN TO THE MINUTE! Blessssss... Quizz

UP TO DI TIME!
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