Review: Natty King’s new Rebellution album won’t let reggae fans down

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By Angus Taylor

With his ancient, summoning voice, and deeply spiritual lyrics, St Thomas-born Natty King is the archetypal 21st century Rasta reggae singer. He helped carry the 90s conscious resurgence, speared by his inspiration Luciano, into the 2000s, before the rise of Chronixx in the next decade. Natty King first bust onto the international reggae scene in 2005 with his hit No Guns To Town, co-produced by Jimmy Ricks and foundation 70s deejay Trinity (himself part of the wave who carried the Rastafari messages of Big Youth).

Natty King’s self-produced new album, Rebellution – spelled differently from the US reggae band sharing the name – is an unabashed gateway back to the 2000s reggae era. It’s released on Natty King’s New Wellowell label, and co-produced mainly with Sam Gilly, drummer of hardworking Austrian group House Of Riddim (with whom Natty King worked on the 2010s Born To Be Free album). It collects a full CD-length 19 tracks of polished, live-instrument-based roots reggae rhythms, with a consistent sound throughout.

The lyrical topics are very much Natty King’s staples, often arranged in sections to give the album a chaptered feel. The opening segment is one of several devoted to Rastafari spirituality and ghetto reality. The eddying horns of Jah Is My Guide and the hymn-like Hail Rastafari, affirm the central place of Rasta in grounding and protecting Natty King on his journey. Early Morning, a potential successor to No Guns To Town, warns against the dangers of straying into places where such livity is not to be found. 

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