Various Nice Up the Dance: Two Worlds Clash
Revisiting the Jamaican music diaspora in novel ways has become Soul Jazz’s stock in trade, […]
Revisiting the Jamaican music diaspora in novel ways has become Soul Jazz’s stock in trade, and they do it very well. This collection spotlights the crossover between hip-hop and dancehall, Jamaica and the US. Cuts like Tenor Saw’s classic “Ring the Alarm” transformed to a hip-hop beat, Cutty Ranks’s slashing gangsta-style lyrical attacks, Ms. Thing’s hip-hop soul backing up a dancehall flow, and J Live riding an Augustus Pablo melodica harmony give you an idea of what’s up here. But this is more than a bunch of jacked beats; it’s a reflection of a symbiotic relationship, pointing out how each culture periodically energizes and inspires the other.