Generation Next

While only 14, Prezident Brown began working the microphone for local soundsystems in his hometown of Clarendon, Jamaica. Within a few years he was under the tutelage of U Brown, a foundation deejay of the roots era and the man from whom Prezident Brown would adopt both his name and rough-hewn delivery style. Though Prezident Brown’s Rasta-inspired lyricism and continued concern with political and social issues made him a much-beloved presence on the soundsystem scene, he seldom released full-length albums, preferring to record quick single releases with producers like Bobby Digital and Lloyd James Jr. By the time Brown released Generation Next in 2003, he'd been recording for almost two decades, but despite his seasoned professionalism the album was only his third. Fortunately, it was something of a creative and commercial triumph for Brown. His smooth, roots-inflected remake of William Devaughn’s socially conscious funk anthem “Be Thankful for What You’ve Got” helped propel the album into the public eye, but the entirety of its sprawling 20 tracks deserves listeners’ attention.