Search - Red Rat :: Monsters of Dancehall

OOOOOOOH NOOOOOOOO! (and I mean it!). . .

Achis | Kingston, JA/Philipsburg, SxM | 05/28/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"In reggae music, and particularly in dancehall, the shelf life for artists, even those at the top of the ladder can be VERY short. With the virtual assembly line style production factory that is Jamaica, there are ALWAYS younger (and potentially hungrier) names to come and equally younger fans wanting more and more talents. We have seen SUPREMELY talented artists seemingly disappear from the dancehall structure, or at least take a much depleted role, at or near the height of their powers and it has happened so frequently and on such a scale, that such an act today is hardly even paid attention to by most. Fans will remember such `whatever happen to ______' names over the years such as Terror Fabulous (who had turned cultural artist the last time I heard of him), Baja Jedd, Junior Cat and the likes, all of whom took (or are STILL taking) an extended hiatus away from the business in front of the mic and in the spotlight. Many others still, such as the SUPREMELY talented Mega Banton (who was the first artist in my mind), Buccaneer, Predator, Silver Cat and ESPECIALLY Merciless (who can be found opening shows for Beenie Man around the world) to a degree, have all VOLUNTARILY taken a different role in the business for one reason or another. The reasons why this tends to happen and more so in reggae than perhaps in most other genres (and I'm speaking aside from the obligatory one hit wonders) are numerous. Perhaps the one which pervades over all is the nature of the business being so different. Reggae fans (and ESPECIALLY) dancehall fans are some of the most demanding in the world (myself included): Of the few names who have managed to maintain consistency year after year in the business, you see a level of prolificacy which is unmatched in most genres of music, which artist have to do to maintain consistently new releases. You also have artists who go nowhere at all but take extended hiatuses from the vibes (you remember TOK? They're taking one now) Other artists still just seem to LOSE touch of the vibes and what the people want to hear, thus, they fall out of favour with the masses (which is what I think happened to Merciless and Baja Jedd). Lastly, you have a group of artists (which is the case here) who attempt to take their careers to the next level (which is also a byproduct of the `underground' nature of dancehall) and seek a greater level of fame and popularity outside of dancehall, which all but vanishes them from the local scene.



Such a case is everybody's favourite (or least favourite) dancehall. . . Whatever he is, Red Rat. Red Rat once enjoyed a level of success in the dancehall which was only rivaled by the absolute top names in the business. While he never made it to the point of Beenie Man or Bounty Killer (and he wasn't VERY far for a minute or two, so far advance was he that Beenie Man felt the need to respond to his tune Skin-a-Slap), but he was well along the same level (of popularity) as Elephant Man, Spragga Benz, Merciless at the time and label mate, Mr. Vegas. Red Rat came along in what was, for me, one of the most productive schemes the dancehall, Main Street Records. The label, headed by wicked producer Danny Browne, was an instrumental force in helping launch the careers of not only Red Rat, Mr. Vegas, Goofy (now Mr. G) and helped continue and advance the careers of General Degree, Hawkeye and Buccaneer. While Degree was probably the artist most associated with the label, it was without a doubt Mr. Vegas' MASSIVE hit, Heads High which gave the label its calling card. They also produced tunes for biggest names in the business such as Beenie Man, Papa San and Lady Saw (and it was also, briefly, the home of Lady G). Red Rat was the type of bouncing, good natured and HYPE artist that excelled on Main Street's (which is why you didn't see the name Bounty Killer on the list) productions, and while Red Rat DEFINITELY isn't one of my favourite artists (although he does represent AT. ANNZ!), General Degree is and is largely because much of his material for the label (and incidentally, I`m inclined to mention that Browne closed the label and gave his studio to his younger brother Richard `Shams' Browne who started his own label and currently manages TOK). Red Rat's style was which ULTRA popular amongst the younger audiences in Jamaica (of which I was one, but had left the island when the Rat reached the height of his powers) due to his persona and also some of the older audiences which were attracted to his UNDENIABLE skill. I can sit here and tell you everything you'll hear from MANY old school dancehall heads: "Red Rat is annoying", "Red Rat is overrated" and "Red Rat is school boy artist"; but even I and the rest of the hardcore dancehall heads would have to admit that he was skillful. Untalented artists didn't do much of anything over Browne's wicked productions and he frequently drew for Red Rat and did so to the tune devastatingly popular hits for the young artist. Red Rat's time at the top, which was undeniable, was so powerful that it attracted the foreign audiences and the foreign labels and in 1997 after MADDENING the UK, he released his debut album, Oh No, Its Red Rat for UK outfit Greensleeves. He would return to the international shelves in 2000 when he released his sophomore album, I'm a Big Kid Now (you can pretty much get EVERYTHING you need to know about the artist from those times just from the two titles alone!). Both of which did very well for the label and seem prophesize further relations with the international audiences. . . And they were right! Fast forward to 2008 and Red Rat has been out of the Jamaican spotlight for a few years having spent most of his time abroad (and working on his WICKED website) furthering his name in both the UK and the states (which apparently is culminating with a reported remix combination with American pop superstar Janet Jackson). But, we didn't forget Red Rat! And apparently neither has Greensleeves as he receives the surprising (but not really) honour of being the fourth name in the label's new series, Monsters of Dancehall (following Elephant Man, Beenie Man and Ninja Man).



When you think about the label itself, Red Rat would definitely be a good choice. Both of his albums were little more than greatest hits albums anyway and picking the best of those albums (which sold VERY well) would seem a fitting tribute to the still young Rat. The album is highlighted by Main Street productions and Red Rat's signature (annoying) personality and high skill. Unsurprisingly starting the album is what is probably the Rat's biggest tune to date, even after all these years, the MASSIVE Shelly-Ann. Shelly Ann was an addictive track about one of Red Rat's schoolmates which swept the island and all but LOCKED DOWN dancehall in 1995 (when I was still on the island) and signaled the arrival of the Rat on the top level of the vibes. The tune also had the extreme fortune of BOOMING on Browne's impeccable Scandal riddim which, quietly, may just be one of the best PURE dancehall riddims I've ever heard in my life! Shelly Ann was the dominant tune and most memorable track off the riddim by far and it was the one which it will forever be associated to (although don't be at all surprised if fifteen years from now someone rebirths the riddim) and it is without a doubt the overall strongest track here as it is on any Red Rat album on which it has and will EVER appear. Again, to no one's surprise is what chases Shelly Ann, is another of the Rat's biggest hits to date and somewhat of his own response for Shelly Ann, the male version, Dwayne. The incompetent and downright insane Dwayne (whoever he is) played the lead road for a tune which more than sufficed as a follow-up hit to Shelly Ann, playing over Buccaneer's night and day style riddim (notice how it gets light and then KNOCKS), the very solid Fig Leaf. Its not really a greatest hits album for the Rat if Dwayne isn't here. Then we get the annoying Red Rat, with the TERRIBLE Bizzi Blazzi for Steely & Cleevie's wicked Black Widow riddim. I imagine the Black Widow straight forward and without vocals would be FAR more enjoyable than what Bizzi Blazzi is and was as it highlights the polarizing nature of the artist, even without the signature shrieks, it still manages to be one of the Rat's most ridiculous tunes of all time.



The album does have consistently big hits sprinkled throughout. Down the stretch, not so shockingly appearing is Tight Up Skirt which is another of the Rat's hits which I really did enjoy. I'll challenge any fan of dancehall to take in Buccaneer's FLAWLESS Mad Lion riddim without bouncing or nodding or something! Again, Red Rat provided the tune with its signature track and one which ran the place for the artist, not so long after the Shelly Ann and Dwayne hype died down. Also present is Mix Up Melissa which I was a bit surprised to see but is definitely a track which fits in here over Browne's cartoon-story style Splash riddim (the thing sounds like story time in the dancehall). The tune actually does annoy me quite a bit but it was one of the bigger post-Shelly tunes for the Rat and its nice that Greensleeves threw it in, even if I don't care for it too much (and I don't). What I do like, for the most part, are the combinations, three in total appear on Red Rat's Monster of Dancehall compilation. The first of which is undoubtedly the biggest in terms of stature and musically as well, Love Dem Bad with Buju, one of the most UNLIKELY of combinations I may have ever seen in the dancehall. Red Rat actually played an `away' game in voicing the tune at Buju's then home base of operation, Penthouse, over Donovan Germain's (head of Penthouse) wicked riddim of the same name. I couldn't even tell you which year the tune was from (I would guess 2000-2001), but I BARELY remembered it at all and its inclusion here, first and foremost just on paper, was a nice sight to see even before I gave it a listen and it definitely disappoint. I'm less fond of Cruise with Goofy, but it still is definitely solid and just a bit of nostalgia from the old Main Street days (told you, I was a fan). The last combination, which also closes the album is Nuh Live Nuh Weh with constant Degree `spar' Crissy D. The tune is DECENT, but I'm sorry I must confess that listening to the Rat do a SERIOUS song is about as comfortable as listening to Lady Saw or Bushman do that ODD country song they always love throwing in and listening to Sizzla start in on Pump Up (although I do confess to liking Curfew a bit). Some of the newer material here also impresses just a bit ESPECIALLY Guess Who's Back from 2007 which was a UK production (via outstanding young producer, Curtis Lynch Jr., which was the Rat's marking his return to the UK and has an outstanding old school dancehall vibes over Lynch's wicked Get Flat riddim. And I have to mention One Foot In, which is more of a straight forward dancing tune, which I usually don't like, but One Foot In is WICKED! Looking for an example of dancehall skill from Red Rat, look One Foot In DEFINITELY. Oh and Put Yuh Hands up, not new, but one of my older favourites produced by the Rat himself, check it as well.



What's missing??? There's no Kerry Ann! And the last Red Rat tune I really remember liking a great deal was the HUMOUROUS Hush, would have loved to see that here. AND! The biggest `oops' of all is definitely Wrigley's which is nowhere to be found.



Overall, with the mixture of newer songs here and the likelihood that you MAYBE didn't pick up one of his earlier releases, I can actually recommend this one to older fans of Red Rat (although you probably don't need me to tell you that), but otherwise, this one is strictly for the new fans. Take into account that you'll hear Red Rat described by people in `the know' use a range of adjectives to describe him from WICKED all the way to ANNOYING and back to IMPORTANT and ending with HUH. Red Rat is just a seriously polarizing figure in the dancehall which is somewhat of a shame because, in actuality, he was pretty harmless. Say it about him, besides Elephant Man, I can't think of an artist in dancehall who has had more fun over the past decade or so at the top than Red Rat did. Maybe that will be his legacy. As it is, because of what he did, who he is and albums like this, we're likely to NEVER forget Red Rat.

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