Prince Hammer – Mwalimu

That makes the label’s story even more remarkable. Under the guidance of producer and label owner Roy Cousins, Tamoki-Wambesi has worked with an impressive list of artists. Prince Far I, Earl Sixteen, Charlie Chaplin, Don Carlos, Knowledge, The Royals and Junior Reid have all recorded for the label. Prince Hammer has been part of that roster too, first with Respect I Man, then Freedom, and now with a third album, Mwalimu.

Roy Cousins has always believed in giving listeners value for money, and Mwalimu certainly delivers. Spread across 19 tracks and running for more than 72 minutes, the album mixes fresh recordings, reworked versions and covers, while dipping into a selection of classic riddims along the way.

The opening track, Warika Hill Chant, is simply beautiful. Built around a field recording Roy Cousins made during a Nyabinghi gathering in the Wareika Hills, it’s a deep spiritual piece that immediately sets the tone. From there, Jah Jah Is The Remedy rolls in over the heavyweight Love Fire/Promised Land riddim, made famous by Aswad and Dennis Brown. It’s a timeless roots backdrop, and Prince Hammer rides it with confidence.

The intensity continues with Ten Thousand Lions (Simba Mix), a fresh take on the tune Prince Hammer originally released on his Belva label back in 1979. Heavy bass, meditative grooves and powerful Rastafarian chants make this one of the album’s strongest moments. The opening run is rounded off with Jah Is Always There and Just Like Marcus, the latter voiced over the classic Ain’t Got No Love riddim, best known from Horace Andy’s 1978 recording for Bunny Lee, Zion Gate.

As the album moves on, things become a little more uneven. Strong cuts like African Man, Wake Up My People, Mr Officer on the Throw Mi Corn riddim, Rude Boy, and Young Fresh & Green on the Full Up riddim sit alongside a few tracks that don’t quite stick once they’ve finished playing. That’s often the trade-off with a 19-track album. Not every tune is going to hit equally hard.

Even so, there’s more than enough quality here to make Mwalimu worth your time. The standout moments easily outweigh the weaker ones, making this another solid chapter in Prince Hammer’s partnership with Roy Cousins and Tamoki-Wambesi-Dove.