January 4, 1999

Shabba & Friends

It doesn't bode terrifically well for an artist when his press release is reduced to stating, "Either love him or hate him"...

5 / 10 It doesn't bode terrifically well for an artist when his press release is reduced to stating, "Either love him or hate him", but such is Mister Shabba Ranks' way with a homophobic quote or seven you cannot help but be impressed that he has the gall to step outside his front door, let alone release records.

More pertinently, as always seems to be the way with pampered superstar bigots, the rather tragic thing is that 'Shabba & Friends' is an unreasonably decent record. A greatest hits, of sorts, it features the Rankster hanging with various celebs such as Maxi Priest and KRS-One and making a rumbly sort of ragga hoedown.

The themes are wildly diverse, as you can tell from a tracklisting which includes 'Ice Cream Love', 'Telephone Love', 'Universal Love' and 'Wombat Love' (nb, one of these titles may or may not be made up, kids). Indeed, such is Shabba's lyrical obsession with the concept of getting butt naked that when 'Pirate's Anthem' crashes in, ranting about radio legislation it's... well, it's as much a surprise as a gay-basher hitting the Heaven dancefloor.

So he's a tasty toaster, then. Shame that he's got the potential to be a toasty tosser, too. And that is something for the Shabba press release...