Reggae Music's "Lyrical Gangsta" - Ini Kamoze

Hey, hey... My favorite poet of Jamaican reggae music, Ini Kamoze, my "lyrical gangsta", was born in 1957 in Port Maria, Saint Mary, Jamaica. This man is truly a reggae lyrical genius. WICKED!

Ini Kamoze's recording debut was Trouble You a Trouble Me in the early '80s. As competent a songwriter as Bob Marley with a masterful talent for social commentary, his catchy hooks and sly wittiness set him up to be the greatest reggae artist since Marley. But Mr. Kamoze marched to his own drummer, refused to be categorized by the music industry, made a few questionable career choices and reportedly did a short prison stint in the 1990s.

While he hasn't benefitted from huge popularity outside Jamaica, his signature song Here Comes the Hotstepper (1994) made Ini Kamoze a household name and became one of dancehall's most well-known hits. He later adopted the nickname "Hotstepper", from Jamaican Patois meaning a man on the run from the law. This song remains his only U.S. #1 hit.

With his trademark "hey, hey..." Ini Kamoze will always be one of my all-time favorite reggae artists. He is a powerhouse of talent for fresh and significant conscious lyrics, influenced greatly by R&B, rap and hip-hop. He speaks directly to my soul - like an electrical current - and is never boring.

Mr. Kamoze does not condone random acts of violence but is an advocate for constructive change. Twenty years ago, in Gunshot (Respect Not) he chastised Jamaica's corrupt leaders and politicians for condoning gun violence, thus forcing poor kids to kill each other senselessly. Sadly, his message is still quite relevant today as Jamaica suffers from far too many pointless gun-related deaths.

Ini Kamoze's songs are arrogant, cocky and defiant yet, at the same time, eloquent and graceful with a keen sense of wit. His unmatched lyrical mastery helps him produce some of the most interesting lyrics in all of reggae music. And he can write some darn fine lovers' lyrics as well. He has collaborated with the greats, like Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, and I am certain he has some potent reggae left in him!

If Ini Kamoze's music interests you, try to find his debut album from 1984, Ini Kamoze, which is (criminally) still available only in vinyl, or pick up Debut, his double CD compilation album which features re-recordings of his early hits, and listen im tic!. Although the songs suffer just a little bit due to the lack of the Sly & Robbie productions, the poetic lyrics remain the same. Your soul will thank you.

Visit Ini Kamoze's MySpace site for great information, music, and insight into this cryptic but charismatic personality: http://www.myspace.com/inikamoze  and for news about his upcoming CD release "51/50 Rule". While his career has certainly been erratic, Mr. Kamoze has thankfully not disappeared from the music scene.  I hold my breath in anticipation!

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Country Music's Earliest Pioneers

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Country Music as we know it has been around for decades, with the 1920's seen as the 'era' of Country; with thousands of faces, some well-known, some fading into obscurity lining the Hall of Fame, who are the important figureheads in the history of Country Music? Who pioneered it, we know and love today? Here are some of the founders:

A.C Robertson

Alexander (known as Eck) Robertson recorded the first commercial Country Music song in 1922! He was born in 1887 and lived in Texas, growing up learning to play the fiddle, he eventually found himself with a recording contract. In 1922 Eck recorded the now famous track "Sally Gooden." It never made it big, and it didn't sell many copies, but he began the industry we know today.

As the first ever recorded artist, Eck Robertson certainly deserves to be considered a pioneer.

Vernon Dalhart

Vernon Dalhart had the first Country Singer to have a nationwide hit in 1924 -just 2 years after Eck Robertson sang, with "Wreck of the Old '97." Vernon was born in 1883 as Marion try Slaughter, he took his name from two towns were he worked. He applied and was hired by Edison records, but he didn't start out as a Country Singer, he began with classical and dance, later in 1924 he released his first song which quickly became a hit. He went on to record many different hits, using various names, hundreds in fact!

While Vernon may have not begun his career, he certainly made an impact on the business, alerting recording companies to how lucrative it could be, for that and for singing the first country song to become a nationwide hit, Vernon Dalhart deserves his place in the pioneers.

Jimmie Rodgers

Jimmie Rodgers if often known as 'The Father of Country Music," he recorded "The Soldier's Sweetheart" and "Sleep, Baby, Sleep" in 1927 and although they didn't make millions, they did achieve some success and fame. But Jimmie was determined to make it big and recorded another song 'Blue Yodel" or "T for Texas" as it is often known. This song earned him his stardom, selling hundreds of thousands of copies.

Jimmie Rodgers made a good career for himself out of singing Country, and influenced many artists, Country and non country alike; sadly he died at 35 years old from TB. For his contribution, Jimmie Rodgers earned his place among the pioneers of Music.

The Carter Family

The Carter Family was a group that recorded in the late 1920s to the late 1950s, they are considered to be the first Country vocal group, in the group was Delaney Carter, his wife Sarah Carter and his sister-in-law Maybelle Carter.

They made their first recording in 1927 with "Wandering Boy" and "Poor Orphan Child," later they created the well known, "Keep On the Sunny Side," and many more besides. Their songs became very popular and very well known.

Later though the group disbanded and split, with Maybelle singing with her children and occasionally the group re-uniting to sing a hit, merging with several family generations.

The Carter Family's songs have been covered by artists such as Joan Baez and even Bob Dylan, but as important as the songs were, the Carter Family pioneered a new way of playing the guitar the "Carter Style." With such influence on the world, the Carter Family deserves their place as an early pioneer.

It has a long history spanning decades, and these among other later pioneers have created the wonderful world of this music that we know today, they deserve their place in Country Music history.

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