While most hip-hop/reggae hybrids feature endless streams of lyrics indistinguishable to those not familiar with the dialect,
Born Jamericans slow up the beat and infuse the style with lover's rock. The result is a rather seductive album of mellow grooves and sensual lyrics that leans much closer to the sounds of
Jimmy Cliff than that of
Buju Banton. High points include "State of Shock," which features
Johnny Osbourne, and the cover of
Frankie Avalon's "Venus." Even though the style gets a bit long winded and the tracks tend to blur, there is still enough strong material on this album to make it worth listening to, and perhaps slow dancing to as well. ~ Curtis Zimmermann