ALBUM DESCRIPTION

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It has been four years since the first two chapters of the Jamaican YOW series hit the streets and a lot has changed in the industry. But a few things haven't changed; 1. Dancehall still runs things, 2. Jamaica is still the epicenter of dancehall reggae and 3. Danny Brownie is still a top producer in this industry. And with his third installment, this amazing producer has done it once again!

With his incredible stable of artists, Danny delivers the most versatile YOW compilation to date. In his secular career, Danny established his name producing artists like Red Rat, Goofy, Degree, Spragga Benz, and Mr. Vegas. Now that he is a born again Christian, he is using his talents for the Lord and developing the voices of artists like Bless (AKA Prodigal Son), Shelly Thunder, DJ Nicholas, Jason Mighty, TNJ, Prodigy, Shepherd, Danah & Mr. Gallimore and others. But Danny is far more than a producer--he is a jack-of-all-trades. All of the riddims on this album were written, arranged, recorded and performed by this veteran producer.

As the album kicks off, the sweet harmonies of Jason Mighty and the authoritative flow of Bless (Aka Prodigal Son) will literally "Change Your World". The driving bangara beat on this tune will move even the stiffest of souls. We are only one track into this compilation and things are already looking good! After this, DJ Nicholas "Pops off the Word", (a song that some of you may have heard already on APS Productions' "Gospel Fi Share"). After this, newcomer Prodigy gives us "Lie", a sing-jay vocal over a moving dancehall riddim. Following this, Mr. Gallimore, a deejay featured prevalently on YOW 1 and 2 gives us "We Are Marching", a questionable blend of dancehall and the synthetic sounds of a marching band?

On track four, singer Jason Mighty has "Something To Say" over a riddim with a repeated drum fill that is reminiscent of the "Log On" riddim from a few years back. Next up is the original cut, "As We Trod" featuring TNJ and Bless who switches up his style (and even sounds a dash like Elephant Man on some of his vocals). I love the cascading bass-line on this tune and the militant vocals of the former Prodigal.

I find it interesting that one of the best new voices in the gospel reggae/dancehall scene is not new at all. 15 years ago Miss Shelly Thunder was the original queen of dancehall. Long before Lady Patra, Lady G and Lady Saw, there was the "Thunder". Best known for her top hit "Man fi get Kuff" (1989), Shelly has since given her life to Christ, and reclaimed the stage, offering her talents for the Lord. On this cut, she gives us an ode to her roots with "The Devil Get Kuff". For those of you who aren't fluent in Patois, "Kuff" and "Lick" mean to hit or strike something or someone.

The next track is "Who Me?" by Shepherd over a new interpretation of the Sleng Teng Riddim--the version that kicked off the whole digital dancehall genre decades ago. Following this, Mr. Gallimore handles the hot potato of homosexuality on "Problem". This is one of the first songs in gospel reggae that discusses this sensitive subject and offers a correct biblical point of view on the matter. At the end of this song, Gallimore gives us the solution to this "problem";

"God You say to 'love them', cause that is Your way. Father forgive me, but Your way is harsh--especially on the youth that come from Yard (Jamaica). Christians, mek we (let us) honor the Lord, submit to God's way and pray for them hard."

That's what we need--less fire and more prayer. Hate has never won over anyone.

On track ten, the rookie Shepherd delivers "All A We" (over the same riddim as track four). After this, singer Jason Mighty & Deejay Nicholas give us "Mr. Mention", over the same version as track three (this time there is more of an emphasis on the piano chank).

Following this is a pleasant surprise--a new cut by Katalys Crew! Ever since their debut release I haven't been able to get enough of these guys. If your taste in music is similar to mine, then you will love "Always With Me". The next song is a hyper soca/techno dancehall remix of Bless' "Fly Away" (minus the traditional hook). After this, Prodigy puts on the "Jesus Boot" and then Shepherd sings "Born Again"--man that guy sounds just like Professor Nuts on this cut! Lastly, a whole bunch of cooks jump into the kitchen for the final track, "Jesus Party" and Papa San, Danah, Gallimore, Bless, Shepherd, DJ Nicholas & Jason Mighty finish off the album--for shizzle my nizzle!

On Chapter Three of this series you have an hour worth of quality Jamaican street gospel over a handful of riddims produced by one of the biggest names in Jamaican dancehall. There are more unique riddims than the first 2 chapters, yet there is enough repetition in the versions that a turntable-ist worth his salt can seamlessly shift between tracks and mash up any bashment.

Though I was already familiar with some of the songs on this collaboration from earlier releases, producer Danny Brownie managed to revamp these tunes and make them sound brand new. Regrettably, I missed the soulful voice of Chevelle on this volume as she was a mainstay on the first two chapters. I also wished that there was a bit more of Papa San, but that is one of the few downsides to an exclusive recording contract with a major label. On the other hand, this space allowed others to get a better footing in this ever-developing genre. Undoubtedly, the shining star on this album is Bless (AKA Prodigal Son), who contributes his voice to four standout cuts. His voice is destined to take this genre further than it has ever been before.

If you enjoyed Yow 1 and 2, then this is the release for you. Listen to the RealAudio clips on this page, and then pick up a copy of YOW 3 today. This album is fully loaded with 16 blazing reggae tracks courtesy of the legendary Danny Brownie--It is sure to make you say "YOW!"

Also, don't forget to grab the first two chapters if you haven't already--you won't regret it. Complete your collection today!

Review by Mark Mohr for http://www.GospelReggae.com