Genre: Reggae
Record Label: VP Records
Sophomore record from Duane Stephenson as he ventures out further as a solo artist, originally of the Jamaican group, To-Isis, with “Black Gold.” Produced by legendary Producer Dean Fraser, the record features strong work in the studio with Stephenson’s smooth vocals and some great guest spots on several tracks. “Black Gold” is a pleasant surprise and Duane Stephenson’s work as a singer/songwriter is something the Reggae genre is better off for.
Duane Stephenson began his solo career back in 2007 and today he is still going strong, and with his latest record, Stephenson’s work only gets stronger with every record. Featuring some guest vocalists like Gramps Morgan of Morgan Heritage, Ras Shiloh, Queen Ifrica and spoken word from Mutabaruka, these tracks were my favorites like “Rescue Me” with Gramps and “Soon As We Rise,” with Ras Shiloh. Stephenson offers on this record varieties in Reggae like Lover’s Rock, and Roots Reggae and that has to do with his versatility as an artist.
Bottom Line: Great sophomore record from Duane Stephenson. Fans of Morgan Heritage, Luciano will love this.
Notable Tracks: Nah Play, Fire in Me, Jah Works, Rescue Me, Soon As We Rise
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