Published: Tuesday | February 24, 2009

Mavado has what it takes to break that drought with the March 3 release of his second album, Mr Brooks … A Better Tomorrow, on VP Records.

The deejay's first album, 2007's Gangsta For Life: The Symphony of David Brooks, made some ripples in the US but was not a big seller. Urban tales like Gully Side and Weh Dem a Do made it, arguably, the grittiest dancehall album since Bounty Killer's My Xperience in 1996.

VP Records has thrown its weight behind Mr Brooks, pushing the video for its lead single, So Special, on BET and MTV.

Already, there is radio buzz around Mr Brooks' leading songs: So Special, So Blessed, On The Rock and Overcome. So Special is currently on Billboard magazine's Top 100 R&B/Hip Hop chart.

Baz Dreisinger, a writer for the edgy Spin magazine, says Mavado may be a godsend for lovers of hardcore music.

"Gangsta personas have short shelf-lives. Snoop Dogg: the only set he's believably rolling with these days is the PTA. And who's still afraid of big, bad 50 Cent? But on his stellar second album, David 'Mavado' Brooks – the Kingston-born artist hyped as having more street 'cred' than Biggie and tupaccombined – has lost none of the edge that made him dancehall's latest commercial saviour."

Pyroradio.com, an influential network for hip hop and urban music, is just as impressed with the Mavado set. "Part prophet, part superhero and part fugitive, Mavado is the voice of the streets and represents dancehall for the new generation," it said in its review.

Last year was not a good one for dancehall albums. Although Let's Get Physical by Elephant Man and Shaggy's Intoxication did well in Jamaica, neither cracked US pop charts.

With the wind at his back, Mavado has a clutch of promotional dates lined-up in the US, starting this week.

Many of us have heard the raunchy Lyrics from the wildly popular “Rampin Shop’ done by Vybz Kartel and Spice. Kartel is already known for his explicit lyrics in all his songs, whether they are about murder, love, sex are simply cursing out other artists. Kartel is gifted and he is like a modern day Shakespeare. The only difference is that Shakespeare was not exposed to some of our newly enlisted vocabulary.

Many of the criticism surrounds the exposure to these lyrics by children of all ages. Raunchy and X-rated lyrics have been around for a while and they are not going away any time soon. The parents have to engage the children in other positive behavior motivations so that these lyrics do not influence their lives. The artist also has the responsibility to restrain his/her self in the words that they put out there. Some people are vulnerable and suffer with low self esteem and will quickly emulate everything they hear or see.

Click below for Video of ‘Rampin Shop’ Warning: It is X-rated

A poll conducted by Jamaica Views attracted 802 voters with Vybz Kartel getting 434 (54.11%) of the vote, while Mavado received 368 (45.89%). This is consistent with other media outlets polls which show Kartyl as the winner despite the low ratings of the clash.

On January 3, Supreme Promotion and Laing brought a version of the popular ‘Sting’ concert to Antigua and all account was that it was a master blast. The show is obviously not as big as the Jamaican Sting but less controversial and just as nice. Artist like Egg Nog and Flippa Mafia were in performances among others, but Kartel and Spice mashed up the place. With no Mavado to worry about Kartel gave the audience his best performance. Antigua Sting was a success and may be repeated next year.

Have you ever wondered why foreigners visited Jamaica then go back to their domicile country and reported that Jamaica is so nice? Sometimes they can’t find words to describe their experiences.

The reason is one single word called

‘Freedom.’ Unfortunately as nice as Freedom is, it comes with a cost; sometimes a very burdensome but unavoidable social cost. We enjoy the freedom to totally express ourselves when we visit Jamaica. The freedom to buy a Red Stripe beer and consume it on the street. The freedom to establish more churches per square mile than any other country on earth. The freedom to write this letter and get it published. Last but not least the freedom to have a reggae concert.

As is customary when people become irate with an event that does not affect them in anyway they usually call for its abolishment. This time in the case of the 25-year-old reggae concert Sting 2008, many are appalled at the expletives used by some of our most popular DJ superstars. What supposed to be a ‘clash,’ a lyrical contest between two top DJ’s turned out to be the worst type of insults and cursing match between two grown adults. For this one cannot blame the critics. There is enough blame to go around. I personally blame the promoters and the security forces to have encouraged so many thugs on the stage during the performances. The pace was set for unruliness from the onset.

With all this said and done we have to be careful about calling for the eradication of ‘Sting.’  If we start curtailing freedom by going after things that powerless people do, we will slowly upgrade to dictatorship by asking for the elimination of other things or people we do not like. What we need to do is hold the organizers of these events responsible by leveling a huge seven figure fine on them for this inexplicable behavior. That will be the only tune they will dance to.

Here is the video from the clash between Vybz Kartel and Mavado from Sting 2008 in Portmore (Jamworld) Jamaica. Watch the videos then decide in our online poll.

PART 1

PART 2