Jamaican
dancehall
veteran
Buju Banton
has featured duets with a wide array of artists on his albums right from the beginning, and this two-disc 33-track compilation from
VP Records
collects several of them in one convenient package. There's none of the slackness here that brought
Banton
his first taste of fame (and controversy), and his remarkable (and critically lauded) conversion to socially conscious material is well in evidence.
Buju
's gruff-voiced DJ stance has always been stronger than his singing side, and these pairings with the likes of
Beres Hammond
,
Toots Hibbert
Garnett Silk
, and
Gregory Isaacs
play to his strengths, as he leaves the singing to the pros and interjects his powerful raps at key junctures. Among the highlights here (and there are plenty) are the steamrolling groove of
"Little More Time"
with
Hammond
, the quirky and cautionary
"Ring the Alarm"
Tenor Saw
, a heartfelt
"I Dare Not Be Ungrateful"
Heptones
singer and bassist
Leroy Sibbles
, and a barn-burning version of
"54-46 That's My Number"
of
the Maytals
, a pairing that -- in hindsight -- seems as obvious and natural as the sun and moon. The anthemic
"No More Misty Days"
punk-pop
group
Rancid
is surprisingly effective, as is the lovely and soothing
"23rd Psalm"
Morgan Heritage
. One of the most striking tracks is
's duet with the late
on the gorgeous and vital
"Complaint."
has continually bridged the distance between hardcore
and socially conscious
roots reggae
, even embracing
hip-hop
R&B
, and straight
pop
elements in his music, and as an emblem of positive synthesis, his position in Jamaican music (and internationally) in the 21st century is vital. Dedicated
fans may well already have most of the these tracks, but having these songs collected together like this in a single package makes a sprawling testament to
's inclusive vision. ~ Steve Leggett