New Song from Kingston, JA

[ben hompaya]

Hi everybody!

I am french, and I have just recorded a semi one drop in Tivoli Garden, and I would like to have your opinion on this song : Love Universally, from Ben Hompaya, feat Cassafaya :

http://youtu.be/78uYXJCZy9M

Thanks for you advices!

Have a nice peaceful day.

One Love

[ben hompaya]

Yes I

Please just give me an opinion, I accept all kind of critism.

http://youtu.be/78uYXJCZy9M

Blessed

[versionside]

I actually like the track but one thing I can't take is when an artist chooses to use 'syllables' through out a song vs using actual lyrics. So hearing that constant 'nyyi - nyyi ??' in so many parts of the song isn't for me.

The lyrics, albeit positive, are nothing new and farily didactic. In fact I stopped buying songs like this because how many times do I want to keep hearing common lyrics like 'Jah Jah protect I & I' etc etc...

Not sure if there's another way to send out a 'message' song with some other types of creative lyrics but I'd be more interested if that is possible.

Your singing isn't horrible so that's good - nothing special about the carbon copy dj efforts.

Not sure if this helps/does any good but that's how I feel about the tune.

[drive instigna]

I would skip the ´nai nai nai´ parts. It´s a turn off for a lot of people because it has no meaning.

I personally would make a sick drum roll intro and use echo´s and pauses on words. Like you can hear perfectly here for example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akzqKwQimXc

the riddim is not heavy enough and too pop style/fast.. very lightweight. listen to this for example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prpkxeqkt7I


And I would listen to lots and lots of old music (pre 1985) to get inspiration. King Tubby didn´t have 15thousand jazz records for no reason.

[ben hompaya]

Thanks you two for your good comments to help me improve my music. It will help me a lot for sure.

I know some people don't like so much this "Nai nai nai", and I clearly can understand why. I also like sometimes when the lyrics don't have any meanings, and everybody in the world can sing it...
I hope inspiration will help me to write more deep lyrics!

@versionside : what is the carbon copy dj?

@drive instigna : thanks for your youtube links! That's really good good good music, and I hope some day I will be able to have this level!

Have a nice day

Blessed

[Iron_Spire]

here for example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akzqKwQimXc

Let the wind and the rain and the morning dew
The mist of the dawn and the rising sun
Bless us every day

Let he that master afar
Guide us on our way

God made man and he made us all
With an equal share of blessing
Some men want to take it all
And keep the rest of the world
In bondage
And oppression

But the Father, He's not sleeping
He'll set his people free
Better days are coming
Better days
For you, and for me

He that believeth in Love
Equality, Freedom, and Justice
Shall be with me, see
That one day we'll walk the streets
Eternally free
We'll be free
We'll be free

Oh

[ben hompaya]

Thanks for the lyris Iron_Stire

[Iron_Spire]

Sure, now I'll tell you what I think. I think your music is probably on par with a lot of contemporary reggae. I'm sure it has an appeal to probably a lot of people, but it is not in the same grain and not in the same spirit as the music usually enshrined in these forums.

I can't give you any advice on how to make your song a worldwide pop sensation. But if you want to appeal to the old foundation guard, you are going to have to change a lot. Your voice is just another musical instrument, you don't need to lay it everywhere to fill in the spaces. (it's even irritating when scratch does it)

Try building off a jam session, work the base and drums into a hypnotic rhythm. Vocals can be interspersed here and there, but the rhythm should stand without them. It's really the raw simplicity that makes something great, anything overproduced may sound catchy at first but quickly wears on the ears.

Sorry I can't be of more help. good luck.

PS The "chika-chika-clap" has got to go... much overused and stereotypically pop sounding.