Sonny I agree FULLY with your saying that he is a genre star. You should patent that phrase. Well spoken. There are no superstars in this realm. Not until you include Dancehall and add Sean Paul.
Well there seems to really be a couple angles that we need to look at... success. Acceptance in the genre. (these first two are matters of legitimacy) And then whether our personal tastes allow his music in.
I listened to all of his albums several times and will say that his music, lyrics and voice are a bit cliche' for me. However, I honestly would rather listen to him over Capleton or Sizzla, any day. Mainly because the guy can at least hold a note.
What about Elan? His greatest acceptance AND rejection comes from how much he sounds like Bob Marley when signing with the Wailers... related I think. Is race and nation of origin what we are really talking about here? I think so and it only thinly veiled. Have we as reggae artists come to expect a certain stereotype?
|