Dutty Rock Explicit Lyrics Sean Paul Format: Audio CD

The opening skit to Sean Paul’s latest stateside album offers one of the key reasons why dancehall has converted hip-hop heads and entrenched itself as a dominant presence in America’s most diaspora-friendly cities: Rock bands can’t play it. A hokey rehearsal band shows up to back him on past hits "Deport Them" and "Infiltrate," strangling the rugged classics into nu-metal crap. He stops mid-song, banishes them and declares that this is dancehall, nothing more or less — " This the REAL dutty rock." Over the past 20 years, dancehall has made a slow incursion on the American market, with a few successes but countless dashed hopes. With his unmistakably crisp voice and stylish lyrics, Sean Paul is one of Jamaica’s greatest hopes for crossover success, as evidenced by the MTV-endorsed success of his recent single, "Gimme the Light." His album justifies the hype. Enlisting top-notch Jamaican producers (check the work by Dave Kelly, the man responsible Timbaland’s stuttering blueprint), Paul stays close to home with his sound. The hard-stepping "Street Respect" gives "Oochie Wally" a run for its orientalist money while the violent stomp of "Get Busy" levels all comers. For the lovers, he and Sasha duet for "I’m Still in Love," a surprisingly nice update of Althea and Donna’s classic "Uptown Top Ranking." The songs don’t exactly tackle a diversity of issues — wine, women and soundbwoys — but Paul’s brazen flow never wears thin. Though Dutty Rock isn’t particularly well conceived, it features enough hopped-up thrills and self-proud pomp to win a piece of even the staunchest rap fanatic’s heart.