As titles go, Kingston Story is merely a case of key track graduating to title track because this slow-rolling and electro-flavored album qualifies as
Vybz Kartel's least "Jamaican" release to date, including his collaboration with
Major Lazer. Recorded with Mixpak Records owner and tasty house music producer
Dre Skull, enjoyment of the album relies on adjusting expectations as
Skull's beats aren't the usual clever and
Kartel's performance is at half-speed, a pace that causes him to crack less jokes and reflect more, even if heavy issues like jail time and arrests are not what
Vybz cares to address right here. In fact, "My Crew" is lightweight stuff lyrically, with
Vybz toasting champagne and rattling off porno video titles at a Southern, syrup-sipping, hip-hop pace, but it's also a highlight as
Skull bangs the timpani and drops quirky bits of
Vybz in full ecstasy. "Wine Pon Me" gives the strippers something Jamaican and slow for change, while "Fresh" is ready for its
Chris Brown remix as much as "Good Pussy" could welcome
Sean Kingston if he decides to go shameless. That's interesting stuff, with
Kartel meeting R&B halfway for a change, but the closing "Ghetto Youth" is admirable and not much more, paling in comparison to
Vybz's like-themed and Jamaican-born single "Life We Living." In the end, what seemed like the
Vybz record to gush over winds up a welcome soundtrack to chill with, and with
Kartel's discography missing such a piece, it's a welcome release with some towering highlights to boot. ~ David Jeffries