ALBUM DESCRIPTION

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**ABOUT THE PRODUCER**

Hoping to ride on the success of the chart topping WOW gospel series, former secular producer, Danny Brownie has taken up the banner of Christ and created the first in a line of compilations aptly titled YOW--Reggae Gospel. As the founder of Main Street, Danny was responsible for producing and developing breakthrough secular artists such as Red Rat, Goofy, General Degree, and Lady G. There was a time when his secular label was the largest independent distributor in Jamaica, with the most popular stable of artists. For years, Danny and his brothers (which include Cleveland "Clevie" Brownie), were instrumental in either writing, producing or performing on virtually every major reggae hit out of the island.

After going through a major spiritual transformation in his life, Danny shut down Main Street for a short time and released all of his tremendously successful secular artists from their contracts. But the Lord did not call Danny to forsake his talents. After a spiritual hiatus, God called him back into the reggae industry with a new message of hope and salvation. Determined to work solely with Christian talent, Danny, who has always had a knack for finding and developing talent, began producing new artists like The Prodigal Son, Mr. Goddy Goddy and Moses & Mr. Gallimore, (formerly known as the K Gees). In addition to this, he also began recording tracks with former secular sensations-turned gospel artists; Chevelle Franklyn, Junior Tucker, Stitchie and Papa San.

This compilation is the first gospel release produced solely by Brownie. Putting his best foot forward, with this album, Danny has set out to re-establish Main Street productions back at the top of the Jamaican marketplace--but this time it is for Christ. With Danny at the controls as producer, rhythm builder, and co-song writer on every track, these artists are in good hands. And with this new take on life, Danny found himself taking up a new role in the studio--a discipleship leader and mentor to these zealous youths.

**SONG BY SONG DESCRIPTION**

Though it is titled "YOW Reggae Gospel," I feel that "YOW Dancehall Gospel" would have been more appropriate, for that is what it is--pure dancehall vibes. And these vibes explode on the first track of this long awaited release as Danny introduces the Prodigal Son. But for those of you who own "Dancehall Baptism chapter one," you've already made acquaintance with this talented deejay. Commanding our attention with "I Wish," the Prodigal spits out razor sharp lyrics like; "I wish them woulda done the slackness and start to create some conscious lyrics, and I wish them woulda done the foolishness, but them can't meditate without a big ganja spliff,"....and "I wish to see Bounty Killer get saved, and all of him bad-man lyrics rearranged, I wish to see Beenie turn Christian, dey-a church to praise God and lift up holy hands." And the clever lyrics persist as the Prodigal proceeds to mention his holy intentions for all of the headlining secular artists in Jamaica.

On "I wish," the chemistry is as solid between Danny and the Prodigal as it was with General Degree, Goofy or even Red Rat. Interestingly enough, this song is the first dancehall gospel recording to ever reach the top of Jamaica's secular radio charts, garnering air play among the likes of Bounty Killer and Beenie Man. In the vain of Bounty's "Look," Prodigal's "I Wish" is a hopeful vision of salvation for all of the key players in the secular reggae industry. He ends this smash hit wishing that all of the dancehall deejays won't get vexed when they hear their names in his song!--I hope all of his wishes come true.

On track two we hear the soulful voicings of Chevelle Franklyn, a pioneering DJ who commanded the secular industry in the late '90s with her Spanish Town sound similar to diva Diana King. Still toppling the competition, Chevelle rides the "Praise the Lord" rhythm with skill, shooting out syllables in perfect timing with this dancehall cadence (reminiscent of the famous "Street Sweeper" rhythm). Soulful singing, dominant deejaying, and a whole-heap of harmonies constitute her patent formula for success. Did I mention that this girl can SING? Her vocal proficiency is beyond the norm, and she seems just as comfortable chewing up the microphone on a dancehall chat as she is singing all of her back-ground harmonies.

The thick Jamaican Patois (Creole) continues on "Man a Christian," by Moses. This rhythm reminds me of a video game from the '80s, while one of the computerized melodies is clearly inspired by a recent popular hip-hop melody. If you can "over-stand" patois, then you would know that Moses is challenging Christians to follow Christ and not the latest materialistic pop culture fad--"Man a Christian, mi no haffe inna di in ting, mi nah go run-dung no ray ray, no bling bling"--decipher that!

The next track ushers in Junior Tucker. This reggae canary has been swooning audiences with his alto voice since he was a small child. And like Michael Jackson, when he entered manhood, he continued to sing an octive above the rest of his colleagues. At first listen, it seems that this track is a break from the DJ style, as Junior soars over the pulsating dancehall beat with eloquence. But just when you have settled into the song, there is a knock at the door--"who could it be now?" The Prodigal Son has returned! It is only when this governing DJ joins Junior two minutes into the song that we feel the anthem power of this dancehall hit. Contrasting Junior's squeeky, high pitched, pre-pubescent voice, the baritone voicings of Prodigal even out the spectrum. Listen to this song and it is clear that "nobody can stop them."

The group formerly known as the KGees have changed their name, choosing to use their individual stage titles, "Moses and Mr. Gallimore" for their collaboration "Big Him Up." This amazing tune was initially released on "Dancehall Baptism chapter one," and continues to draw attention towards this dynamic duo.

Mr. Gallimore grabs the mic for a solo piece on the next track, "What's Going On." This recording is marked with inventive lyrics like, "sometimes Christians have to struggle like Fred and Barney Rubble..." With his animated style, this dancehall cartoon character is no gimmick act. As he zooms telescopically into the runnings of a typical Jamaican church, he challenges nominal believers to attend their congregations with pure motivations and stop riding the fence of compromise.

"Radio's Playing it," by Chevelle Franklyn is the last original rhythm on this album, with the following tracks recycling previous instrumentals. Chevelle and Danny sure were right when they penned this song--the radio IS playing it. This song, that previously graced the 2000 release of "Dancehall Baptism," is drawing massive attention whenever it is played, jamming the lines at radio stations throughout the world.

Another 2000 dancehall smash is Prodigal Son's "Praise the Lord" (also initially released on DB1). Prodigal is once again victorious on the mic with a great producer in his corner to make sure hit singles like this abound.

Another promising talent under the wing of esteemed producer Danny Brownie is Mr. Goddy Goddy. His song "More Prayer," is an answer to Capleton's controversial "More Fire." But this artist is still a little rough around the edges. Quite possibly the most popular gospel DJ in Jamaica right now, Goddy Goddy has torn up the stage from Kingston to St. Anne. He is well know for his sharp wit, dynamic stage performance, and ability to hold a live audience in the palm of his hand with his storytelling antics. But regrettably, this incendiary artist has not yet learned how to translate his stage success into the studio. Don't get me wrong, this song is great, but after witnessing his incredible live performance at Prison Oval, I am left a bit disappointed in this lack-luster recording. It seems that this DJ's flame is ignited by the crowd's response.

There is another score for the gospel reggae boyz as Mr. Gallimore skillfully plugs "Think Seh Mi Sick." With his cartoon antics, he sweeps this computerized rhythm and cleans all the dirt out of his way. And in his profound lyrics, Gallimore doesn't hold back or accommodate for those who deny the miraculous healing power of God.

Cut 11 is the fourth and final DJ track performed over the "I Wish" rhythm. This list of prayer requests is a wake up call for those unfamiliar with the galvanized scenery of ghetto culture in Kingston, the islands inner city. But don't just listen to the song, heed Moses' call, and use his lyrics as a prayer guide during your quiet time with the Lord--for it is said that "we have not because we ask not."

The video game arcade frenzy continues as Prodigal voices his third solo effort for the album. With a gruff voice he turns his pitch-escalating tones into fledgling excitement as he clenches the microphone with excellent results. The album ends on a positive note for all Christians, encouraging them that when they fall down, they need to "brush themselves off and try again."

If you are just buying this album for the music (instrumentation), you should know that once you've heard 5 tracks, you have heard them all. For many of the songs on this release share the same rhythms. But the diverse styles, lyrics, personalities, and contrasting voices, give each cut its own identity--apart from the rest. And please understand that rhythm sharing is common in reggae compilations, even chart topping VP releases. To fully comprehend this you must be educated in how the Jamaican recording industry works. More often than not, a hit song in Jamaica starts with a producer creating a new rhythm and giving it a name. Next, his goal is to get the most popular artists on the island to voice their own tunes over his instrumental. If he is successful and some of these songs are strong and receive air play, his rhythm could be the next biggest hit. Once this happens, every artist on the island will flock to his studio to offer their own unique contribution to this rhythm. And if it really takes off, there could be an album or numerous albums with various artists riding exclusively on this rhythm. This phenomenon has been the standard practice in Jamaica for years, with some songs, such as the "Sleng Teng" and the "P----ny" rhythms inspiring over 1,000 subsequent studio recordings. Oh, and one more thing, every few years these same rhythms get recycled--old time riddim come back again!

But let's get back to the matter at hand. Altogether, this entire album is sequenced and most rhythms are more percussive than musical. When one suggests hip hop's roots lie in the Jamaican sound-system culture, it is even clearer when your ears meet these pulsating tracks. For the most part, the keyboard rhythm is dry and subdued, the kick drum sounds are fat and healthy, the snares crispy, and most of the tracks are layered with innovative synthesizer sounds and melodies. This album is the heartbeat of modern dancehall. And this album clearly reveals that gospel reggae is alive and well in Jamaica and Danny Brownie is at the forefront of the movement.

**CONCLUSION**

Overall, YOW is a spectacular release by a firmly established Jamaican producer. This is no rookie at the controls asking "what's this button for?" Danny took his years of experience as a Jamaican hit maker and married it with his newfound faith in Christ to create a power-packed compilation full of decidedly Christian lyrics, performed by rising gospel stars and a few veterans. Whether you are a devout dancehall fan or new to this genre, I HIGHLY recommend this album for your listening pleasure and your soul's inspiration. Pick up a copy today!