Island Mele
This compilation is a noteworthy benchmark of what Hawaii's resident urban and rap artists are doing these days. Unfortunately, it lacks any information on the artists, and since most are relatively unknown, "Project 808" is much less of a promotional vehicle for them than it should be. "Project 808
Various artists
Volume One"
OceanbeatBut the generic selections are comparable to run-of-the-mill national releases, and performers on 10 tracks go beyond that by making it known that they're coming out of Hawaii. Some merely mention the location; others include Hawaiian words.
B.E.T. and O-Shen are the true innovators here, by blending in even Jawaiian and Melanesian pidgin rap.
Yes, Hawaii can replicate what's hot on the national scene, but there are fresh ideas percolating here throughout this music, too.
Mpeg Audio Clips:
The Message
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www.oceanbeat.com
This CD single is one of those mysterious records that turn up from time to time. It is being distributed here by a Hawaii-based company and therefore is considered a product of the local record industry at the Hoku Awards -- but there's no indication as to where Shuga and their label are actually from. The credits don't even identify the women shown on the back cover, and the Web site reveals only that they go by the names of Cool-Ade, Honeygirl and Sami. "Shuga"
Shuga
Amana DaCapo ProductionsHawaii residents or not, the trio, and the uncredited male rapper heard on all three versions of "Hey Hey Hey," are as good as many other lesser-known urban acts, and the song works as a calling card. The two other songs -- "Play My Music" and "Single Free" -- also have a clean, bare-bones sound. The four so-called skits, however, are so lame that they sound like they were culled at random off low-fidelity surveillance tapes.
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www.booklineshawaii.com
Frank DeLima has had his own record label so long that it's easy to forget that he made his debut as a recording artist in 1978 on Hula Records. Like several of his later Pocholinga Productions projects, it was recorded live to fully capture his appeal as a comic performer. "Frank DeLima Presents
Frank DeLima & Na Kolohe
A Taste of Malasadas"
Hula Records"A Taste of Malasadas" also introduced early versions of several of his signature bits -- "The Portagee Fight Song," his best "Portagee" jokes and his expansive re-creation of local Japanese-language radio.
With DeLima celebrating 25 years in local show business -- his self-dubbed "Silva Anniversary" -- the re-release of his debut album on CD is welcome and timely. Producer "Flip" McDiarmid should have added a paragraph or two on DeLima's impressive accomplishments since 1978 in the liners, but anyone likely to buy this album already knows the whole story.
Mpeg Audio Clips:
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www.Hawaii-Calls.com
See Record Reviews for some past reviews.
John Berger, who has covered the local
entertainment scene since 1972, writes reviews of recordings
produced by Hawaii artists. See the Star-Bulletin's Today
section on Fridays for the latest reviews. Contact John Berger at jberger@starbulletin.com.
