Nadirah X tackles social ills in rap, rock

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

Although its lineage runs to dancehall and sound systems, via Kool Herc, rap has not taken root in Jamaica as a homegrown product. It has had a presence since the early to mid-1980s, courtesy of 'Beat Street' and 'Breakin'' movies, along with respective soundtracks. And the cable explosion, starting in the early 1990s, brought Biggy Small to Sting and LL Cool J, Jay-Z and 'Fiddy' to Sumfest.

Still, even with many a dancehall/rapper collaboration, a rapper from 'yard' is still rare.

That makes one hill for Nadz, who presents her debut album Ink as Nadirah X, to climb from the get-go.

Make that two. Despite the mantra of "roots, rock, reggae", the 'rock' has never taken hold in Jamaica either. And Ink is written over mainly rock rhythms (as well as on Nadirah's back on the cover), notable exceptions being the a capella title track, the reggae of Ordinary Girl and the hip-hop flavoured Here it Comes.

However, she makes a good run at the obstacles inherent to the nature of the 14-track set in the land of wood and water.

For one, she is a good rapper, not prone to the stylistic and lyrical histrionics which impress for the moment but age very badly. And let us not forget that she is not restricted to Jamaica; if we did, Nadirah reminds us on Good Day (featuring Carina Round), where she juxtaposes the Linstead and London experiences:

"I'm walking down the street yeah in Linstead

A guy holler out 'wha gwaan babes?

Yow me love yu tune, can get a CD soon?'

I'm thinking to myself, that's beautiful ... "

"I get a phone call and it's from Davie Stew

He said 'Nadzy Boo, I got a project for you

It's with a Rolling Stone and another Stone'

I thought to myself this could be a good one"

The personal viewpoint of Good Day is in keeping with the perspective which Nadirah takes on the album. For, as much as she rages in rap against social maladies, it is mostly personal - as she starts out with the opening Testimony:

"Rows and rows of silent stones in the cemetery

They don't need your time

Jus your testimony ...

Remember all I have is my word

...

I always spoke from the heart

Set hypocrisy apart"

And she sings:

"I'm not your partner in crime

Don't wanna be your crony

Someday you'll have to give

Your testimony"

She proceeds to take on materialism in Here it Comes ("cut your narcissism/it's all about what's within"), which has the obvious Dave Stewart touch with a bit of the Eurythmics' Here Comes the Rain Again. Tuff Lyfe - which speaks to dealing with hardship - has a tinge of Sweet Dreams in the music.

Nadirah tackles both sides of the pressure in relationships that can result in bloodshed in Finger on the Trigger, dropping a rare 'f' word in the process; at the start of Blood on our Hands she makes a brief speech about "connectionism, the theory that thought and behaviour are based on patterns of stimulus and response that have been inherited or learnt, inherited or learnt. We have the power to change our situation. Think about it".

Think about it

She does make an effort to have us 'think about it' throughout Ink. On These Times (featuring Amy Keys) she observes, "if you kill men you kill God/don't be defined by the money you earn"; in Here it Comes she muses, "cause a no every drum beat you fe dance to".

However, Ink falls short on the other 'r' that goes with rock rage. Although Nadirah does say in Here it Comes that "I ink in rage" there is more observation of social maladies and individual attitudes (she wails "the negativity is killing me" in Negativity) than outright rage. Outrage is there, sure, but not the raw rage that sears.

Instead, there is the somewhat gentle statement in Judas Blood (featuring Swish):

"See I got nine lives

I'm a cat like

You don't wanna step on my paw

It gets raw"

And on the title track Nadirah goes for a genteel critique of Biblical advice:

"... Love your enemies

Turn the other cheek

But I don't know if I can love someone who's killing me"

So while Nadirah's personal drive is endearing (in Ordinary Girl she tells us "I refuse to lose/watch me strap my boots on and move"), her range of topics is satisfactory, her craft is obviously well developed and the production excellent, Ink does not pack the knockout wallop. The CD is certainly engaging - it will engage your mind, but it will not blow it.

On the other hand, it is mostly legally palatable for children.

Track listing

1 Testimony

2 Here it Comes

3 Under the Rainbow

4 Blood on our Hands

5 Judas Blood (featuring Swish)

6 Finger on the Trigger

7 Good Day (featuring Carina Round)

8 Tuff Lyfe

9 Ink

10 These Times (featuring my Keys)

11 Ordinary Girl

12 Negativity

13 I Hate This (Weapons Mix)

14 Reqless (featuring DNA)