Let's Listen To "LIVING TESTAMENT" | Akae Beka's Last Recorded MUST-HEAR Album

Before Vaughn Benjamin, the voice of Akae Beka and Midnite, transitioned in November 2019, he completed recording of one last album.
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The album, released on February 16, 2024 as "LIVING TESTAMENT", is an 11-track album with a solemn message, a central theme of getting back to order.
I have listened to the song closely, and while each song may be open to diverse interpretations, I've attempted to come up with a coherent analysis of the lyrical content of the album.
I hope you tune in and watch the full video.
The following was obtained from the Facebook page of I-Roots Record:
LIVING TESTAMENT is the final album Vaughn Benjamin recorded before he transitioned in November of 2019. In late October of 2019, he travelled to Grass Valley, California, recording this 11-track album at Ras Biblical’s studio, Trinity Farm, over a period of 2 days. The producers gathered 11 masterful musicians on these tracks, including Manuel “Go A Chant” Guerra, Denfield “Ras Pulse” Potter, Walker Pillow, Scott Lynwood Davis, Befekadu Assefa and Tuff Lion. Together, these musicians weaved together a powerful family of songs that tell a timeless and truly unique story, a masterpiece of roots reggae.
LIVING TESTAMENT is a monumental album and an important piece of history. It is available on LP, CD, and high-quality download today courtesy of Go A Chant, Trinity Farm, Before Zero Records, and I-Roots Records. The majestic cover artwork was created by Ras Elijah Tafari. Pre-order the LP and CD at: www.irootsrecords.com/akaemidnite and www.iroots.bandcamp.com
#AkaeBeka #LivingTestament #AlbumReviews #RootsReggaeMusic

[@elijahtafari]

On Reforms Unseen, the part speaking about how "They" the superpowers of the world are " Jealous and Juggling the throne for the universal seat,(deciding) who doesn't work and who doesn't eat. Infant and elder they exclude in it" He isn't saying lazy people should eat.. also he wasn't talking about Ras being fickle, he said, " working to accomplish when times are lean, descriptive adjective, fickle and Fien, which one do you want to be when the roll call in, done fall short, fall short -fall in." Honor and Respect.

[@iriereviews]

I'm gonna pin this comment. I appreciate this enlightenment. Thanks.

[@iriereviews]

Brother, just realized the name tho, the creator of the artwork for the album. Phenomenal work.

[@psilocyphersessions]

Rolls Royce in a long tail coat is a a description of His Majesty

[@elijahtafari]

Egziabeher is a Name for the Most High, in Ethiopia. I love the review King. Honor and Love. Haile Selassie I Reforms Complete.

[@iriereviews]

Makes total sense now! Thanks

[@bwanahaguziki307]

One of the best reggae artists ever...Done ...Midnite will be missed...

[@davisahumuza]

Who will go us - jah here am I send me. listened to this hundreds of times

[@iriereviews]

Hand's down, a great tune with a powerful message.

[@fin72351]

His message to the world is to be eternally cherished! Peace from Iona Florida

[@iriereviews]

I hope we do. Blessings.

[@midnitelion5238]

From 2006 when I first saw Midnite perform in the Netherlands I have been deeply impressed by the band, but especially by Vaughn Benjamin. It came to me on a spiritual level. My go to when it comes to Meditation , knowledge of self and awareness/conciousness. A great storryteller and true messiah! What immense wisdom.

[@iriereviews]

Blessed love. Totally! It's the same experience for me.

[@nineaether888]

No one comes Close. Dat is een Feit!

[@74zion]

His background singing is always my favorites

[@iriereviews]

True, I don't know why I didn't mention that.

[@Honorcodefor-1life]

All Ises To Jah the Father, may Akea Beks be with you Lord.

[@iriereviews]

Blessings

[@eliasamin7076]

Greetings from Algeria. Big fun of Akae Beka RIP

[@iriereviews]

Greetings! Very nice to hear from you. And happy to hear that you love the brother's music.

[@patto24strippes]

Akae Beka is the way

[@iriereviews]

Yes indeed!

[@josephmalungu2006]

Man, happy to come across your Chanel I have been a Midnite 25 years deep, the most profound Reggae group I have ever known in my life, the beauty about Vaughn Benjamin lyrics, once you understand what he is anchored in , where he comes from Spiritually, then you can interpret the Lyrics as they apply to your pastoral Philosophy. No one even comes close to their depth of music in Roots Music

[@iriereviews]

I agree with you 100%! No other reggae artist or band has covered the breadth and depth of topics Vaughn Benjamin chanted about.

[@lbertondev9149]

InI give thanks and praise the almighty Jah 🔥 Blessed Love Itinual

[@iriereviews]

Give thanks. Blessed love.

[@AthrazhuR]

Thanks for bringing this to me. You always bring blessings. Respect

[@iriereviews]

I appreciate you stopping by.

[@GoArkChant]

Give Thanks for this review King

[@iriereviews]

Bless up, brother. Excellent work, as usual. Give thanks.

[@FilminTilman]

So glad you mentioned Righteous Synergy and Homage. I can hear them so much of those in this album. Just a little sad because there was a certain change in his delivery in these. Felt like he was on the cusp reaching a new level unseen.You can hear a higher maturity and overstanding in these later recordings. he delivered the message well. seems the greats are only here for a little while. He is surley missed. Thanks for this breakdown!

[@iriereviews]

You said this very well. I will go back and listen to these albums thinking of your perspective. It's a good one!

[@rootsjuicebreakfast]

Same production team on those albums if I'm not mistaken - Ras @elijahtafari will be able to confirm this one!

[@kenrickjohn1160]

I always call him d book Respect brother

[@soujaar8346]

Reggae at is best

[@iriereviews]

Fully agree. Not many do it like this. I have another pending review of another album. It's also great reggae!

[@karbonDhard1]

I truly love what you are doing it’s your duty to bring the clarity for us as students of his imperial majesty with Vaughn Benjamin great profit

[@iriereviews]

Truly appreciated. I still struggle with understanding a lot of it tho. But it's a process. Give thanks.

[@xkaliba9372]

Hail from (St.Croix) Great Review , Great (Album) "RASPECT"!!!

[@queenratv115]

Bless up from Orange Hill Jamaica 🇯🇲

[@iriereviews]

Blessings queen, one love from across the seas.

[@FCReggae]

Vaughn and that Midnite band was supreme .

[@iriereviews]

@@FCReggae A once in a lifetime band with an out-of-this-world vibe.

[@andytaylor6781]

One of a kind .

[@iriereviews]

Yes indeed! Blessed.

[@kerrytimmins2400]

Respect +blessings 🎼🔈🔉🔊🎼🔥♥️

[@iriereviews]

give thanks!

[@officialflxw]

Album was recored at my pops house

[@AkashicRecordsReggae]

Good review brother, thank you

[@iriereviews]

Give thanks, my bro. Looking forward to the interviews.

[@damianadjodha688]

Great work king. More strength!

[@iriereviews]

@@damianadjodha688 I appreciate it, brother. Give thanks.

[@Midniteluvr1]

Nice review! Honestly this album is much better than I was expecting, as some of these posthumous albums aren’t very high quality imo. This one has excellent musicianship and lyrical content. By far my favorite song is Reforms Unseen, but also Who is the rejector who is the Reductor, and really the whole thing is all killer no filler. Bless Up!

[@iriereviews]

The thing about posthumous albums is that producers and studios can get a collection of unreleased tracks that were unreleased because they were probably deemed not good enough for release. This album was intentionally recorded as an album.

[@user-nj7xv7ml1d]

Listen frm Mauritius, bless brozer

[@iriereviews]

@@user-nj7xv7ml1d give thanks. Really appreciate it.

[@amandasutton4056]

What an album! The nyabinghi drums draw me in right at the beginning, then beautiful horns, and instrumentation altogether..I read once that Vaughn Benjamin never wrote lyrics but basically 'freestyled' which would explain a lot of the flow and 'stream of consciousness' feel as well as the source energy. I feel like he and the musicians create a kind of alternate world you can lose yourself - or find yourself! - in...they are obv not the same but I always feel that with Augustus Pablo and Hugh Mundell, that they created this world you can escape to and immerse yourself in. I think at the beginning of track 10 he might be saying igziabeher?? Can't wait for my copy of the album to arrive, thanks for the review! Sorry for the really long comment..! Ps are you aware of Nga Han??

[@iriereviews]

Don't apologize for an awesome comment. C'mon! 😉 I think you read that he didn't come with prewritten lyrics to the studio but wrote the lyrics down at the studio before the recording session. Correct? He did write his lyrics. There might have been some freestyle too but he wrote his lyrics. About Nga Han, I think so.

[@amandasutton4056]

@@iriereviews I stand corrected on the lyrics...just had a look..waiting on the new Nga Han album to arrive too...and will be an unapologetic long comment writer - could quite easily have gone on for hours, you got off lightly!😂

[@iriereviews]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I welcome it! You're too kind.

[@rvgr12]

Just found your channel. Love the vibes man.

[@iriereviews]

@@rvgr12 I appreciate you stopping by. Truly! Blessed.

[@kyambawingi7038]

Sigo seu canal mais do que 4 anos, desde Angola. Amo seu resumos aos albuns do AK

[@NayaDaBanda]

Egzibier is God

[@iriereviews]

Yes, blessed.

[@janniejoseph4587]

This has to be the move of the spirit to be dedicated to such work I am here for the msg n meaning n blessings

[@iriereviews]

Give thanks! Blessed.

[@carlosserrano1065]

🤲🏾🙏🏽🕯️🕊️ The prophet

[@iriereviews]

He was insightful, indeed!

[@ShawarMoni]

ביג אפ בנימין ווהן🔥🔥

[@kenrickjohn1160]

Brother when it comes to this book, I call him d book, words I always try to find so that I could express but its hard...

[@markmoses823]

Deep Meditation...Much Raspect for Jah Works...

[@iriereviews]

Blessed!

[@bc6881]

Do you know if any of Akae Beka band members are playing in other bands/projects?

[@iriereviews]

Great question. I don't know. Would be good to see them get together and back another artiste like Dezarie, Tamara George, Reemah, etc...

[@ronaldlester2096]

I'm not getting the full song of "the stone of the corner"

[@kyambawingi7038]

Ire Roots the 7 track you state "so to me, it feels like a separation from someone he loves". So who might be this one?

[@iriereviews]

I also said I won't insinuate who this might be. I'll maintain that.

[@EmpressRosalindVBrown]

It is definitely his brother...🙌🏾🤲🏾👑👸🏽💝👁🇯🇲

[@iriereviews]

@@EmpressRosalindVBrown we don't know this definitively and may never know. I prefer to not insinuate.

[@empressnedia]

Hard to share your content don't know if it is intentional.. but good review .🎉🎉

[@iriereviews]

Not sure. But thanks for trying. Blessings.

[@iriereviews]

Could be a copyright thing because I'm using extended clips of the songs.

[@brendaherburt8227]

Living Testament confirms : Rasta is itinual!

[@iriereviews]

@@brendaherburt8227 give thanks!

[@psilocyphersessions]

When one’s you love AWAIT

[@iriereviews]

Give thanks.

[@psilocyphersessions]

It like we got many things to do and our loved ones await, that’s how important it is to follow through and accomplish the task at hand

[@iriereviews]

​@@psilocyphersessionsthat's a great insight. The songs and meaning are becoming even clearer.

[@VeronWilliams-cy6zr]

Midnite 1010101010 let jah arise and let all his enemies be scattered S on our chest for sellasie

[@bufoalvarius6198]

Hoping to get the dub versions too

[@iriereviews]

Looking forward to that too.

[@GoArkChant]

Dub version on the works!stay tuned

[@iriereviews]

@@GoArkChant looking forward to it. Great news.

[@NayaDaBanda]

Give thanks for the music is not ease to understand is music

[@iriereviews]

I struggle too. Give thanks.

[@watergong4954]

Igziabeher abba zion i mean Haile selassie I

[@watergong4954]

This is what he says at the beginning of reforms unseen, the phrase refers to the living king Haile Selassie I

[@iriereviews]

@@watergong4954 yes I. Give thanks.

[@hellishmland1530]

Cornerstone. See freemasonry and jesus and 33.3

[@Luiz.Campos]

Masons worship Satan.

[@iriereviews]

What do you mean?

[@Honorcodefor-1life]

Mon mean tie together elements from di inner secret history society's and they be perverted powers of the actual Living Truth .. Mans concerted corruption, created continent to continent. Selah~