written by: Mixed & Mastered  "Things ruff and time dreader than dread..." ...that sentiment surely does ring true for Jamaican artists these days. Bob Marley, who has been dead for 31 years, is presently the only Jamaican Reggae artist in the top five on the Billboard Reggae charts. Dancehall headliners Buju Banton, Vybz Kartel, Busy Signal, Elephant Man, Beenie Man, Mavado, Sizzla, and Bounty Killer are all facing either legal or travel issues that have severely handicapped the profitability of international Dancehall tours and live stagings. And Jamaican music has now become a very scarce commodity on mainstream radio overseas. Thankfully, Mr. Vegas double album Sweet Jamaica is a bright and blinding ray of light shining through the industry s current state of...blah. Celebrating the golden anniversary Jamaica s freedom and the birth of its signature sound, Sweet Jamaica reminds us why we love Reggae so much for the rhythm, the inspiration, and the indigenous musical culture. Sweet Jamaica Reggae brings back the festive and inspirational tone of Jamaican music in the 1960s and 70s. Despite his 15 year career as a Dancehall deejay, Vegas rendition of Ska and Rock Steady classics like Toots and the Maytals Sweet and Dandy and Hopeton Lewis Take It Easy is surprisingly refreshing and shows off an incredible singing voice. Things Ruff, an original tune in the style of Jimmy Cliff s You Can Make It If You Really Try is so timeless and well-executed that it is perhaps the best example of Vegas maturity and versatility as both performer and songwriter. The run-away success of Bruk It Down as well as the street success of Certain Law and Black and Proud was a precursor to the groovability of Sweet Jamaica Dancehall. Absent of Hip Hop-influenced beats and vocal styles, this is probably the first full and authentic dancehall album produced in years. While none of the other tracks, save for perhaps Champagne Rosé, and the Soca-flavored Beautiful Life, really stand out as much as the aforementioned ones, Sweet Jamaica Dancehall is nonetheless one of those albums that is enjoyable from start to end. Capturing the mellow and melodic deejay style of 1980s Dancehall with tunes like Let the Music Play up into the coarser styles of the 90s and today, Sweet Jamaica Dancehall manages to stay true to the nature of Dancehall without being overly colloquial and marginal in scope. Legendary roots Reggae band The Congos appear on many of the harmonies and background vocals on the album, while veteran producer Mikey Bennett was at the controls, working with notables like Sly & Robbie, Steely and Clevie, and Rohan Dwyer to make a stellar product. From the cover art to the content and the production, Sweet Jamaica truly represents the best of Jamaican music, and the best of Mr. Vegas. This is a seminal album for Mr. Vegas, and hopefully a turning point for the current direction of Jamaica s music industry. --Mixed & MasteredQuoting from interview with Mr Vegas:  Presenting reggae and dancehall like it s never been done before, Sweet Jamaica will undoubtedly be a milestone. I want to be around in twenty years, says Vegas, and Sweet Jamaica is the best way I can think of to put my stamp on the future, one in which real foundation reggae and dancehall both play a part, just like real life . Vegas is motivated in great part to be the change he wants to see. It seems as if our younger producers are turning their backs on Reggae to cross-over into the American and European mainstream markets. What they don t realize is that all our artists, from Bob Marley to Shabba Ranks, Sean Paul, and myself, crossed into mainstream playlists with authentic Jamaican music. We set a trend that the rest of the world wants to follow, not the other way around. --Soul Of The Lion MusicFrom Large Up written by Jesse Serwer: Over the last 15 years, Mr. Vegas has probably been the most consistent dancehall artist. While never attaining the household-name status of a Sean Paul or Elephant Man, the singjay has pumped out hit after hit not the disposable kind but classics we ll be hearing for decades to come, like Heads High and Tek Weh Yuh Self.  As his dance-themed Bruk It Down is gaining ground and getting spins on Hot 97, Vegas is taking a step back and celebrating 50 years of independence with Sweet Jamaica, an album of vintage-style reggae originals and updates of classics like Alton Ellis You Make Me So Very Happy, out May 29. We ve heard the album, and can honestly say we don t expect to hear a better reggae album for the rest of this year. It s a release, we think, that might just cement Vegas place as one of Jamaica s great artists. --Large Up