- A landmark (and lengthy) LP tracing the evolution of jungle from one of the genre's earliest practitioners.
- Mikail Tafari, better known as Congo Natty or Rebel MC, has been a pivotal figure in UK underground dance music for over 30 years. Widely credited as a chief architect of jungle music, the Tottenham producer, toaster and MC has helped lead British-Jamaican musical innovation ever since he first started DJing at illegal dances in the '80s. Known for positive, energetic, socially-aware music that blends the swagger and class-consciousness of his London milieu with the creative influence and politicism of his paternal Jamaican heritage, Congo Natty has had a massive influence on the growth of modern UK dance music.
Born Michael West in 1965, Tafari's upbringing on Tottenham's Broadwater Farm estate—a concrete jungle burdened throughout his formative years by unemployment, racial tensions, and police brutality—helped foster a DIY attitude in the face of limited opportunity. His early system The Ital Sound was built on this foundation, and his relentless live schedule over the following decades has reinforced it, cementing his reputation as a hard-working creator. That live schedule has also often robbed him of the time needed to fully translate his sound into LP format. That was one benefit of lockdown: Tafari was given the breathing space to produce this immense 31-track opus, a love letter to sound system culture that he describes as his "life's work."
Ancestorz traces Tafari's journeys through the streets of Tottenham, the recording studios of Kingston, the Rastafarian promised land of Shashamene, Ethiopia and more. Exploring jungle's diverse influences and rich global heritage, the LP employs a wide range of features and samples to highlight the voices and influences his sound draws on. Rooted in the heavy basslines, lively breakbeats and syncopated percussion loops of the jungle style that Congo helped create, Ancestorz pays tribute to the fundamentals while growing beyond that basic foundation.
The core junglist beats and basslines are augmented by various other sounds, from the smooth, soulful saxophone of contemporary London jazz innovators Shabaka Hutchings and Nubya Garcia (on "Wareika Hill"), to the passionate, socially-conscious lyricism of underground UK hip-hop legends like Klashnekoff. The latter's contribution to "Marching 2 Zion" make it a pivotal song, a letter to London's victims of violence which shifts from Maverick Sabre's passionate vocals to the insightful commentary of Klashnekoff and fellow rapper Logic. "Marching 2 Zion" marries jungle and hip-hop while promoting the political awareness and passion for social justice that has made Tafari an influential voice within UK music to begin with.
Ancestorz also explores jungle's roots in reggae and sound system culture. "Exodus 1 7" chants "Reggae is the father / Jungle is the son," a mantra reinforced by the key role of reggae's distinctive beefy bass, skanking chords and Rastafarian philosophy. But if reggae is the father and jungle the son, there are plenty of cousins and siblings in the mix, too. A truly international project, Ancestorz elevates sounds from across the African diaspora, including the Brazilian Portuguese bars of São Paulo lyricist Monkey Jhayam to the soulful vocals of Jamaican dancehall act Courtney Melody. Tafari paints a vision of constant cultural exchange between sounds like reggae, dub, hip-hop and jungle, reminding us of their interconnectedness.
Ancestorz underlines the Tottenham toaster's unique role in the creation and growth of jungle music. Using voices and stories from various generations, continents and disciplines, he fleshes out his Rastafarian world vision and explores the colonial legacy that shaped British-Jamaican music in lyrics like, "They took the knowledge from my brother man / And moved all my brothers to another land." The wide range of innovators willing to lend their hand to this project is testament enough to Congo Natty's role within UK dance music. But for a truly impactful summary of the Tottenham musician's legendary status, let's look to Klashnekoff: "Jungle to the core / Humble though we're raw / Giving thanks to Congo, he's an uncle to us all."
Tracklist01. Navaho Flute
02. Exodus 1:7
03. Musik 4 Da Soul
04. Athos (ft. Fleck & Lij Tafari)
05. Samurai Junglist
06. Jungle Starliner
07. Ancestorz (Jungle Fari)
08. Tottenham Story
09. Ancestral Hi Tek
10. Rebel Soul
11. Jungle Defender (ft. Addis Pablo)
12. Marching 2 Zion
13. Children Of Enoch
14. Postcode Dance
15. Wareika Hill (Count Ossie Tribute)
16. Empress Jane
17. Binghi Man
18. Senegal
19. Lalibela Almaz
20. Dragon Slayer
21. Jungle Serangi
22. Akae Beka
23. Melchezedek Harpz
24. Psalm 23
25. Garden Of Life (Tenor Fly Tribute)
26. Ancestorz Mixtape – Mixed By Congo Natty