Hardly as important or vital as the first volume, this is the second collection of tracks the reggae singer recorded for the
Penthouse Records
label in the early '90s, and the massive hits from this time have run out. Still,
The Early Years, Vol. 2
is a desirable comp for completists since most of the tracks here are hard to find, as almost everything is from singles and not included on any official album.
Buju
's voice is still an untamed gravelly roar at this point but it can somehow wrap itself around a hook, and the homophobic term "batty" is still present in his lyrics here, stirring controversy and spewing hate, although it should be mentioned that this all comes as a result of a child molestation case that caused headlines across Jamaica and plenty of other dancehall artists of the time joined
in his misplaced anger. Here, he leads with his heart instead of his head, so expect plenty of angry questions, no answers, and uncompromising gangster solutions. Rabid fans only. ~ David Jeffries