Track Listing

1. No Fear
2. Firm Up Yourself
3. Work Hard
4. Food
5. King Highly
6. Run Away
7. Can You Feel the Love
8. Can We Meet Again
9. Yuh Caan Dweet So
10. Understand
11. Heavy Load
12. Oh Life
13. Fight
14. Fame

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #274330 in Music
• Released on: 2007-07-17
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Customer Reviews

Nice Comeback!. . .
There are certain artists who come around ever so often that I just don't quite know what to make of. In the past, there have been names like Mega Banton, Terry Ganzie, Angie Angel and Silver Cat, all of whom were/are supremely talented but seemed to like a certain something (in some of those cases I believe the lacking issue to be `MOTIVATION') to push them across the border into becoming a truly big name and star in the reggae industry. To more recent times when you have people like Junior Kelly, Jah Mason, Glen Washington and Josie Mel who don't lack much in terms of building a great career but are remaining at a certain level just below superstardom because it is apparently WE as fans who are lacking the eye to consistently pay attention to their consistently brilliant output. Then we have the foreigners, artists like the wicked Gentleman, Tugg-a-War and currently Alborosie who have so determinedly ingratiated themselves in the music and you find yourself wondering just how this powerful music touched them so greatly despite not only the rather large geographical gap (which attests to the power of reggae music) but the even larger cultural gap (which even more so attests to the power of reggae music). And finally, there are the Jah Cures, Papa Sans and Sizzla's of the world whose styles are so utterly natural and so difficult to imitate that their very being so gifted is always a question. I mention all of these names and still I consider myself a fan or at least appreciative of their vibes, at least on some levels, of them all (with the exception of Tugg-a-War, who really needs to work on his game), they all have established a place in reggae music (partly, in some cases, due almost explicitly to their atypical abilities and qualities) for themselves and have not only attracted fans of other genres of music, but hardcore fans of reggae as well. It is always quite interesting in discovering such an artist, most recently (partly due to the insistence of a heavy fan in St. Maarten) I have begun to listen to Alborosie, and while I'm not necessarily to the point where I could call myself a definite fan of the artist, I can actually now appreciate his vibes (which is saying a lot because a year ago this time, you could catch me listening to some chamber music before an Alborosie record) and see how a next man could actually be a fan of the music. In the cases of the artists who seem to lack motivation, particularly with Silver Cat and Mega Banton, being a fan of their's can be just as frustrating as it is difficult, knowing both have yet to reach an age which would prevent them from being more active and both are amongst the wickedest DJ's dancehall has ever seen. Even still, in the case of the peculiarly gifted artists, the attraction almost becomes what will they do next, and how will it sound.

Such a similar case exists in one (ST. ANN'S NATIVE!) Desbert Johnson, aka Chezidek. The first thing you'll notice about the Xterminator grown Chezidek is his very polarizing voice! Chezidek delivers his well powerful message in a voice which I have yet to hear a lukewarm opinion of. It is several levels above what you would call `high pitched' (which you would call such singers as Garnett Silk, Ras Shiloh or I-Wayne) and I have, in the past, called it MARTIAN. I have heard equally the same amount of people who will rather vehemently say they cannot stand Chezidek's voice as those who will say it is amongst the most beautiful they have ever heard, particularly for the seriously high level of roots reggae which is what he makes. There are those, still even, who don't quite know what to make of the singer and his unusual voice, and even those people are very adamant in their utter confusion of Chezidek. For his own part, Chezidek has remained one of the most active and stalwart roots artists in the game today, and while he's yet to reach the heights of label mates Sizzla (former) or good friend Turbulence, yet he toils along, appearing at some of the biggest stage shows and festivals on the island and making a great stage show as well (he has improved in recent years greatly). His time hasn't exactly been barren either or devoid of hits. Tunes like Inna Di Road for Massive B and especially Leave the Trees have been bona fide hits for the artists who spent most of his developmental years under the watchful eye of legendary roots producer Philip `Fattis' Burrell. Unusually for Burrell, he took Chezidek' career fairly slow when compared to the likes of Sizzla, and Turbulence, both of whom literally had hundreds of recordings completed within three to four years of being under the Xterminator banner, and we are now just starting to see that from Chezidek, despite being thirty four years of age now. However, like Luciano, Sizzla, and Turbulence before him, Chezidek was afforded to roam free in one of the finest vaults of roots reggae riddims in the business. He was also, through Fattis, afforded the international links which he has made over the years, driving his career to a point, like many before him, where he is actually reportedly, significantly more well known and more popular in the pockets of reggae communities outside of the Caribbean. He does tour Europe quite frequently on shows with the Richie Spices, Turbulences, Sizzlas and Lucianos of the world and is now really pushing that aspect of his career even further (as I mentioned his stage show has developed leaps and bounds from the very first time I saw him perform which I believe was 2001) which will attract even more fans to his vibes and maybe start to make fewer and fewer those who don't know exactly what to make of the odd voiced singer from St. Ann's Bay.

He has, to his credit been fairly consistent with releasing albums, and doing so on a fairly NORMAL scale (in roots reggae, three to four albums a year is considered quite normal for certain artists and producing less than one a year can lead one to obtain the `inactive' or downright `Capleton like' label) with this, his fourth album coming just one day past exactly five years from the release of his debut, Harvest Time for VP. He has also stayed current with his single releases which is what is most important here in the vibes STARVING (yet very rich) Caribbean (an artist almost HAS to have something current, despite what status they have achieved internationally, as Caribbean, and particularly Jamaican fans we are historically very difficult to please) . His Leave The Trees was actually a Jamaican #1 song for a nice amount of time and he's had several songs since then which have done major damage for the artist. I first encountered Chezidek while living in the states and I, pretty much on a whim decided to pick up his debut album, Harvest Time. I purchased the album largely based on it boasting to be `produced by Phillip Burrell' and having the Xterminator logo on the cover. I was quite surprised with what I had stumbled upon however after actually listening to the album and getting over the initial apprehension of Chezidek's voice. Harvest Time was a wonderfully done, melodic and message heavy and vibes heavy piece which really showed the true power of the artist, it was quite well received and not only I, but many others as well called it one of the best reggae albums of the year. It would, unfortunately be three years to the sophomore follow up, Rising Sun, which didn't strike me too well and even still today, having heard it, in its entirety, now dozens of times, I don't quite know what to make of the album still. It was devoid of the beautiful melodies of HT and while the good and powerful message remained, suddenly when presented as so straight forward, his voice became a burden somewhere over the thirteen tracks. Just last year Chezidek returned with the better, less polished but thoroughly more enjoying Mash Dem Down for Al.Ta.Fa.An. While not as lucid and all around spectacular as Harvest Time, Mash Dem Down was just a fun album, featuring combinations with artists like Prezident Brown, Lutan Fyah, wicked singer Mark Wonder and Gentleman, the album signaled a nice return to form for the singer.

Now he steps forth even more with his newest release Firm Up Yourself for the very productive Cousins Records. Having released projects in just the last year for the likes of Turbulence, Luciano and Lutan Fyah with Natural Black still to come, Cousins has been doing some fine work as of late. While Byron Murray of In the Streetz is more often than not the producer on those albums, Firm Up Yourself comes to us largely as a production of Kemar `Flava' McGregor of No Doubt Records who himself has a very fine roster of materials to his credit, amongst them several hits by upstart young singer Gyptian (and he was the lead producer on Gyptian's debut album, My Name is Gyptian as well). The two make quite a duo and have recorded some nice material long before Firm Up Yourself was in the offering. Check the title track for one, voiced over Flava's abundantly beautiful Triumphant riddim (most notably used as backing for Gyptian's hit, Mama), Chezidek had one of the strongest pieces on a riddim which was packed full of big tunes in itself. It actually finds him almost using a strained style of delivery at times which is quite an impressive compliment to his typically `over high' pitch and the song was an excellent choice for the album title and one of the best on the album altogether. The opener here will also remind fans of Gyptian as Chezidek taps the wonderful, yet under utilized Spiritual War riddim (the number of truly big name artists who voiced the Spiritual War riddim is almost criminally low) for the excellent Have No Fear. Have No Fear, as are all the tunes here (as is, for that matter, every tune he has ever recorded) is a heavily spiritual track, and is probably the song here which you most easily sing alongside; very anthem styled tune and one of the strongest on the album, "I will have no fear, whatever they are planning, Selassie I is always here, protect I in I trodding!".

A point of concern here (and the only real one) is the song Can You Feel the Love? The track is a very very solid track, very upful track, seemingly vibed over a slightly toned back version of Flava's rather recent Trumpet riddim. However, the BIG tune which Chezidek originally recorded for the riddim, When I Call is nowhere to be found! While Can You Feel the Love is definitely a nice track and I'm glad its on the album, When I Call is even stronger! One can only hope that the song has perhaps been licensed to another company and will appear shortly on a Chezidek release. Another song which should be fairly recognizable to fans is Oh Life, yet another powerful track. This one is built over the Beng Beng riddim, which I originally believed to be a one off for Gyptian's tune, but Chezidek puts it through its paces and does a fine job with the riddim.

The best track on Firm Up Yourself, however, is definitely the very clever King Highly. Flowing lovely over a powerful one drop which I recognize as being very similar to the one Natty King used for his big track Perfect Harmony (if not the exact same riddim). King Highly is a wonderful play on words likening the actual title with HIS name, King Haile Selassie I. Its one of the easiest listens on the album and even still definitely Firm Up Yourself's most powerful track throughout (which is saying a great deal actually), definitely one to check and one of the better tracks of Chezidek's entire career. A couple of other standouts include Understand, a nice lover's piece of Flava's lovely Key riddim; check Run Away over the equally lovely Road Block riddim (which seems to be another track re-recorded instead of the original track for the riddim, Guess What); Check the very nice fight which flows over the same riddim as Gyptian's minor hit, School Girl. Then make sure to listen to the track Heavy Load, which is such a nice track and it seems to use a backing which is a toned down version of the Triumphant riddim. Firm Up Yourself ends wonderfully with the older piece Fame, a healthy warning to mind one's status and material items.

Overall, while ultimately it doesn't reach the stratosphere set by Harvest Time, Firm Up Yourself rather easily steps up as Chezidek's second best album to date. It is an overall deviation from the really big one drop sounding vibes he had been presenting the last couple of times out in album form (which is something he really needs to stay away from). Chezidek truly shines on the almost Vendetta style, comprehensive one drop riddims (like the Seasons, and the Heavenly and the Drop Leaf etc.) which are more easy to create melodies over. Flava really does him proud with Firm Up Yourself. I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending this one to anyone who has yet to hear Chezidek, so at the very least, do some research before checking this one out. but should you be a fan of Chezidek's or a heavy fan of roots then by all means, this one is for you.