Eesah has been around the scene for the better part of a decade, and if you do trace back Eesah’s story, he was an engineer at one point before being encouraged by friends to pick up the mic and do his own thing and, a few years on, it is crystal-clear that he made the right decision. When I first became aware of the artist, he was something of a disciple of Chronixx and was someone clearly influenced by the all kinds of gifted Chronixx. His style is slightly more singing-heavy, but Eesah also typically employs that unusual ‘darting’ vibe as well (they chant, they sing, they deejay…. almost all at the same time in some instances). It also helped that he was very gifted lyrically and what has resulted has been a fantastic and nearly unavoidable run.

Previously, Eesah has had a number of EP releases to his credit. He’s quietly become one of the genre’s more dependable of performers. All of that has well risen Eesah’s profile and heightened expectations and he’s now checked something wonderful off the list as he now delivers his debut ALBUM, “Deep Medz”. The set comes courtesy of King I-Vier Music, with the US based Loud City handling production.
After first surfacing back in 2024 as a digital-only release, this excellent set is finally getting the wax treatment it deserves. Berlin-based outfit BuyReggae.com is the label behind the move, bringing the project to physical life for the collectors. They’ve recently dropped the release in a standard black vinyl edition for the purists, but if you’re looking for something more distinct, there’s also a colored vinyl version available.

As I alluded to, if you just take a glance at the tracklist for this album, there’s something that will immediately leap out at you and I’m thinking it’s going to get the attention of a more casual fan and draw them in…. and then they will stay. There are five combinations on Deep Medz, four of them feature names ranging from BIG to full-on LEGENDARY.

Things get started with the ABSOLUTELY GOLDEN opener, Behold The Conquering Lion… You know what? Let’s do this in triplets because all three of the beginning tracks from Deep Medz, Behold The Conquering Lion, Jah Give Me Strength & Jah No Dead, come through on a very similar [the exact same one] topic. The first of these is one SWEET praise of His Imperial Majesty. Blessed with a riddim given a touch of the divine (it is heavenly), Behold The Conquering Lion comes through so nice easy and effortless that it stands as the type of selection you could very well listen to hours on end without even REALLY noticing just how much time has passed all the while. That being said, a good case could be made (and I’d probably be amongst them making it) that Jah Give Me Strength is even stronger. While Eesah’s giving praise here, he will keep your head and feet moving (literally doing it right now). This song is a lyrically dazzling effort which is cared for by one LUSCIOUS backing track. The tune also serves as the first combination from Deep Medz, linking Eesah with Garnet Alkhem (son of the immortal Garnet Silk) and ultra-talented T’Jean (whose father, Mikey Bennett, you’ll also know). Jah No Dead may just be the best of the opening lot but any way your preference goes amongst the three, you have truly SENSATIONAL work at the head of Deep Medz and you know what??? It stays that way throughout.

While Alkhem and T’Jean are definitely names you need to keep an eye on going forward, the batch of vocal guests enlisted to join Eesah here is mightily impressive. Check the fun Red Alert which taps veteran Swedish DJ, Million Stylez. This one is a social commentary within a [LEGIT] Dancehall tune and I LOVE how it breaks up the vibes. Pieces like this one, really add to the colour of an album and it makes for such a stronger listening experience altogether, in my opinion…. and, of course, it doesn’t help that it’s damn good also.

The very next drop in, Rasta Corner, was a big single release just ahead of the album, itself. This one, RIDICULOUSLY (and I mean that in a GREAT way) finds Achis Reggae favourites Perfect Giddimani and Pressure Busspipe joining Eesah and, as you would expect, the trio absolutely causes DAMAGE together. As strange as it will sound: Rasta Corner is the most glaring example of my primary criticism of Deep Medz, despite the fact that it is also one of the best songs that it has altogether.

The one and only Sizzla Kalonji also makes an appearance, making his presence known on a remix of the plodding In The Ghetto (don’t think I’ve ever head the original). I do not love this tune (that chorus is…. tough), but it is solid. I’ve made my feelings on the latest incarnation of Sizzla crystal-clear and what he does here most certainly is oceans away from his vintage levels but it’s also considerably higher than at least some of what he’s done as of late.

When I first saw the tracklist of Deep Medz my attentions focused on the presence of one potential all-conquering effort by the name of The Beginning of Time which, almost comically, features BOTH Capleton & Lutan Fyah. The direction here goes back to our openers with a massive observation being paid to His Majesty between them with all three finding their own time to shine but taking top honours, to my opinion, is the mighty King of Fire. Still, with all that being said the single best combination and tune altogether on the album (although the opener is running EVEN with it) is Police & Badboy which taps one of the most lyrically proficient lights Reggae has seen in a VERY long time, the Grammy winning Kabaka Pyramid who is in a typically DESTRUCTIVE mood during his contributions. This tune blazes, crumbling absolutely everything it encounters.

Besides the combinations, another interesting musical angle found on Deep Medz is the presence of several pieces which are either of the lover’s variety or just, generally, giving credit the most honourable women of the planet and they are ALL at least nice songs.

The first of them is the fine Nubian Queen, which is chased by the even more charming The Girl I’m Searching For. The former is slightly more specific as Eesah, seemingly, is talking to his own special woman as opposed to women in general, but it’s still very relatable and exquisitely performed. ‘The Girl I’m Searching For’ brings in a more of a ‘positive edge’. It has some heat on it and reaches greater heights.

Empress Menen broadens things out and, in doing so, impresses immensely. This track has an Afro Beats vibes about it to my ear and it’s just this BRIGHT, all-encompassing and INCLUSIVE track which is done in a way not only hailing Her Majesty but also relating all upful and positive women to her. On a similar level in terms of sound is Girl Like You, which veers back towards the Reggae spectrum and is a very nice straightforward love song.

The artist continues to mine gold on his own and on just about any topic he touches. One of the most glaring examples of this DEFINITELY comes in the most appropriately licked pair Irie and Easy Skankin. With its easy vibes, the former struck me ‘all in the feels’ as it’s simply about having fun and enjoying yourself in a distinctly Caribbean way. Irie is one of the better tunes here altogether and not very far away is Easy Skankin which has more of a musical focus (Irie is more spread out, dealing with more cultural things, slightly).

Push On has a similar sound to the two tunes I just told you about, but its subject is on a more serious theme as it’s all about perseverance and thriving through the hard times life deals us all at times. It does have a spiritual edge at its heart but, for the most part, anyone going through anything can call on a song like this for some inspiration. Push On is another selection that, at least for me, reaches near the pinnacle of quality for Deep Medz. It is IMMACULATE and just such a mighty addition to this project.

Uprise is a track with something immediate about it. There is a certain infectious urgency to it which cannot go ignored. Perhaps if you thought back to Behold The Conquering Lion and added some spice and some flames to it, you might come up with something quite similar to what Uprise turns out to be and it nears that same well lofty levels in my opinion.

Finally is a piece that did take a little time to grow on me, Liberation (biggup Turbulence). When I first heard Liberation (and when I second heard it and probably third, fourth and fifth as well), I initially thought it somewhat uneven and while I still may not regard it as the most well put together piece of music that I’ve ever heard, it is fairly close to being outstanding. Liberation almost sounds like a freestyle that became a full song at some point with that title/punchline never really being played out to completion… but you won’t care. Liberation is a very fun time and, though all over the place, lyrically very strong as well.

So what is wrong with Deep Medz?? This is simple: The album features seventeen songs and has a run time of just under forty-seven and a half minutes. By my [surely inaccurate] math, that puts the average track-length at less than two minutes and fify seconds. The most glaring piece of evidence supporting this is Rasta Corner, a tune with THREE DIFFERENT ARTISTS anddddd….. it checks in at a very thin two minutes and eleven seconds. RIDICULOUSLY it is THEE shortest song on the whole of Deep Medz. In general, you wish they would have just slowed things down as, far and away, the largest critique I have of this set is that it seems to come and go (both in full and in several cases individual tracks) FAR too quickly.

Overall, you could certainly have bigger problems than your audience wanting MORE and there simply isn’t much more than that to complain about in regards to Eesah’s debut album. The ‘pros’ in this case absolutely smash the ‘cons’. They beat the hell out of them! Something struck me in the course of listening to Deep Medz that I’ve noticed before on albums from other artists but it’s rarely been to this extent: Deep Medz and Eesah are very NEW. This is a definite NEW SCHOOL ROOTS sound, even when it does pull in some old school type of vibes. This is very much a clip of the music in the 2020’s and it is a FINE example of that sound.

Debut albums may have (they have) lost some luster from an older time and you can even argue that they’ve never REALLY been that important in Reggae music but if they do still hold any value in 2024 as they do with me, you won’t find much better material than Eesah on Deep Medz. Yes, I do wish there was more of it and, hopefully, “more of it” won’t be too far away but, as it stands, Deep Medz is one of the strongest debut sets I’ve come across in quite awhile. EXCELLENT.