True Loyal Records is one of the hottest record labels in dancehall right now with the bouncy ‘Money Mi a Look’ riddim featuring a number of dancehall heavyweights.
The standout song on the riddim is Vybz Kartel’s ‘Money Mi a Look’ with runner-up honours going to Alkaline and red hot rookie Furtyle Brain.
Nobody sings a “get-money” song with the same wit and verve like Vybz Kartel aka the World Boss, and he has scored yet another bonafide hit with the title track, ‘Money Mi a Look’. Best line: “bank book fi big like Sunday Gleaner/use smart phone with multi-media’.
Alkaline impresses with ‘Love Yu Everything’, showing that he has truly mastered his style. However, what is truly confusing about is the repeated reference to “fleek”. That is not a word, “fleek” doesn’t even really sound like a word, but rather something a Hispanic actor would say in a drug movie. It just…exists. Best line from Alkaline: ‘you employed but yu p—p— a work’.
Furtyle Brain shows that he has a wicked turn of phrase and is known for his brilliant metaphors and he shows off both on ‘Bruk Out’. The deejay’s cadence is devilish and commanding as he instructs the girls to ‘bruk out’ whether at home or in the dance. The chorus is infectious as he deejays with melody: “gal yu pretty like the flowers in the brochure/plus yu bright and sunny like a Portmore’. He is more than the sum of the implanted horns in his head. Best line: “don’t bother with the stretcher, mi have a big bed/mi wi handcuff yu hands like I’m a big Fed/then plant things inna yu house and call it evidence’.
I Octane has a knack for finding great melodies on dancehall riddims and he is on form here. He growls with menace on ‘Queng Dem’, revealing the bad man strategy of “wait till dem a road a model, we hold dem, qweng dem and hold a coffin’. True Loyal records artiste Likkle Dainjah is one to watch in the future with the vibesy ‘Badmind’. Best line: ‘nu watch the Samsung phone yu see Vagga got/when yu get a round of applause, anno hand a clap’.
Dainjah shows up again on the sexy combination, ‘Ride It’ featuring Queen Diamond where the two have real sexual chemistry. Wonder if something is going on there? Hmmm.
Dancehall heavyweight Demarco who is a latecomer to the riddim, walks in Kartel’s footsteps with a ‘Money Money’ song, but ultimately falls in the shadow of the great man as his song lacks the oomph to surpass the Gaza Boss. Still, he has a few witty lines, notably: “tell Star, tell Gleaner, no mek me do something fi mek the paper in ya’.
Popular artiste Motion is one of the hardest working artistes in dancehall and he shows maturity with ‘Jealous’, a song that when he tells the girls that “although yu ah the Coca Cola type, mi nah go watch yu p— like satellite/do what yu waan, that ah your life”.
Iya Champs advocates adultery with his track, ‘Cheat’, telling the girls to cheat as well, and offering his services to that effect. Best line: “not a tears inna eye corner, as she reach home, she ah play Ishawna.” Ganggoolie makes a high-energy track with ‘Show Me’ while Ginjah declares “Jah Mi Say’. Kiprich has also voiced on the riddim.
True Loyal, Vaugh ‘Vaga’ Wint, yu find it. This riddim is already a favourite in the bus parks and taxi stands in the Kingston Metropolitan area.
The riddim is now available on iTunes.
