Aimann Raad - Freedom (Ya Foy Production)

The long wait may have something to do with Raad's nomadic lifestyle. He first made a name for himself in Côte d'Ivoire with bands such as Wisemen and Kingston Gangstar, before moving to Austin, Texas, in the early 2000s, where he formed Lion Head. Jamaica was, of course, another obvious destination, and in 2004 he travelled there to record 'Wanted For Arrest' for producer Dave Joshua Clarke.

Two years later, Raad spent some time in Los Angeles, where he became a regular at the local Twelve Tribes chapter. From 2007 to 2009, he was in Haiti, joining the ranks of IZRAEL, and in 2011 he finally released the five-track EP 'Lion Head'.

Back in Côte d'Ivoire, Raad organised a concert with Tiken Jah Fakoly at a sold-out Palais de la Culture in Abidjan in 2022, and now, finally, there is 'Freedom'.

The album doesn't hit the mark every time - Raad's lyrics can occasionally come across as a little too simplistic - but there are certainly a few highlights worth mentioning.

'Send A Prayer' gets things off to an infectious start and has already been given its own video. The title track 'Freedom' could easily pass for a production by one of the Marley offspring, while 'Jah Bless', a heartfelt profession of faith, is definitely one of our personal favourites. The dancehall vibes of 'Babylon Cruel', on the other hand, did rather less for us.

Manjul, who also handled the album's mix, closes things out with dub versions of 'Freedom', 'Police Violence', 'Make It' and 'Holy Place'.

Somewhat uneven debut, but with enough standout moments to make us curious about what comes next!