Cali-reggae is supposed to be cheesier than this. Don't get me wrong, I like plenty of it but much of it is straight flower-pop cheesy vibes that seems less reggae and more smoked-out singer-songwriter railing against a 'system' they aren't as much afflicted by, but unwittingly a part of. Nevermind that the West Coast is as gully as a postcard for the most part, there are plenty of acts that bring more to the table than sun-drenched surfer-bro vibes and I just found another; Tommy Dubs.
Tommy Dubs is a veteran of the SoCal scene having worked with many of the better artists in that area like San Diego's B-side Players as well as international reggae artists like Richie Spice, Yellowman, Junior Reid and even the late Gregory Isaacs. His gritty dancehall productions are reminiscent of some crucial 80's digital riddims and his collaboration with Piracy on his latest release Kick Rocks: Piracy Meets Tommy Dubs is absolutely grimey, raw and real.
Piracy is a female ragga MC (at least here she is), and judging from the work here, could be a fixture for a long time. She's a lil raw (but I like that) and she's got a style that's got a bite to it. And for now, she remains an enigma. NO puzzling on this release however, if you're looking for something different, some reggae jumping dancehall vibes with a solid message, you could do far worse than this. Actually, I really dig this and hope you did too.
And here's the cut I played for you all today...