Back to Basics

A leading member of London’s famous Saxon soundsystem, Papa Levi distinguished himself as the group’s most dexterous MC, pioneering an overdriven style of delivery dubbed “fast chat” that was well-suited to the breakneck tempos favored by U.K. reggae producers in the ‘80s. By the mid-'90s, when Papa Levi released his third album, Back to Basics, in collaboration with producer Mad Professor, those dancehall productions had given way to the even faster and more aggressive rhythms of ragga and jungle. Given these developments, one might expect Back to Basics to be a rebuke directed at the young hotheads of the ragga and jungle scenes. In fact, the album looks beyond music-scene squabbles to raise awareness of the devastating effect that a decade and a half of Conservative Party governance had had on the quality of life in London’s Jamaican and West Indian communities. Though tracks like “Pretty She Pretty” supply some relief from serious political matters, uncompromising critiques like “Narcotic” and “Back to Basics” make up this compelling album's core.