Isis: The Original Womb-Man
A strong and positive female presence on the scene since 1990, Jamaican born and New York-bred Sister Carol is theQueen Latifahof dance-hall reggae. And while she doesn't have her own talk show yet, she's not above moralizing about self-determination ("Opportunity"), feminism ("Womb-Man"), humility ("I-Sis Apella"), AIDS ("HIV"), and the prejudice that Caribbean emigrants often suffer abroad ("Kings and Queens"). The relatively tame dance-hall riddims she chants and (less successfully) sings over seem appropriate for the mellow disposition of this natural woman. Several tracks are collaborations with legendary reggae producer Clement "Coxson" Dodd, two others borrowBob Marleymelodies, and others reach back to the oldies: "Opportunity" poaches its hook from "Hang On Sloopy" while "Chok-Lit" substitutes praise for a particularly strong strain of cannabis for the lyrics to theFifth Dimension's ("Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep."--Richard Gehr