Posted on 05/07/2009
I must admit, I’m truly vexed. I was under the initial impression that I would be reviewing a dancehall album. Then I got this, this album by Mavado that plays far more like a rap album than dancehall. Mr. Brooks…A Better Tomorrow sounds more like a product of the streets of New York than Kingston. Even the artist’s adherence to the paradigm of analyzing the “duality” of his psyche is textbook modern hip-hop. And perhaps that’s the achievement of this album.

Mr. Brooks is a portrait of a man tormented by the allure of both the physical and spiritual worlds. Absent the artist’s acknowledgement of this inner struggle, the juxtaposition of tracks like “David’s Psalm” and “So Blessed” against “Gangsta Don’t Play” and “Real Killer” would ring hollow with the tone of hypocrisy. However, it’s Mavado’s performance over the course of the album that gives credence to the material. He’s simply so sincere; giving the listener the impression that he’s laying all aspects of his humanity bare in the recording booth. For those who require proof, just take a listen to “On The Rock” and “So Special.” On the former, Mavado effortlessly conveys a sense of vulnerability while the latter is immersed in a bravado that is beyond reproach.

So, the question is whether the portrait Mavado has painted of Mr. Brooks is compelling. Despite its clichéd adaptation of the hip-hop theme of the artist as subject, this album provides listeners a more inclusive, and perhaps insightful, perspective of the Jamaican man. Oftentimes, this image has been limited to the caricature of the supremely devout Rasta or the blood-thirsty badass ladies’ man. Though Mavado portrays himself as both, he’s clearly not content with either. And that’s what sets him apart from his contemporaries.

- Adam Roussell