TBGB Pick of the Week: July 20, 2009

“Inna the Ghettio”
Papa San
From the Habakkuk Music/Beloved Records album Higher Heights (in stores July 28)
www.habakkukmusic.com

Borrowing from Dave Withers’ 1971 hit single “Ain’t No Sunshine,” former Jamaican dance hall hitmaker, Stellar Award-winner and ordained minister Papa San raps reggae on “Inna the Ghettio.” The song is about the trials of life in the inner city and the changes needed – externally as well as internally – to make it a better place to live.

Although traditionalists will bristle at the brute force of the beat, I like this track for that reason: Papa San is a train smashing through a brick wall but once he has your attention, he settles into that comfortable, laid-back reggae groove. The familiarity of “Ain’t No Sunshine” and the rapid-fire power of Papa San’s rap lines are compelling. And if that wasn’t enough, Canton Jones appears, bringing his own invigorating energy to bear on the performance.

“Inna the Ghettio” is also destined to become the most misspelled gospel track of all time. Already I’ve seen four different spellings of the title, all from trusted sources, and the album isn’t even out yet!

By the way, that album, Higher Heights, from whence this track comes, is Papa San’s fourth Gospel Reggae project. It features appearances by a number of stars, including Jones, Marvin Winans, Jr. and Toby Mac.