Search - Jah Cure, Richie Spice :: Toe 2 Toe

Toe to Toe: Mars .vs. Pluto

Achis | Kingston, JA/Philipsburg, SxM | 02/11/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Jet Star's Toe to Toe series is always a wonderfully welcome guest on the reggae compilation racks when they are released. It's such a simple but unique idea to pit 2 artists 'against' each other in a back and forth manner and when the right pair of artists are set together, the album can be a wonderful thing, it is of course all dependant on which tunes they get from each artist, but artist next to artist is a very very good concept which the people at Jet Star have been successful with as this, the most recent release is episode 9. Previous editions have feature Luciano & Bushman, Sizzla & Capleton, Sizzla & Junior Kelly and Elephant Man & Vybz Kartel.



This edition features two of the most exemplary of all young Jamaican roots talents, Richie Spice and Jah Cure. Richie Spice has music flowing through his blood as his 3 older brother are all reggae musicians themselves (most notably Pliers from Chaka Demus and Pliers fame). His style is more of a straight forward singing style, however there is nothing at all straight forward about his voice. Spice's. . . simple wail can be both beautiful and regular in the same tone, his style is reminiscent of neither of his two singing brothers both of whom sing a higher pitch when at their best. His style is very out there (thus he is the MARS in the equation).



Not as far out there however as his 'opponent' here. Jah Cure is wayyyyyyyyy out there. I have no idea where he got that shockingly beautiful tone that he sings in. His voice is unlike anything else in all of reggae music and he can make really normal lyrical songs into something magnificent. While he can be (and is often) compared to singing versions of both of his friends Sizzla and Jah Mason lyrically, his voice puts him into a completely different class of roots music.



This edition of T2T is very good. The artists are matched very well. Spice scores very very well on his opener, This Train as well as on the combination with his older brother Spanner Banner, Don't Worry (which I'm frustratingly sure is over a Marley riddim I just cant remember which tune). His most impressive effort, however, is easily the closer Slang a Slang, which is a simple song about some girl but just works on so many levels.



Its difficult not to favor Cure in such a combination however. Take a cursory listen to his Most High Cup Full over the 'Sun is Shining' riddim from Marley and you hear it immediately, its all about that voice. Even when he doesn't make it quite over on a song, such as on Have a Dream on which he does his best Jacob Miller/Ini Kamoze imitation, let any other artist do the same tune and its horrible, its even recorded bad! But his voice bails him out. Check the beautiful Heartbeat over the same riddim which backed Anthony B's hit Mama Forsake You. His best is easily Jamaica, the complete and utter testament to his voice on this album and a powerful statement for the island which in a fair world would back the countless 'Come Back to Jamaica' commercials airing.



Neither artist get to their absolute best material (which is no shame of course) but both give a fair shake of their B+ material throughout the album, which is impressive enough. And I love this idea by Jet Star, I'd love to see more such as Tanya Stephens .vs. Lady Saw, Sizzla .vs. Turbulence (almost inevitable) and Jah Mason .vs. Junior Kelly. Were this an actual competition, its definitely close, but:

Jah Cure by Unanimous decision."