''Book of Life'' is the second album by the

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

artist

I Wayne I Wayne, Rastafarian stage name for Cliffroy Taylor (born September 13, 1980 in Portmore, Jamaica), is a roots reggae singer. He is known for his hit singles " Living In Love" and " Can't Satisfy Her" from his debut album, '' Lava Ground''. ...

. It features his typically smooth voice over typical Jamaican rhythms. The album reflects I Wayne's personal

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

of positivism and his stance against

rude boy Rude boy, rudeboy, rudie, rudi, and rudy are slang terms that originated in 1960s Jamaican street culture, and that are still used today. In the late 1970s, there was a revival in England of the terms ''rude boy'' and ''rude girl'', among other ...

culture, which he blames for several of Jamaica's problems. In "Life Is Easy," he expresses his view that the only way out of suffering is to be grateful for the positives in one's life. "Jealousy and Abuse" deals with the problem of

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

. "Annihilation" has a deceivingly mild and upbeat tune while calling for the annihilation of

Babylon ''Bābili(m)'' * sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 * arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel'' * syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel'' * grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn'' * he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel'' * peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru'' * elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...

(

Rastafari Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control of ...

collectively refer to the people in power within the established system as "Babylon," and believe that they conspire to oppress the poor). The album peaked at #4 on ''Billboards Reggae Albums chart.

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

wrote that "I Wayne is actually at his best when he focuses on the reggae verities and steers clear of experimentation; the lovely 'Free the People' makes excellent use of a vintage reggae rhythm, and the album's highlight is a bouncy combination track with Deva Brat on which both singer and deejay dance lightly over a tense high-tempo rocker's beat." The ''

East Bay Express The ''East Bay Express'' is an Oakland-based weekly newspaper serving the Berkeley, Oakland and East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is distributed throughout Alameda County and parts of Contra Costa County every Wednesday. The ''E ...

'' wrote that "I Wayne comes off as an impassioned, concerned visionary, with an entire disc's work of solid songs which hint that roots reggae is actually advancing in the dancehall age." ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' called the album "an absolute peach, too, providing the perfect platform for this singer's lilting alto voice to work its magic from."

Track listing

#"Book of Life" #"Words of Liberation" #"Free the People" #"Annihilation" (feat. Icoflamez) #"Smart Attack" #"Life Is Easy" #"Need Her in I Arms" #"No Vanity Love" #"Jealousy and Abuse" (feat. Lady G.) #"Good Enough" #"Politics and Religion" #"No Unnecessary War" #"Money dem a Run Down" #"Could a Never" (feat. Iniball) #"Dart to Them Heart" (feat. Deva Bratt) #"Natural Ites" (feat. Iyah V)

References

2007 albums I Wayne albums {{Reggae-album-stub