Gospocentric/ZombaThis is easily one of the most eagerly awaited releases of the year. His last album ‘God & I’ put Papa San in league of his own with such enduring hits as ‘Pop Style’ and ‘Step Pon Di Enemy’. ‘Real & Personal’, his third Gospel reggae album and (second CD on Gospocentric) picks up exactly where the previous album left off.
A wide variety of musical influences ensure that Papa San will continue to enjoy support from a fan base which reaches out much further than the reggae dancehall scene. Having said that, I feel that it’s not too commercial to lose the support of the streets. DJs lucky enough to get their hands on promo copies of the lead single, ‘More Life’, have already bared witness to the tracks dance floor filling powers. ‘Just Seh Di Word’ is another club banger with Papa San’s quick fire word wizardry over sirens and a catchy drum pattern.
Another thing that characterises a Papa San release is the high production values. Producers Eddie Perez and Maurice Gregory ensure that each track is more considered than just ‘one-DJ-over-a-riddim’. The best examples of this are the worshipful ‘Oh Zion’, ‘For You Lord’ and the Psalm 23 inspired ‘It’s All About You’.
On the whole, I’m not sure whether ‘Real & Personal’ surpasses the great heights of his last album. But I am 100% sure that this will be one of the best releases in this genre for 2006 and it will deservedly dominate the charts for months to come.