MOG

Diddy signed Elephant Man to release this album on Bad Boy Records over a year ago, but the release date was delayed a few times. It's finally here and it's pure FIYAH! As the title and album cover suggest, the music is super-active and upbeat: the ideal soundtrack for an aerobics workout, dancehall-style. In fact, Elephant Man fully embraced this theme with a series of workout videos released over the last few months. Dubbed “Dancehall Gym,” they feature a somewhat out of shape Energy God with a few bodacious babes bouncing to the lively beats.

Dancehall Gym #1 Dancehall Gym #2

Elephant Man is an expert in the latest dance moves and in these videos he demonstrates each one as a workout move. Only Ele could pull this off with such style, even when his own bling smacks him in the eye during one particularly bouncy routine! That's one of the things that makes this artist so unique and so popular around the world: he is able to be true to himself - as wild as he is - and true to his roots, even as he adopts elements from other cultures and genres. Ele is a dancehall artist from Jamaica, but he is also part of the reggae and hip hop scene in NYC. He is one of the few artists who has successfully blended elements from each into something uniquely his own, and his new album, Let's Get Physical, is a reflection of that. The first few tracks are straight-forward dancehall tunes, but as the album continues, we hear more and more hip hop influences appear. Ele chats in a thick patois over productions by Swizz Beatz ("Jump," "Who Wanna") and Dirty South-style riddims ("Five-O") as easily as he raps over riddims by Jamaican producers like Jammy's son, Baby G ("Our World").

The album breakdown:

Let's Get Physical starts off with a BANG! Elephant Man wastes no time with introductions here. Instead, he jumps in at full throttle, reminding us why he is the Energy God of the dancehall. The first track on the album, "Drop Dead," flies out of the speakers as if to make up for the time it took for this album to come out. Teen heartthrob (and big E Man fan) Chris Brown adds some sultry vocoder vocals to "Feel the Steam" - definitely the sexiest choon on the album. Rihanna brings sugar and spice to "Throw Your Hands Up," another dancehall banger. "Five-O," featuring Wyclef, has overt Dirty South influences, from the rapid-fire snare drum to the slow-motion vocal that occasionally slides through, plus additional vocals by Young Joc, Diddy and Assassin.

"Jump" is a Swizz Beatz production and as a result doesn't have the bump-bump that characterizes dancehall riddims. This is one of four tracks on the album when the music veers from the dancehall style and stands firmly in a hip hop sound. Unfortunately, the music is unbearable, taking four bars of what should have been a chorus and trying to make a whole song of it. It never changes in three minutes and Ele does a fabulous job with it for about 15 seconds in the middle, but the rest might as well be a locked groove. Just skip ahead once you get the idea. "Shake It" is almost a 50/50 blend of hip hop and dancehall, both in the riddim and in the vocals. Elephant Man plays with catch phrases from both cultures, demonstrating his shared experiences in both. "Our World" is a sharp-tongued, militant dancehall tune, the kind most popular inna di yaard. Mavado/T-Pain-style vocoded choruses by Demarco speak gloomily of the state of affairs, while Elephant Man chants down Babylon over a Baby G riddim. The music is so dark and so heavy, it carries the lyrics like a tank rolling down Main Street. "Our World" is a gully world, riddled with the sounds of gun-cocking and snare shots in between hard-hitting lyrics. This is clearly the Lighters Inna Di Air single and it sent chills down my spine when I pumped it through my bass-heavy soundsystem. "Gully Creepa" is similar but a bit more active and light-steppin'. The military snare inspires jumping up and dancing while Elephant Man delivers verbal artillery with fire and elevated energy.

"The Way We Roll" with Busta Rhymes and Shaggy might be my favorite track, partly because of the riddim, but mostly because these three artists sound wicked together. Super fast tempo, fast lyrics, even the Dre-synth that characterizes West Coast rap is fast in this BIG BIG CHOON! Then "Sweep the Floor" is a straight-forward crunk riddim, snappy snares, background vocals, the works.

Next up is a decent refix of the original "Let's Get Physical" with Jha Jha and NYC Latina/dancehall diva Kat DeLuna over a riddim that sounds very Southern, not dancehall. Kat DeLuna and Elephant Man completely sex up the original and create a smokin' new version! Kat and Ele have an amazing chemistry when they collaborate (they collabed on "Whine Up" for her album as well), so don't skip this song.

The album ends with "Who Wanna," another blend of dancehall and hip hop with Elephant Man again bringing the dancehall and Swizz Beatz again bringing the hip hop. The lyrics are a party anthem (with lyrics similar to Wiley's recent single, "Bubble"), despite the gun-talk.

One Elephant Man song that's been getting a lot of airplay lately is not on this album: "What a God" featuring veteran dancehall singer Lt. Stitchie. I guess it didn't make the album cut or was recorded much later. It's an absolutely beautiful song in a gospel style. I highly recommend it as an addition to this album. If you love reggae, but not dancehall, this song gives you a rare opportunity to enjoy Elephant Man in a spiritually uplifting mood.

I haven't always been a fan of Elephant Man's music, but this album really grabbed me. I think Ele has grown as an artist and I think he chose the right talent to collaborate with. Not only is this his best album to date, in my opinion, but I also think it has the best chance of attracting a bigger audience than any Jamaican album out this year. I also like that Elephant Man has chosen a righteous path musically: producing music that is upbeat and positive, that helps us see brighter days ahead. Unlike many Jamaican artists today, he has chosen to avoid scandal and beef: Ele does not participate in soundclashes or other types of clashes with fellow artists. All things considered, Let's Get Physical is an energetic and uplifting contribution to any music collection. And above all, it's a dance album, guaranteed to get you up on your feet and having a good time!