This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Duets with the dead albums are seldom enticing, but this one seems especially sacrilegous — Chant Down Babylon features rappers and singers harmonizing with the ghost of reggae god Bob Marley on reworked Wailers classics.
More’s the surprise, then, when the proceedings turn out to be a joint (ahem) effort that works. Marley’s loose-limbed, flowing style seems tailor-made for sampling and looping (which isn’t far from traditional Jamacian dub, come to think). All involved, from Marley’s sons to Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and The Roots, treat the tracks with the respect they deserve. Heck, even blustery blunderbuss Busta Rhymes avoids stepping on Bob’s lines. And you know this is the only place in the world where you’ll hear a duet between Bob and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. As Marley would say, hope this jam is gonna last.
