Rebel G Society – Forbidden Kingdom LXXXVIII (Album Review)

If you’re an avid reader of this platform, keeping up with every release at its beck and call, first of all I commend you. Second of all, I am sure that Rebel G Society is no stranger to you, having released multiple interesting albums under his moniker that aim to push the boundaries of music in his own way. If you haven’t chanced upon any of his works, I recommend that you check them out here, as they’ve all consistently garnered an ‘excellent’ ranking.

In today’s release, we will be dissecting his newest creation, titled ‘Forbidden Kingdom LXXXVIII’, described as a bold evolution in his journey as a music producer and artist. This release is an experimental fusion that bridges modern reggae, dancehall, afrobeats, and electronic music. It is meant to be heralded as a cultural and sonic statement that reflects his skill in being versatile, as well as paying homage to his heritage and his creative vision.

This body of work was crafted to honor the classic vibrations of vintage reggae and dancehall while pushing boundaries with modern production and electronic textures. Rebel G Society intended to breathe life into a sound that felt both ancestral and futuristic, one that ‘carried the weight of history while still moving to the rhythm of tomorrow’.

Thematically, the release dives into powerful concepts like Black empowerment, liberation, self-worth, and unity, while also putting a personal touch through stories of love, loss, and healing. Each track is intended to carry a symbolic meaning, weaving layers of raw emotion with facets of production.

Rebel G Society also mentions that the entire project was composed and arranged in Logic Pro, blending organic instrumentation with synthetic layers, melodic synths and ambient pads to create a cinematic yet danceable soundscape. Autotune is employed stylistically to also add a surreal and futuristic quality to the storytelling within the lyricism.

This release was also written and produced within a week, driven by his pure emotion and focus. He also mentions that every mix was carefully balanced with clean mastering and stereo panning. The result is meant to be a sonic journey that feels like a conversation between the past and the future, and between roots and reinvention, being a creative juxtaposition in of itself. Let’s have a listen.

The album starts off promising with the initial percussive tone of the first track, but falls off in terms of being mixed and mastered properly. Otherwise, it could sincerely pass off as a fusion afrobeats-dancehall track that was made in the late 2010s, with the chords reminding me of producers such as Spellz and people like Odunsi the Engine. It has a good initial plan and structural integrity with the track, but I’ll be specific as to what it is: the first 15 seconds of the track is extremely enticing, but the panned vox to the left just does not mix well.

The filter or addition to the vocals have a frequency that is a bit too high or shrill. The percussive piece perhaps needs to be tuned down a little and it not necessarily panned, as it can overwhelm the ear. I’m providing a detailed write-up because Rebel G Society is one of the few people who is actually receptive to criticism, and I want him to be the best version of himself that can be. I have mentioned mastering issues in the past, but I think I need to be clear.

This pattern continues with the second track, ‘Kingston Blues’, in which each instrumental piece is very interesting and strategically done, but more weight is put towards how this track could sound out loud- that is an ESSENTIAL capstone of dancehall music, but for the average listener, it can sound a bit mix-matched in terms of mixing. I am also well aware of the DIY nature of a lot of vintage dancehall tracks in the sense that the melody supersedes the ‘way’ it sounds, so perhaps it could be a stylistic choice.

The album improves slightly with better sounding tracks such as ‘Wine & Blaze’ and ‘Savage Maryjane’, giving listeners with an enticing approach to composition, almost sounding like a bit of Rema’s tracks from his Rave & Roses album. The synthesizers used give a reimagined take on the neo-80s-synth trend, adding a bit of ‘cold’ sonic dynamics to the background with tight and addictive riddims. The track afterwards follows the timbre and the syncopation of the previous track, delving deeper into a more minimalist but dark sound. It has a tinge of sparkle to it, through the keys in the background.

‘Dem Nuh Know’ switches the soundscape altogether, sounding like a fusion child between phonk Brasiliero and dancehall itself. The keys are a bit bold, but I think most people would be able to vibe to the framework of the instrumental soundtrack. The vocal style employed in this track is softer and flowier, with the vocals not necessarily being shrill- this being a plus point, adding more credibility to Rebel G Society’s knack for creating intricate soundscapes built with his own signature take.

The rest of the album progressively improves, which is honestly a relief. It gets better as it goes on. I have to put special attention to the track ‘Level Up’, where ironically, I think the levels are almost perfect in this track. Rebel G Society’s vocals are also the most palatable, with the filter being at an appropriate frequency. This track is definitely one of the best songs out of this release, making me reminisce of the song ‘Zanku Love’ by Chop Daily. I’m not surprised if this is the track that garners the most mainstream appeal. The bassline is also extremely delectable. ‘Liberation’ is also another interesting pick, fusing reggae rhythms with a technological sensibility and spacey feel in the midst of it all. I think the track is very futuristic and is frankly, extremely innovative.

To be fair, it is expected from most Rebel G Society releases for innovation to shine through in the midst of its weak points. He is an artist that is authentic and takes pride in his work, which are traits that are definitely commendable. I think the only thing that he really needs to take note of is the frequency of the filtering used in most of the vocals within the tracks, as when that is partially removed, his vocals are biologically more palatable to the ear. I find no flaw within the compositional arc of this release, as most of the tracks have proficient arrangement and just need minor tweaking. The second half of the release is definitely the saving grace to the first.

SCORE/Excellent: Rebel G Society once again graces us, this time applying his expertise to tracks that are more suited and tailored to his heritage and the dancehall, afrobeats and electronic axis. These tracks are extremely fitting of the creative vision of the album, and the second half of the album is stellar, delivering a unique fusion that is not ordinarily seen within these genres.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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