Beenie Man - Tropical Storm (Virgin)

It’s been a tough run for Beenie Man, the Jamaican hitmaker once expected to fill Bob Marley’s kicks. Bounty Killer questioned his Yard-core bonafides. And while Beenie sold gold and brought home a Grammy, Shaggy went interstellar. Luckily for Beenie, the ragga vibe has become bleeding-edge global pop. On his latest, tracks from Irv Gotti (“Real Gangsta”), Tony Kelly (“Miss L.A.P.”), and U.K. garage ruffnecks So Solid Crew (“Yagga Yow”) flow seamlessly into each other. When Lil’ Kim spits classic dancehall lines on DJ Clue’s “Fresh From Yard,” she makes it sound like Jamaica is giving hip hop a face-lift, rather than the other way around. Tropical Storm’s money shot is “Feel It Boy,” a duet with Janet Jackson. Despite the Neptunes’ upbeat production, Beenie sings like a man whose guilty conscience takes over after “It Wasn’t Me.” Storm’s one weakness is that it wants a happy ending so badly, it barely captures Beenie’s soul. The exception is “Street Life,” a you-and-me-against-the-world track in the great tradition of "No Woman, No Cry." In this bright future, he can't forget his past.