Tropical Storm

It's well documented that the road to international reggae success is littered with artists who've tried and failed. In all honesty, there's only been Shaggy since, well, since Bob Marley who's crossed over into the lucrative chart and daytime radio markets. 'Tropical Storm' is Moses Davis' second attempt for the Virgin label and one can't help but wonder if it'll be his final strike under their watchful gaze. A truly successful crossover reggae shouldn't be all about compromise but it should show both an awareness of prevailing musical breezes and a stubbornness to betray musical roots. 'Tropical Storm' succeeds on both counts, melding Beenie Man's effortless skills as one of the leading dancehall emcees the world has right now with a cannier take on the urban music scene. Furthermore, the guestlist of collaborators has been amped up to reflect the album's ambitions, with the likes of members of the So Solid Crew and Janet Jackson (who spars with Beenie on the single 'Feel It Boy') on board as well as uber-producers The Neptunes helping behind the desks. In all, there's absolutely no reason why Beenie Man shouldn't finally gain the international arena his talents sop richly deserve and 'Tropical Storm' just may be the set to help him achieve it.