Search - Ward 21 :: U Know How We Roll

All Over the Place!

Achis | Kingston, JA/Philipsburg, SxM | 08/09/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ward 21 is probably one of the downright strangest and yet most talented acts around, especially in the dancehall arena, and with that eccentric group, thats a terribly difficult title to come by. Their production work is always top notch, while their own music is at times.. .. .. out there and at times off. But as I said, they are also very very talented.
This being their second album, I wasn't looking for too much of an improvement on anything, I was just looking for great vibes, and that they do deliver by the truckload. U KNOW HOW WE ROLL, is pretty similar to their debut album MENTALLY DISTURBED, the main difference being this albums tempo changing: Where Mentally Disturbed seemed to be out to hit you once and then immediately hit you again. U Know How We Roll, seems out to hit you once and let you recover and then hit you again. Songs like Something About Her will throw veteran fans of 21 for a loop as might Reggae Pledge, as both of them are on slower tempted riddims and are both almost basically on a rapper's scale and not a dj's.
Don't worry if you are that vet fan, the hit Rhyme and its sequel Crime are both present on this album, 2 of the funniest songs, I have ever heard. A song called Rhyme that sets itself of to do just that, but never actually crosses that point. Another underground style hit is the ultra uptempo and near masterpiece Petrol, a song that gives you a chance to catch your breath only when its over. And Petrol's 'sequel' Hey Gal presents a very similar MO. Also check Forget About It, featuring reggae's overworked but highly talented young singing vet Daville; Style a kind of an anthemic chant fueled by seriously tight flows; the album's seconed best tune, Badda Than Dat featuring Bounty Killer, the Warlord might be wise to stay near to 21 productions as he never fails to deliver when dealing with them.
The album's greatest masterpiece is Nah Climb featuring the bwoy soon to be king Vybz Kartel, while perhaps standing more of an example of Kartel's, its inclusion on this album makes it a sought after project in dancehall, Nah Climb is flat out dominant.
Overall, 21 has of course paid its dues, its leader and dominant figure Suku has worked for and along with some of the biggest names in the business. With more projects like this, its only a matter of time before 21 takes its turn at serious crossover and with production like theirs, it shouldn' be too hard."