Heavyweight Dub Champion is nodding to King Tubby as much as any modern Reggae group, but they also have some special elements that put them above the fray. Featuring collaborators like KRS One and Killah Priest doesn't just raise Hip Hop eyebrows, it demands instant respect. These two aren't out looking for work, you know... If they choose to work with Heavyweight Dub Champion, you know there's something different and good about the group. Bringing the Dub from Colorado is an interesting twist, for starters. The creative spark behind the group's formation is Grant Chambers, styling himself as Resurrector. "Handles" abound on this record, with names you may not recognize if you don't closely follow the Reggae scene. The great news is that you can approach Rise of the Champion Nation from many different angles and still take something away.
There are plenty of ties to Hip Hop and pop culture here, with KRS One going off about how he works the mic "like Neo in the park with a pole." There are also bridges between this group and Bill Laswell, a seriously massive talent whose engineer Oz Fritz gives Rise of the Champion Nation the kind of bowel-massaging bass treatment that filled every Laswell /Axiom release, without losing that crisp high end and tweeter-pleasing effect. Finally, there are great social and political statements being made on tunes like "Babylon Beast," when you hear Killah Priest say, "...jobs not jails when the stock market fails," and the great positive vocal riff on "Warrior Divination Three" that recalls the empowering (and powerful) style of Umar Bin Hassan and The Last Poets.
The mythology behind Rise of the Champion Nation and the narrative about "The Last Champion" that slips through most of the songs is a love it/hate it type of thing. Mostly it is tolerable, but these guys don't need a metaphor to make their point. Straight talking is where it is at, and the days of lyrics about eagles and bears being novel are far behind us. I'd be just as happy if the next Heavyweight Dub Champion dropped any pretense and just picked the scabs off all the social issues that need more time under the spotlight. When they make smart music you can dance to, this is a band with the power to shape some positive change. Here's hoping that Rise of the Champion Nation actually mobilizes its fan base to go out and make good on some of the cosmic potential that Heavyweight Dub Champion is tapping into.
