More Power Remixes

Black power anthems have come in many forms. Gospel, hip-hop, and soul music have a ton — just ask the Staple Singers, the JB's, or Public Enemy. But it's much rarer to find one in the electronica world. Yet this week, Miami-based DJ/producer Supersoul drops a series of remixes that will change that and the way hip-hop, dancehall, and electronic sounds are blended in the future. Titled More Power Remixes, this ten-track banger pits dancehall vocalists Sizzla, Capleton, and Anthony B against a wide array of electronic/forward-thinking producers from around the world, and the results are staggering. In part, it's a play off of the tune "More Power" from Supersoul's Plastic Rap LP, which dropped earlier this year. But where the original tune, featuring Anthony B and Dejah, was explosive lyrically but left more to the imagination beatwise, sonically, this set of remixes explores much further than original listeners could have anticipated. Miami-based producer Nick Fury's remix keeps the track gully-side gangster while Eliot Lipp's version is all hollowed-out grime and easily the best of the eight "More Power" remixes featured here. There are two non-"More Power" jams as well. The DMX Crew's remix of "Respect," featuring Capleton, is pure hotness; you can either duttywine or step to it, depending on your sensibilities. But either way, it's a stellar track that should soon find its way into the international dance community. While the record is meant to catch people off-guard, it also begs the question: Why shouldn't Jamaican dancehall defy expectations, employing the kind of glitchy electronica these remixes use and still sound fresh?