Posted on 10/12/2009
Love it or hate it, Major Lazer put dancehall firmly back on the musical agenda. And that can only be a good thing, especially if it brings artists as deserving as Jahdan Blakkamoore more shine. If you heard his turn on Guns don’t kill people…Lazers do, you’ll already be familiar with his lilting croon, but “Cash Flow’s” gently uplifting vibe won’t prepare you for the variety of styles that Jahdan unleashes on Buzzrock Warrior.

One moment he’s spitting ridiculously fast, the next he’s getting down low with a dirty skank flow before switching back to his stirring singing voice. It’s hugely impressive. His vocal dexterity is made even more impressive by the variety of styles he tackles: dancehall ties it all together, but Jahdan embraces dubstep, soca, grime, electro, dub, r&b and rock, and rides them all with an ease that’s almost embarrassing.

When he cries “switch it!” on “Let’s Go,” it feels more like a mission statement rather than a simple cue to turn the dancehall vibe into a drum and bass anthem. If there was any doubt, this is music to shake your rump to. Bass is king here, whether it’s the dubstep flavour of “What You Know About This,” the almost Blondie stylings found on “She Said” or the tribal basslines that drive “Dem A Idiot.”

But there’s far more to Buzzrock Warrior than a simple mission to trouble bass bins. One way or another Blakkamoore’s going to move you, whether it’s emotionally or physically. “Come With Me” details the emotional story of how Jahdan made it from Guyana to NYC, including stories of being woken up in the middle of the night by his mother to see if he can remember his new identity. His harrowing tale is made even more affective by the simple flute, bass and slow beat that accompanies it. You’d have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by it.

“Broken In Brooklyn” picks up the story once he arrives in America and develops the theme of immigrant’s struggles over a forlorn guitar line. But Blakkamoore’s not one for sitting down and feeling sorry for himself as the righteous indignation of “The General” and “Mesmerized” show. “The General” is a powerful anti-establishment call for action and empowerment, while the allusion in “Mesmerized” to “flying through friendly skies” recalls Marvin’s cry for peace back in the 70s – a cry that is all too obviously yet to be heeded.

Buzzrock Warrior certainly isn’t dancehall for tourists (If indeed it can be called dancehall, such is the scale of its ambition) but that shouldn’t prevent it from appealing to as wide an audience as Major Lazer. This is genuinely cutting edge music from a talented MC that must be heard. “Hear me now” indeed.

- Will Georgi