ALBUM DESCRIPTION

To be honest, when I initially received the Scroll CD for review, I was a bit reluctant. Since I had never heard of any of the artists or producers, I thought that it would be another lack-luster poor quality back-yard production.

I WAS WRONG!!!

Once you get through the overzealous two-minute intro of Caribbean preaching (or rather yelling), then you have some seriously BIG Jamaican street gospel tunes to digest. Though you may have never heard of any of these artists before, by the first song it is evident that this is the next generation of deejays and singers from yard--quickly chasing the heels of the likes of Prodigal and Chevelle.

"Running But Yu Can't Hide" is a great singer Deejay combo by Zela Mac & St. Matthew--look out for these names. After this, Neil & Timothy give us some " Studio Time" inna thick patois stylee. Speaking of Timothy, His "Bright Days" that follows is a brilliant track combining the sounds of Kingston, Jamaica with the flows of Jamaica, Queens--who said that Jamaicans can't rap or freestyle? Over this same ragga/hip hop riddim, Marie Jackson gives us her sweet full-bodied vocal stylings that will give you goose bumps. You go girl! "None shall escape this track."

The cool thing about these type of riddim driven CDs is that they give you a chance to see what various artists can do over the same track. Not that this is a competition, but it is exciting to see such diversity in God's Kingdom. If I was on the turntables I would get two of these CDs and just skip back and forth from track to track, going from Marie's track to the hardcore dancehall deliveries of Gavin Brown (Peace), and the militant DJ Nicholas (Look at How Dem Running). What follows are six more slamming tracks and a few more intros that relay the gospel of Jesus Christ in a very relevant way for the rugged streets of Jam-down.

Overall, the "Scroll" riddim is interpreted by these thirteen artists with tremendous success. Whether they are singing gospel, deejaying, singjaying, or rapping, this is the next generation of Jamaican street gospel superstars. Proclaiming the gospel with aggressive chatting as well as with sweet melody, these artists test the limits of this groove with tremendous results. In addition to the great tunes, I love the inclusion of Bible verse references for every single track. More artists need to encourage their listeners to read the Bible like this.

A lot of people have been wondering what happened to producer Danny Brownie, but it looks like in his absence, Down To Earth Studios has filled a much needed void. And with this fresh stable of talented artists, the sky is the limit. So if you wanna hear the fresh fruits of what God is doing in the 150x50 mile island of Jamaica, pick up a copy of the Scroll today. It is "the big big music from the likkle rock!" I pray that you buy this album and truly follow the lyrics of the final track "Pray," a powerful song that just might save you!