JAHMASON - RisingSun Music-Llc.

Welcome to Jah Mason Web site!

Jah Mason is a woefully overlooked DJ/singer who deserves much more notoriety than he currently commands. You may have heard his guest performances on Jah Cure's first two albums (on "Working So Hard" and "Run Come Love Me"), but chances are you didn't know that he's released three albums of his own so far, and chances are even slimmer that you've actually heard any of them. Well, you're missing out, at least based on his third effort, Never Give Up. Jah Mason's vocals (his name, incidentally, is a derivation of his original stage name, Perry Mason...really.) are reminiscent of a cross between two fellow Bobo Dread DJs, Capleton and Sizzla. When he chats inna DJ stylee, he resembles Capleton somewhat -- energetic, but not quite as "growly" and all over the place -- and when he sings, he's got a striking voice a bit like Sizzla -- although he can sing a lot better than Mr. Kalonji (and a lot smoother, perhaps more like a mix between Luciano and Coco Tea). Indeed, his high level of skill at both DJ-ing and singing is pretty rare to find -- thus far, I've heard only Turbulence and perhaps newcomer Abja be able to master this double threat. 'Never Give Up' actually reminds me a bit of Turbulence's Different Thing in sound, incorporating elements of different genres -- mostly R&B, hip-hop, and acoustic folk with liberal strumming guitar accents -- with roots and dancehall in a fresh, unique mix. Perhaps the fact that they both feature producers from areas not known for reggae (Different Thing from Spain and Germany, and 'Never Give Up's' D. Philoni Kark from Israel) accounts for the creative sound. Thus, this might not be the album for you if you're not open to something a little different. For instance, there are 4 or 5 slow, moody ballad-types, a concept that might sound a bit frightening until you actually hear tracks like "Gideon Start," "Love's the Way," the powerful acoustic "They Don't Luv We," and the touching tribute "Mother" (which out-performs Sizzla's similarly-themed, more popular dedication "Thank U Mamma"). There's still plenty of fire within Jah Mason, however, even on slower tunes like "Gideon Start," but more so on propulsive cuts like "Mount Zion High," "Danger Zone," "Kibuts Livication," and the hip-hop title track. A couple of strong rootsy cuts, "Righteousness" and "Life So Joyfull," round out this wonderful album; if you can locate it, you owe it to yourself as a reggae fan to pick it up. A talented artist like Jah Mason definitely needs such exposure.