BINGHI GHOST: Street Hits

Binghi Ghost

Street Hits

© 2005 Street Scholars Records (634479182037)

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Reggae / Dance Hall from St. Croix

notes

Binghi-ghost. That's two different words representing a different kind of artist, a modern day reggae artist. Binghi comes from the Rastafarian word for nyabinghi: meaning the real deal original chanting that Rastafarians use to give thanks and praises thru singing. It comes from the ancient 'griots' of Africa who used a similar type of chanting to tell stories.

Ghost is the 'add-on' that came from an old Rasta breddrin from the Virgin Islands who recognized two things. One: that Binghi was a white dread, and two that he was a baaaaaad man on the mic with his reggae style. Thus, Binghi-Ghost, the moniker, was born.

Hailing from a little island in the Caribbean called St. Croix, B. ghost was raised with all the ingredients to make him a reggae force to be reckoned with. The culture of the island and the direct linkage to old, west African customs and cultures, has given Mr. Ghost all the tools he needs to go in a straight line with his music, as he likes to say..."forward ever, backward never". Plus, he is an individual who truly feels the music and lets it envelop him in its pulsing rhythms and melodies.

As a conscious Rasta man, B. ghost is ever aware of the impending danger and chaos of the times. He feels we, as humans on this, our only earth, are at a crossroads. The crossroads we are at will not let us sit idly by, and Mr. ghost also believes that if we do sit idly by, then history will be a harsh judge of humanity. But, it is not too late to gather the masses on an ideological plane where we are one forward thinking, conscious, ever-aware group of humans, the likes of which has not been seen for millennia. That is why B. Ghost is a street scholar. That is why he wants to continue his pursuit to achieve the awareness of millions. We are strong. We do have force. And we can accomplish what we set our minds to do.

So, if you think you've heard it all, or given to worthy causes before, Binghi ghost, asks you and invites you, to come along for a ride with the street scholars team. We won't let you down; we are going straight ahead, why don't you join us.

reviews

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  • Excellent
    author: Ras Jon

    Binghi Ghost is the man - this album represents Rastafari consciousness with great riddims along the way. Stay tuned for his next release - I'm From A Place!

  • Binghi Ghost delivers on killer riddims
    author: DMC

    Street hits is quite unique, as it's actually a GOOD mix of Roots reggae and Hiphop. Listen to the track called "Shield and the armor featuring Rico Pabón and you'll notice big improval of the usual hiphop/reggae mumbo jumbo! ......The album has this tracks that'll catch you immediately with it's hooked chorus. One example is roots song Keep it open. As important I fins no "bad" tracks, even though the album includes 18 tracks. .....Killer riddims I said. Yes, Binghi starts off with some of the dancehall's greatest and later on he does a great cut ("Greedy nation") of a riddim at least I associate with amazingly Midnite/Dezarie. ......We even have a touch of Jamaica in this V.I. album too. Lutan Fyah, one of the hottest artists at this date is featuring on Sadness. A great track too that varies the fast voicing of Binghi himself. Like this: Also check out Vybez Kartel - Up to di time (2003) and Pressure - Pressure is on (2005) "Me tek back no chat"

  • "The darkest, heaviest and most serious reggae music of modern times..."
    author: Jammin Reggae Archives

    St. Croix, one of the Caribbean's many tourist paradises, may not strike you immediately as a place that would naturally produce some of the darkest, heaviest and most serious reggae music of modern times, but that seems to be exactly what the place inspired in the mind of expatriate Cruzan Binghi Ghost, who now lives in the SF Bay area and records for the Berkeley-based Street Scholars label. This appears to be his debut album, and it's an impressively heavyweight fusion of roots philosophy and dancehall/hip hop beats, featuring an array of guest singers and deejays including I-Roc, Relic and Abba Yehuda. Highlight tracks include the funk-roots workout "Dem Waan Know" and a slamming tag-team number titled "Keep It Open." A few memorable melodies would have made this album perfect, but it's very, very good as is.

  • Street Hits is a solid debut
    author: Reggae Reviews

    Binghi Ghost is a young sing-jay from reggae hotspot St. Croix, but unlike most of the music I've heard from the Virgin Islands thus far, his sound is more focused on dancehall and hip-hop than the roots sound of Midnite and others. About half of the album features dancehall riddims, but there's still a good dose of roots (about 6 or 7 tracks). While only 3 or so tracks have hip-hop beats, there are another 5 or so on which Binghi Ghost has guest MCs rapping, so chances are your enjoyment of Street Hits may depend partly on how much you enjoy your reggae peppered with hip-hop beats and, more importantly, rapping. I tend to prefer hip-hop beats rather than rapping, and this album in no exception. The rapping here isn't as strong as Binghi Ghost's chatting -- not that the rapping is bad per se, but his DJ skills are quite sharp and thus make the so-so rapping stand out all the more. His vocals are energetic and engaging, and when combined with strong production values -- including several familiar riddims that you usually hear on the major (reggae) labels -- they concoct an impressive final product. Even if I didn't enjoy the rapping, though, that impacts only about 5 tracks, and it certainly doesn't take away from the strength of the other songs. "Nah Support," "Sgt. Brown," "Dem Waan Know," and "Greedy Nation" are funky roots jams, while "No Peace" and "Skin Dem Burn" provide energetic dancehall diversions, and "Warning" and "Mother Nature" meld dancehall with hip-hop as seamlessly as one can hope for. Street Hits is a solid debut with an appropriate title; these songs feature the edgy "street sounds" of today -- hip-hop and dancehall -- coming not only from the streets, but from the heart

  • Rating: A-
    author: JahWorks.org

    It starts quietly. Someone is talking gently, unpretentiously about Rasta livity. Hmm, what is this? Street Hits? Really? But then some chords pound and suddenly we’re immersed in a quick reggae rhythm with voices impulsively chanting—each competing for attention, each passionate, each tuneful. The momentum builds, those voices flowing up and down and around, all propelled by the incessant hip-moving beat. It’s invigorating, and it’s an accurate introduction to the complexities of this album. There’s a heckuva lot going on, all of it under the strict control of its creators, none of it chaotic or lacking purpose. Binghi Ghost seems to have absorbed many influences, roots and dancehall and rap and beyond, and he puts them to use wherever they fit. The song writing is therefore inventive, and on top of it all, he’s a remarkable vocalist, apparently able to adjust his voice to different textures at will. I have no idea how he does it all. If you insist on having a category to slide this into and “reggae” isn’t specific enough, then you could call this dancehall, more or less. But surely this is one of those albums that would have some chance of converting the hold-overs from bygone times who refuse any and all exposure to contemporary dancehall. This is the product of a non-straight-laced mind and should be received with the same openness, which surely wouldn’t be difficult. The animated deejaying, the danceable beats, the positive attitude—all are more than accessible, they are downright enjoyable. And when you add the nyahbinghi elements and the other roots elements into the mix, and realize after a few listens that many of the melodies are pretty and that even the chants and raps are laden with hooks, then you have to forego any prejudices and just enjoy.

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