"Fortitude" - the first one-riddim album from Stubborn Records' Version City Rockers - delivers wicked roots reggae and dub immersed in Rastafarian Niyabinghi drums. Respected reggae elders represent in classic style while young veterans and up-and-comers surprise with fresh twists through fourteen vocal tunes and two instrumentals.

With each track lovingly treated to a careful and individual mix, the album plays like an extended piece, steadily evolving in movements. From the conscious lyrics of reggae and dancehall legend Johnny Osbourne's "Let There Be Love" through producer King Django's breakneck flow of wisdom, "The More I Learn," and the sultry, haunting sounds of original rocksteady master Carl Dawkins' "Tranquility," Fortitude goes down like a super-relevant tonic against today's troubled times.

The word “Fortitude” denotes mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty and adversity. This release indeed represents the culmination of long struggle, tragedy and loss. When Django named this track, almost at random and before it was even recorded, he could never have imagined the journey that lay before him, much less the final outcome.

The riddim itself and its title date back to 2002 sessions for the Version City Rockers “Darker Roots” album. After a massive dubplate session at Version City Studio, reggae/dancehall godfather Johnny Osbourne blessed the riddim with his killer “Let There Be Love.” In January of 2007 Django played the tune for veteran reggae producer Bertram Brown in Kingston, Jamaica. Brown, who had run his own Freedom Sounds label since the 1970’s, immediately offered his guidance and assistance and the Jamaican Version City label was launched.

Over the next 20 months, the pair released eight sold-out 45s on the Fortitude riddim as well as five more on Freedom Sounds’ classic “Ethiopian Kings” riddim. A new series on the Version City “Gangstadrop” riddim was launched with Prince Alla’s “I and I Know” when tragedy struck.

On September 8, 2008, Brown, affectionately known as “Mr. B,” was killed in a hurricane-season swimming accident off the coast of Negril. The loss of his dear friend, mentor and business partner was a devastating blow to Django. He became deeply depressed for some time, emotionally and financially unable to continue. Eventually, with Mr. B’s ecstatic exclamation, “Let us flood the streets with music!” as his mantra, Django was able to regain his resolve. He began to pick up the pieces and carry on as he knew Mr. B would have wanted.

While continuing to produce, engineer and tour, Django faced a series of obstacles beginning with unscrupulous and unprofessional individuals in the business of printing and vinyl pressing both at home and abroad. In 2015 a contractor for the City of New Brunswick caused a backup of raw sewage into Django’s property causing the utter destruction of the Version City Studio and Stubborn Records office. In late 2016, his father passed away after a long battle with a rare cancer. Soon after, Django suffered from sciatica and in March 2017 underwent hernia repair surgery.

Through all of this, he kept up the struggle, collecting more vocals and instrumentals, and resuming vinyl and CD releases at home in the US. True to the title, this deep and steady groove never lets up, reminding us that with all of the uncertainty in the world, we must always stick to our principles and adhere to our calling. Forward ever, backward never!