Cocoa Tea - Music Is Our Business (VP Records)

The track list includes a number of excellent covers of classics by Dennis Brown ('Things In Life'), Abyssinians ('Declaration Of Rights', Abysinnians' Satta riddim can also be heard in 'Wicked Man'), Bob Marley ('Waiting In Vain') and the remarkable 'Big City Soul Medley', for which Cocoa gave Sam Cooke's 'Another Saturday Night' and 'Under The Boardwalk', and The Drifters' 'Up On The Roof' a reggae makeover. This last song is one of a total of six songs that were never previously released and the rest of the track list consists of 7inch singles that were previously only available on vinyl.

The whole compilation is actually one long riddim ride in which Cocoa Tea does his thing over classics like My Conversation (opener 'Easy Nuh'), I Need You ('Ready Again', also immortalized by Cocoa in 'Come Again'), Breaking Up Is Hard To Do ('Smile'), Throw Me Corn ('War And Crime'), Stalag ('Magnet And Steel'), Peanie Peanie ('Lonesome Side') or Bend Down Low ('Stand Up Straight'), all in his familiar style, always alternating between conscious and lovers tunes.

The result is one of the best compilations VP Records has produced in recent years. Big up to VP Records, big up to Bobby Digital, and of course big up to the great Cocoa Tea!