I Wayne, one of the top conscious roots reggae artists of this generation, is back with Life Teachings, his long-overdue album on VP Records, due October 11. With simplicity and grace, I Wayne’s angelic-tinged vocals flutter effortlessly across these 14 tracks filled with hair-raising lyrics and uncompromising conviction. The intricately-crafted album features organic rhythms rife with rugged basslines and one-drop drumbeats, produced mostly by Patrick Z. Henry, who is responsible for 11 of the album’s songs and I-Wayne’s breakthrough hit “Can’t Satisfy Her.”
On Life Teachings, I Wayne rejects materialism (“Wise and Fearless”), predicts the imminent downfall of Babylon (“Burn Down Sodom”), rails against the violence associated with “Drug and Rum Vibes,” exalts Rastafari’s holy herb (“Herb Fi Legalize”) and successfully ventures into dancehall terrain with “The Fire Song” featuring Assassin (a.k.a. Agent Sasco) and produced by Gareth Campbell.
