Ras Fraser Jr. showcases crucial voice in “I Am Conscious”
Review by Yankee Nupe
Ras Fraser Jr. showcases crucial voice in “I Am Conscious”
Great new music doesn’t take a holiday, and Kingston native Ras Fraser Jr. has a special present for all of the good reggae boys and girls, pining for something new to stimulate the eardrums.
The son of reggae royalty Phillip Fraser, Ras released unto the masses this holiday season his sophomore effort, I Am Conscious. Perfectly succinct and potent at 10 tracks in total, Fraser does a splendid job over the solid production.
Kicking off the proceedings with the up-tempo “In This Time”, he showcases a voice worthy of the Rasta leanings implied by the album’s title.
Ras, has all of that and more to spare as evident on the subsequent tracks Never Give up featuring an amazing assist from the band Inna Vision, and the title track I Am Conscious both of which had me tapping my toe at the computer while simultaneously being introspective of my own life path.
Ras, keeps the therapy session going with an assist from Anthony B on the measured Most High Protect. Not outshining the primary artist as some cameos are known to do, this burner allows AB to drift in casually at just the right time with a vocal assist, and the results are perfect.
Label mate, Norris Man also plays the consummate side man with his helping hand on So Hard. Probably my favorite joint on the album, this skanking banger sticks in the conscious with the timely refrain from Ras, that perfectly sums up what most of the average human populace goes through on a daily basis “I wonder why the system have to make it so hard, so hard, so hard, poor people face it the hardest, regardless”. A sentiment we can all get behind for sure!
Not to be outdone, the conscious roots reggae flow continues with Far Far Away where Ras speaks painfully about slavery and the impact it had, and the lingering effects on the mental well-being of Africans. Ras emotes on this and other societal ills to fantastic effect throughout the album making for an entertaining jaunt into the Rasta ideology.
Subsequent bangers Disgrace and Be Still, along with the closer Reggae Music featuring Vybrid, combine to give Ras a winning effort, and a nice addition to anyone’s chune collection. Maybe not strong enough to weigh in against some of the more crucial releases this year, but nonetheless he’ll get a cogent plea from me to be included in the line up of banging albums that made up a very strong 2024 for reggae music.
Here’s looking to hearing more from him in the future. Lastly, I’d like to lift a cup of joy and health and wish a happy holiday season to all of the Daily Reggae family! See you in 2025!
By Yankee Nupe.
