Reggae Gold 1999

Whereas some labels put together collections that, at best, offer second-rate tunes from first-rate artists, the Reggae Gold series stands for just that, track for track. The music's mainstream U.S. profile may be low, but Gold '99's 18 selections from Jamaica's steaming club turntables suggest that reggae creativity is running fever-high. An interesting attribute of this compilation is the partnerings between otherwise solo acts, including established reggae kings Beres Hammond and Buju Banton, joining their huge talents for "Pull It Up," and youngbloods Mr. Vegas and Sean Paul, scorching dancehalls with "Haffi Get Da Gal." The shape-shifting Beenie Man's dead-serious "Better Learn," a warning to a certain fanatical and fractious element within the reggae fraternity, is another highlight, as is Trinidad's number one soca rude boy, Machel Montano, celebrating curvaceous ladies in a reggae dancehall style with "Big Phat Fish." --Elena Oumano