Search - Daddy Rings :: Most High

Daddy Rings deserves to be much better known

May Hansen | Barcelona, Spain | 06/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Most High Daddy Rings has had some very poor PR people up to now in my opinion! I "discovered" him through myspace. His music is conscious lyrics style. The most high CD is great - every track is a pleasure to listen to. Great voice. Great music."

From Behind the Shadows. . .

Achis | Kingston, JA/Philipsburg, SxM | 01/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Reggae music tends to be a place where an artist who rather comfortably resides behind the scenes can often come to the head of the class in an almost instantaneous fashion. Throughout the years the music has produced some of the truly unlikeliest of names from equally unlikely backgrounds, and at the same time, some of the music's biggest names were once nameless faces who toiled in reggae obscurity. The most notable case of this phenomenon in recent years has definitely been that of Vybz Kartel. At one time, just a lanky, odd looking face in the dozen or so which comprised the entourage of dancehall ace Bounty Killer, now, the Portmore native is a bonafide dancehall star. Kartel was primarily a songwriter for the Killer while serving what amounted to an `apprenticeship' (in dancehall in particular, such a role is typically served on a sound system, but there seems to be a shift in that in recent years) before reaching out on his own. Now, one could very well make the argument that Kartel's very own popularity rivals that of his former mentor. Prior to Kartel Bounty Killer also employed as a songwriter the (VERY) unusual singer Angel Doolas. Doolas' case is an unusual example as given the opportunities, he has chosen to remain behind the scenes while only occasionally stepping from behind the shadows. Bounty's longtime rival, Beenie Man has done a similar thing with his part-time songwriter and ex-business partner Don Maffia/Gringo before their recent split (and Maffia has proven to be a FAR better songwriter than solo artist, however). Spragga Benz also gave such a position (very briefly) to a young aspiring DJ known as Assassin whose career has taken a similar path of trajectory as Kartel's (albeit a FAR less controversial one) to stardom. The prevailing characteristic of such an operation has always been that the artist behind the scenes is in fact a virtual unknown and an aspiring artist. It is quite rare to have an artist on the foreground, revert back to behind the scenes to become a songwriter for a more popular artist (and probably at the height of their career at that). While certainly you have popular and powerful artists writing songs for various artists throughout their career and that is not uncommon by any stretch, and you also have songwriters who will do just that their entire career and never seek to pick up the mic for themselves; Why in the world would an established artist voluntarily SEEMINGLY take a backseat to another artist (in a completely unrelated country) as a songwriter?



I have no idea. But perhaps the answer comes in the form of Manchester native Daddy Rings whose rather unusual path has brought him back again to the forefront with his second album, The Most High. Daddy Rings was once a very promising cultural DJ voicing many of the top production talents in Jamaica, including the legendary King Jammy and Gussie Clarke. Rings scored with a big hit in 1996 with his seriously wicked ganja anthem Herb Fi Bun. The song was a big tune which propelled him to do not only a remix with the very popular singer Cocoa Tea, but actually it was one of primary the factors (it didn't hurt that the artist himself was lethally proficient with his pen) that led to his (now criminally overlooked) debut album, Stand Out for UK label Greensleeves in 1997. I believe that it was in doing international promotion for said album that Daddy Rings encountered a young aspiring German reggae artist with Jamaican ties, by the name of Gentleman. The two struck up a nice working rapport and eventually Rings was convinced to focus a bit more of his efforts on the European scene. The most interesting thing about this is not necessarily what DID happen, but perhaps it was more along the lines of what DIDN'T happen. If you don't follow reggae too closely then you don't know that Gentleman has since become one of the biggest undeniable reggae stars on the planet and Daddy Rings has been by his side all along the way, sharing some of the biggest shows and writing some of Gentleman's biggest hits (including Dem Gone). Daddy Rings (along with Jack Radics, a similar situation I would love to write about, perhaps if Radics were to release a new album later this year as he is reported to be doing so) has become synonymous with the German chanter in reggae circles all over the world. What didn't happen MAYBE, is that the home audience didn't continue to get a steady stream of Daddy Rings' vibes, which could have (and in my opinion WOULD have) maybe made him into a household reggae name, `rivaling' those of the Capleton's, Sizzla's and Anthony B.'s of the world. Simply put if you have never heard the way Rings crafts a song (or if you never realized you were listening to a Daddy Rings tune being sung by Gentleman), the artist is of a SERIOUSLY high skill level as he seemingly effortlessly builds beautiful compositions which hit the mark nearly every time. Now, on his own plan, in his own time and even under his own direction, over a decade after his debut, Stand Out, Daddy Rings once again reaches the masses with the INCREDIBLE The Most High. If you are going take ten years to produce a reggae album (not saying he spent ten years making this one album) then it should sound like The Most High at the end of the day. The album stands as a great re-introduction to Daddy Rings the solo artist on his own merits and should do quite well as all the Gentleman fans the world over should be quite interested in hearing exactly what their artist's `sidekick' can do on his own. Daddy Rings puts on a full and very vibrant literal display of exactly why Gentleman wasn't so quick to see the him leave Germany and gives the rest of the world to hear and see exactly what European fans have been enjoying all this time.



Daddy Rings' very own label African Glory helms the production on The Most High, while German distributors Groove Attack handles the distribution and it is (if you haven't figured out by the title) a rootical POWERHOUSE of an album. Rings did follow the trend of Gentleman for the album in releasing an EP just prior to it with The Future. The Most High features both older tracks (he has ten years of them after all) combined with new and newer tracks by Daddy Rings with just two official combinations (and good backing singers throughout). It is a `newer' track getting things rolling on The Most High with a song that is either the best or the second best song on the album altogether (right now, I'm calling it second best, but I may actually change my mind before the end of this review), Dispensation (of Life). The song shows exactly what I mean when I say Rings crafts music with a seriously high skill level. You can listen to a dozen roots songs and catch a stream where you hit a vibe that feels as if there are several artists in the game who could have sung the same song, there isn't a single artist around who could do Dispensation the justice that Rings does (although Junior Kelly would probably give it a good shot). Flowing nicely over Dasvibes very complex and magnificent one-drop, the Gloria riddim, Dispensation is a song which attempts to reach across the world to tell all people, but particularly the children to keep focus on the good things and righteousness, its just a very lovely song and one of the best openers for an album you'll hear. Following Dispensation with awfully huge standards to live up to is a song which doesn't disappoint in the least, Be Not Dismayed. Where Dispensation is a song which you need to completely listen to the lyrics and focus on every word, Be Not Dismayed compliments it very well in that, again, it comes with a very powerful message (one in which Daddy Rings tells all no matter how hard things may get, to never lose site of The Most High), but it also has a bouncier vibes to it and it completely works definitely. Completing the opening of The Most High is the excellent Hard Road. I THINK the song takes the vibe from another song, as it sounds very familiar. In this form, it works completely, on a very laid back style of vibes with production coming from one of Rings' friends from Germany, instrumentalist turned performer, Fiahs. Hard Road is another very strong tune and an excellent way to conclude the opening of The Most High.



On paper, the biggest attraction here, the first single and probably the reason quite a few people will be picking this one up is the track, The Future. The Future is a song for Fateyes which features Gentleman returning the long overdue favour to Daddy Rings' constant appearances with him throughout the years with a combination for his very own album now. The two actually have developed `SUPERIOR' chemistry with each other as they absolutely wreck through the song on a piece which more than lives up the hype which is certain to follow it. And I'm very happy that it was saved for this album and not Gentleman's own recent album Another Intensity (the duo did record a tune for that album joined by Jack Radics, the very heavy Jah Love), if you missed the EP, you might want to just pick up this album for The Future if for nothing at all, the back and forth style combination is a sure winner and a track which definitely needs to be heard. The other combination on The Most High is no slouch at all in itself. Self Reliance is a tune which features Kingston singer Paul Elliot (it was actually the title track to Elliot`s album). The song was actually quite a big hit a few years back for Al.Ta.Fa.An's Security riddim (which also featured Luciano's HUGE Only Jah Knows) and its presence on The Most High is not exactly surprising, but it just forwards the vibes definitely, yet another HUGE and hard to find track for an album which has more than its fair share. Also quite interesting and worth mentioning here on a side is that, were you one who did pick up the EP, The Future, you also got a taste of another selection from Daddy Rings on this album (alongside the tune The Future in a various forms), the MAMMOTH Rise With Jah. Rise With Jah is a big big sounding anthem style track that is just made to get you uplifted and definitely serves its purpose more than well as one of the biggest songs on this big album.



The BIGGEST of the big however on The Most High is the `other' title track from the album, African Glory. African Glory happens to be the name of Rings' very own label, and the track itself is absolutely amazing. A production of Danny `the Axeman' Thomson, African Glory, on name alone isn't exactly what you probably are expecting. Instead, it's a song espousing the virtues of TRUE African Glory, the AFRICAN WOMAN. Reaching all corners of the world, it carries a message so huge and so lovely, delivered in a method of uniting the Empress with the strong virtues and did I mention that it just sounds AMAZING as well! Big song! Another big song and one which is downright brilliant is the inspirational vibes Second to None. Second to None shows flashes of Daddy Rings on a dancehall pacing as, at times, it almost appears as he's just throwing lyrics out, and of course, they all hit the mark on a tune that definitely works. Daddy Rings made his name on Herb Fi Bun and The Most High contains two herbalist tracks, both of which are worth checking. The simply titled Weed Song is a much older song which barely missed being included on Stand Out (in terms of time) on the Take Five riddim. It is the heavier of the two (and my personal favourite) and it's more of a vibes against those who fight against the herb and the meditation; where The Wiff, from Pow Pow's Shanty Town riddim, is a ska-bouncy type of vibes celebrating the beautiful plant. And I should also mention to check the more than solid Yahe from Steven Stanley's Valley riddim (same riddim featured Turbulence's well powerful We Need Love from the I Believe album); Check the obligatory Mama song, Anything For Mama from the very popular Superior riddim, one of the biggest tunes on that BIG riddim and the title track itself. The Most High the song is beautiful, beautiful lyrics, beautiful riddim, (VERY) beautiful backing singers, just beautiful overall and such a song it is to carry the name of the entire album, but it lives up to the standards throughout and ultimately the subject in that song is the dominant one prevailing throughout The Most High, the album: Trust in His Imperial Majesty.



Overall, I always feel like I should make the concession that I may actually be partial when I like an album as much as I like The Most High, but it REALLY hit a spot for me. Its probably my favourite album since Sizzla's I-Space in 2007. If you liked I-Space, and like artists such as Sizzla, Capleton, Anthony B, Lutan Fyah, Jah Mason, Junior Kelly etc. then you will absolutely LOVE The Most High. I usually make a point in separating my recommendations for new and more established fans of the music, in this case however, both should be able to appreciate the vibes here. While this is genuine modern roots reggae, Daddy Rings doesn't have a style (like Sizzla) which is explosive and unpredictable and creates a border for the newer fans. The Most High is a grand welcome back to an artist who finally chose to `re-emerge' from the shadows of his close friend and by comparison he outdoes Gentleman in fact with his album. While I did include this one in my best of list for 2007 (as I received it with well nearly a full month left in the year) don't be surprised to see this one hovering around the top of the list for 2008 as well. Its vibes truly may be the Most High."