REVIEW: “Extra Raw… The Best Of Lady Saw”
When the name Lady Saw comes to mind, a few things usually follow: rough, wicked, slack, raunchy, dirty. But there’s also smart, intelligent, strong, confident, and loving. All sides of the persona that is Lady Saw is represented in a solid 18-song compilation put put by VP Records called Extra Raw… The Best Of Lady Saw.
The CD (which you can also buy as a CD/DVD combo) features some of her best known works, including “Sycamore Tree”, “Hice It Up”, “Find A Good Man”, “Man Is The Least”, “Good Wuk”, “Hardcore”, and “Dont’ Even Stress Dat”. In her lyrics she talks about being the dominant one, or how man are nothing more than weaklings and that women should tighten up in every sense, but she also does it in a fashion that sheds like on not only Jamaican traditions, but also the commonality amongst all relations across the world. People love her because she’s raw (if not extra raw) and honest, and she paved the way for more female reggae and dancehall artists to be more than just eye candy in music videos.
What you hear on Extra Raw are the influence of hip-hop and soul from America, and the manifestations of it through dancehall and reggae, to where what she does is full circle, and she’s the one drawing its shape. She’s political and social, and one of the best at what she does, and she will continue to do this for years to come. Consider this compilation a look at her first half or third of her career. Long live Lady Saw.
What do you think?