Dutty Rock [PA] - Paul, Sean (Reggae) (CD 2002)

For the past few years Sean Paul has been known in the reggae industry with his debut album "Stage One". He had several hits with his first album, but he wasn't really famous/really known. Then he released his second album, "Dutty Rock" last year. This album definitely put him on the spot containing 3 hits.

Gimme The Light was his first single. It was a catchy, overplayed song that had an irresistible hook. It's obvious he's talking about women. The beat is just infectious and it just makes you wanna dance. The remix with Busta Rhymes is even better as Busta adds his own little flava to it. Get Busy was the song that made Sean Paul really famous. The beat perfectly fits the song and I can't resist dancing to the song. While I can't understand some of the words he's saying, I pretty much know he's talking women & dancing.

Concrete and Shake That Thing are songs that have potential to be hits. The former has a nice, hard beat to it. Surprise, surprise: he's talking about women. While he performs this song very well, his rhymes in this song doesn't really impress me:

So what is the hold up
You want your body control up
Den come and jump on me pole up
Is why you acting so cold up
Hold on make me stone up
And tiger bone up and roll up

The latter is another guilty pleasure of mine. The rhymes, again, don't impress me but that damn hook is hookilicious. The beat was used many times, so don't expect any originality in the music. Shout (Street Respect and Bubble just fall flat on it's faces. "Shout..." has a lot of Indian influences in it and the beat is okay. He's trying to make you dance, but I would listen to romance than this song. It's complete filler. "Bubble" is a Neptunes produced song and it stinks. I'm not feeling it at all. The beat, the flow, and the guest star just don't work together at all. Plus, Neptunes needs to be laid off.

International Affair starts off like an old-school reggae song, but then the beat comes on and I'm hooked. Using a nice sample of "I Know You Got Soul" by Eric B and Rakim. The way the drums are played is hot and Sean Paul gives an excellent performance in this song. The guest star, Debbie Nova, does a good job on the chorus. I'm Still In Love With You is my favorite song off the album. It features Sasha and the chemistry between Sean & her is there. It's an old-school reggae song and it's very creative. Filled with horns, a bass, and a percussion this song has hit all over it. The chorus is completely addictive:

I'm still in love with you, boy
Well I'm a hustler and a player and you know I'm not a stayer
That's the way I give my love
I'm still in love with you, boy
Say girly try to understand that a man is just a man
That's the dutty dutty love
I'm still in love with you, boy
Blessed loving from the start but you know we had to part
That's the way I give my love
I'm still in love with you
But a man gotta do what a man gotta do

Esca Loca and It's On just stinks. The former is ruined by the rappers, Tony Touch & R.O.B.B. The beat doesn't do the song any more justice. It feels more like a rap song than reggae so I'm even more turned off. The latter is just not interesting at all. The beat is kinda whack and Sean Paul's charisma can't even help the song.

Punkie is a song mixed with new reggae and old school reggae. The chorus is the main focus of the song, but the verses handle themselves on their own very well, too. Sean Paul's charisma really shines in this song. The song is even better in Spanish.

The result was mostly good. While there were some bad songs in this album, the positive outweight the good. Sean Paul shows his talent very well in this song. It's good commercial rap/reggae music.

Rating: 3.5