A linen handkerchief with pulled thread embroidery around the edges

Linen cloth recovered from Qumran Cave 1 near the Dead Sea.

Linen ( /ˈlɪnɨn/) is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather.

The word "linen" is cognate with the Latin for the flax plant, which is linum, and the earlier Greek linon. This word history has given rise to a number of other terms in English, the most notable of which is the English word line, derived from the use of a linen (flax) thread to determine a straight line.

Textiles in a linen-weave texture, even when made of cotton, hemp and other non-flax fibers are also loosely referred to as "linen". Such fabrics generally have their own specific names other than linen; for example, fine cotton yarn in a linen-style weave is called Madapolam.

The collective term "linens" is still often used generically to describe a class of woven and even knitted bed, bath, table and kitchen textiles. The name linens is retained because traditionally, linen was used for many of these items. In the past, the word "linens" was also used to mean lightweight undergarments such as shirts, chemises, waistshirts, lingerie (a word also cognate with linen), and detachable shirt collars and cuffs, which were historically made almost exclusively out of linen. The inside cloth layer of fine composite clothing fabrics (as for example jackets) was traditionally made of linen, and this is the origin of the word lining.^{[citation needed]}

Linen textiles appear to be some of the oldest in the world: their history goes back many thousands of years. Fragments of straw, seeds, fibers, yarns, and various types of fabrics which date back to about 8000 BC have been found in Swiss lake dwellings. Dyed flax fibers found in a prehistoric cave in Georgia suggest the use of woven linen fabrics from wild flax may date back even earlier to 36,000 BP.^[1][2]

Linen was sometimes used as currency in ancient Egypt. Egyptian mummies were wrapped in linen because it was seen as a symbol of light and purity, and as a display of wealth. Some of these fabrics, woven from hand spun yarns, were very fine for their day, but are coarse compared to modern linen.^[3]

Today linen is usually an expensive textile, and is produced in relatively small quantities. It has a long "staple" (individual fiber length) relative to cotton and other natural fibers.^[4]

Many products are made of linen: apron, bags, towels (swimmers, bath, beach, body and wash towel), napkins, bed linen, linen tablecloth, runners, chair cover, men's and women's wear.

Flax fiber[link]

Description[link]

Linen is a bast fiber. Flax fibers vary in length from about 25 to 150 cm (18 to 55 in) and average 12-16 micrometers in diameter. There are two varieties: shorter tow fibers used for coarser fabrics and longer line fibers used for finer fabrics. Flax fibers can usually be identified by their “nodes” which add to the flexibility and texture of the fabric.

The cross-section of the linen fiber is made up of irregular polygonal shapes which contribute to the coarse texture of the fabric.^[5]

Properties[link]

Linen fabric feels cool to the touch. It is smooth, making the finished fabric lint-free, and gets softer the more it is washed. However, constant creasing in the same place in sharp folds will tend to break the linen threads. This wear can show up in collars, hems, and any area that is iron creased during laundering. Linen has poor elasticity and does not spring back readily, explaining why it wrinkles so easily.

Linen fabrics have a high natural luster; their natural color ranges between shades of ivory, ecru, tan, or grey. Pure white linen is created by heavy bleaching. Linen typically has a thick and thin character with a crisp and textured feel to it, but it can range from stiff and rough, to soft and smooth. When properly prepared, linen fabric has the ability to absorb and lose water rapidly. It can gain up to 20% moisture without feeling damp.^{[citation needed]}

It is a very durable, strong fabric, and one of the few that are stronger wet than dry. The fibers do not stretch and are resistant to damage from abrasion. However, because linen fibers have a very low elasticity, the fabric will eventually break if it is folded and ironed at the same place repeatedly.

Mildew, perspiration, and bleach can also damage the fabric, but it is resistant to moths and carpet beetles. Linen is relatively easy to take care of, since it resists dirt and stains, has no lint or pilling tendency, and can be dry-cleaned, machine-washed or steamed. It can withstand high temperatures, and has only moderate initial shrinkage.^[5]

Linen should not be dried too much by tumble drying: it is much easier to iron when damp because of its growth pattern. Linen wrinkles very easily, and so some more formal linen garments require ironing often, in order to maintain perfect smoothness. Nevertheless, the tendency to wrinkle is often considered part of the fabric's particular "charm", and a lot of modern linen garments are designed to be air-dried on a good hanger and worn without the necessity of ironing.

A characteristic often associated with contemporary linen yarn is the presence of "slubs", or small knots which occur randomly along its length. However, these slubs are actually defects associated with low quality. The finest linen has very consistent diameter threads, with no slubs.

Measure[link]

The standard measure of bulk linen yarn is the lea, which is the number of yards in a pound of linen divided by 300. For example a yarn having a size of 1 lea will give 300 yards per pound. The fine yarns used in handkerchiefs, etc. might be 40 lea, and give 40x300 = 12,000 yards per pound. This is a specific length therefore an indirect measurement of the fineness of the linen, i.e. the number of length units per unit mass. The symbol is NeL. (3) The metric unit, Nm, is more commonly used in continental Europe. This is the number of 1,000 m lengths per kilogram. In China, the English Cotton system unit, NeC, is common. This is the number of 840 yard lengths in a pound.

Production method[link]

Details of the flax plant, from which linen fibers are derived

Mechanical harvesting of flax in Belgium. On the left side, flax is waiting to be harvested.

The quality of the finished linen product is often dependent upon growing conditions and harvesting techniques. To generate the longest possible fibers, flax is either hand-harvested by pulling up the entire plant or stalks are cut very close to the root. After harvesting, the seeds are removed through a mechanized process called “rippling” or by winnowing.

The fibers must then be loosened from the stalk. This is achieved through retting. This is a process which uses bacteria to decompose the pectin that binds the fibers together. Natural retting methods take place in tanks and pools, or directly in the fields. There are also chemical retting methods; these are faster, but are typically more harmful to the environment and to the fibers themselves.

After retting, the stalks are ready for scutching, which takes place between August and December. Scutching removes the woody portion of the stalks by crushing them between two metal rollers, so that the parts of the stalk can be separated. The fibers are removed and the other parts such as linseed, shive, and tow are set aside for other uses. Next the fibers are heckled: the short fibers are separated with heckling combs by 'combing' them away, to leave behind only the long, soft flax fibers.

After the fibers have been separated and processed, they are typically spun into yarns and woven or knit into linen textiles. These textiles can then be bleached, dyed, printed on, or finished with a number of treatments or coatings.^[5]

An alternate production method is known as “cottonizing” which is quicker and requires less equipment. The flax stalks are processed using traditional cotton machinery; however, the finished fibers often lose the characteristic linen look.

See also: hand processing flax

Producers[link]

Flax is grown in many parts of the world, but top quality flax is primarily grown in Western Europe. In very recent years bulk linen production has moved to Eastern Europe and China, but high quality fabrics are still confined to niche producers in Ireland, Italy and Belgium, and also in countries including Poland, Austria, France, Germany, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Britain and Kochi in India. High quality linen fabrics are now produced in the United States for the upholstery market.

Uses[link]

Over the past 30 years the end use for linen has changed dramatically. Approximately 70% of linen production in the 1990s was for apparel textiles whereas in the 1970s only about 5% was used for fashion fabrics.

Linen uses range from bed and bath fabrics (tablecloths, dish towels, bed sheets, etc.), home and commercial furnishing items (wallpaper/wall coverings, upholstery, window treatments, etc.), apparel items (suits, dresses, skirts, shirts, etc.), to industrial products (luggage, canvases, sewing thread, etc.).^[4] It was once the preferred yarn for handsewing the uppers of moccasin-style shoes (loafers), but its use has been replaced by synthetics.

A linen handkerchief, pressed and folded to display the corners, was a standard decoration of a well-dressed man's suit during most of the first part of the 20th century.

Currently researchers are working on a cotton/flax blend to create new yarns which will improve the feel of denim during hot and humid weather.^[6]

Linen fabric is one of the preferred traditional supports for oil painting. In the United States cotton is popularly used instead as linen is many times more expensive there, restricting its use to professional painters. In Europe however, linen is usually the only fabric support available in art shops. Linen is preferred to cotton for its strength, durability and archival integrity.

Linen is also used extensively by artisan bakers. Known as a couche, the flax cloth is used to hold the dough into shape while in the final rise, just before baking. The couche is heavily dusted with flour which is rubbed into the pores of the fabric. Then the shaped dough is placed on the couche. The floured couche makes a "non stick" surface to hold the dough. Then ridges are formed in the couche to keep the dough from spreading. It sort of looks like /\o/\o/\o/\o/\ where the "o" is the dough and the /\/\/\/\ is the folded couche.

In the past, linen was also used for books (the only surviving example of which is the Liber Linteus). Due to its strength, in the Middle Ages linen was used for shields and gambeson (among other roles such as use for a bowstring), much as in classical antiquity it was used to make a type of body armour, referred to as a linothorax. Also because of its strength when wet, Irish linen is a very popular wrap of pool/billiard cues, due to its absorption of sweat from hands. Paper made of linen can be very strong and crisp, which is why the United States and many other countries print their currency on paper that is made from 25% linen and 75% cotton.

History[link]

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Linen was used by Egyptians in ancient times for mummification. Egyptians used linen as burial shrouds. The ancient Egyptians wore linen on a daily basis. They wore only white because of the extreme heat. Linen fabric has been used for table coverings, bed coverings and clothing for centuries. The exclusiveness of linen comes from the difficulty of working with the thread making it time consuming to produce (flax in itself requires a great deal of attention to grow). Flax thread is not elastic so is difficult to weave without breaking threads. Thus it is more expensive to manufacture than cotton.

The Living Linen Project was set up in 1995 as an Oral Archive of the knowledge of the Irish linen industry which is still available within a nucleus of people who formerly worked in the industry in Ulster. There is a long history of linen in Ireland.

The discovery of dyed flax fibers in a cave in Georgia dated to 36,000 BP suggests people used wild flax fibers to create linen-like fabrics from an early date.^[1][2] The use of linen for priestly vestments was not confined to the Israelites. Plutarch wrote that the priests of Isis also wore linen because of its purity.

In December 2006 the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed 2009 to be the International Year of Natural Fibres to raise the profile of linen and other natural fibers.

Antiquity[link]

When the tomb of the Pharaoh Ramses II, who died 1213 BC, was discovered in 1881, the linen wrappings were in a state of perfect preservation - after more than 3000 years.

In the Belfast Library there is preserved the mummy of "Kaboolie,' the daughter of a priest of Ammon, who died 2,500 years ago. The linen on this mummy is in a like state of perfection. When the tomb of Tutankhamun was opened, the linen curtains were found intact.

Earliest linen industry[link]

Diocletian's 4th century maximum prices edict showing prices for 3 grades of linen across the Roman Empire

The earliest records of an established linen industry are 4,000 years old, from Egypt. The earliest written documentation of a linen industry comes from the Linear B tablets of Pylos, Greece, where linen is depicted as an ideogram and also written as "li-no" (Greek: λίνον, linon), and the female linen workers are cataloged as "li-ne-ya" (λίνεια, lineia).^[7][8]

The Phoenicians, who, with their merchant fleet, opened up new channels of commerce to the peoples of the Mediterranean, besides developing the tin mines of Cornwall, introduced flax growing and the making of linen into Ireland before the common era, but it is not until the twelfth century that we can find records of a definite attempt to systematize flax production.

When the Edict of Nantes was revoked, in 1685, many of the Huguenots who had to flee France settled in the British Isles, and amongst them was Louis Crommelin, who was born, and brought up as a weaver of fine linen, in the town of Cambrai. He fled to Ulster, and eventually settled down in the small town of Lisburn, about ten miles from Belfast. Belfast itself is perhaps the most famous linen producing center throughout history, during the Victorian era the majority of the world's linen was produced in the city which gained it the name Linenopolis.

During the late war Cambrai became well known as one of the centers of the most desperate fighting. The name "cambric" is derived from this town.

Although the linen industry was already established in Ulster, Louis Crommelin found scope for improvement in weaving, and his efforts were so successful that he was appointed by the Government to develop the industry over a much wider range.than the small confines of Lisburn and its surroundings. The direct result of his good work was the establishment, under statute, of the Board of Trustees of the Linen Manufacturers of Ireland in the year 1711.

Religion[link]

In the Jewish faith, the only law concerning which fabrics may be interwoven together in clothing is one which concerns the mixture of linen and wool. This mixture is called shaatnez and is clearly restricted in Deuteronomy 22:11 "Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together" and Leviticus 19:19, "'...neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together.'" There is no explanation for this in the Torah itself and is categorized as a type of law known as chukim, a statute beyond man's ability to comprehend.^[9] Josephus suggested that the reason for the prohibition was to keep the laity from wearing the official garb of the priests,^[10] while Maimonides thought that the reason was because heathen priests wore such mixed garments.^[11] Others explain that it is because God often forbids mixtures of disparate kinds, not designed by God to be compatible in a certain way, with mixing animal and vegetable fibers being similar to having two different types of plowing animals yoked together. And that such commands serve both a practical as well as allegorical purpose, perhaps here preventing a priestly garment that would cause discomfort (or excessive sweat) in a hot climate.^[12] Linen is also mentioned in the Bible in Proverbs 31, a passage describing a noble wife. Proverbs 31:22 says, "She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple."

Etymology[link]

The word linen is derived from the Latin for the flax plant, which is linum, and the earlier Greek linon. This word history has given rise to a number of other terms:

• Line, derived from the use of a linen thread to determine a straight line;
• Lining, because linen was often used to create a lining for wool and leather clothing
• Lingerie, via French, originally denotes underwear made of linen
• Linseed oil, an oil derived from flax seed
• Linoleum, a floor covering made from linseed oil and other materials

In addition, the term in English, flaxen-haired, denoting a very light, bright blonde, comes from a comparison to the color of raw flax fiber.

See also[link]

• Ramie, another type of bast fiber with similar properties

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikisource has the text of the 1921 Collier's Encyclopedia article Linen.

• History of Irish linen
• Irish Linen – The Fabric of Ireland
• Linen in India

v t e Fabric Woven Aertex Airdura Airguard Barathea Barkcloth Batiste Bedford cord Bengaline silk Beta cloth Bombazine Brilliantine Broadcloth Buckram Bunting Burlap C change Calico Cambric Canvas Chambray Capilene Cedar bark Char cloth Charmeuse Charvet Cheesecloth Chiffon Chino Chintz Cloqué Cloth of gold Cordura Duck Coutil Crape Cretonne Dazzle Denim Dimity Donegal tweed Dowlas Drill Drugget Foulard Flannel Gabardine Gauze Gazar Georgette Ghalamkar Gingham Grenadine Grenfell Cloth Grosgrain Habutai Haircloth Harris Tweed Herringbone Himroo Hodden Irish linen Jamdani Kerseymere Khādī Khaki Khaki drill Kente cloth Lamé Lawn Linsey-woolsey Loden Longcloth Lumalive Mackinaw Madapolam Madras Moleskin Muslin Nainsook Nankeen Ninon Oilskin Organdy Organza Osnaburg Ottoman Oxford Paduasoy Percale Pongee Poplin Rakematiz Rayadillo Rep Rinzu Ripstop Ripstop nylon Russell cord Saga Nishiki Samite Sateen Satin Saye Scarlet Seersucker Serge Scrim Shot silk Stuff Taffeta Tais Toile Tucuyo Tweed Twill Ultrasuede Ventile Vinyl coated polyester Viyella Voile Wadmal Wigan Whipcord Zephyr Zorbeez Figured woven Brocade Camlet Damask Lampas Songket Pile woven Baize Chenille Corduroy Crimplene Fustian Mockado Moquette Plush Polar fleece Terrycloth Velours du Kasaï Velvet Velveteen Zibeline Nonwoven Felt Cedar bark Knitted Boiled wool Coolmax Machine knitting Milliskin Jersey Velour Netted Bobbinet Carbon fiber Fishnet Lace Mesh Needlerun Net Ninon Tulle Technical Ballistic nylon Ban-Lon Conductive Darlexx E-textiles Gannex Gore-Tex Silnylon Spandex Stub-tex SympaTex Windstopper Patterns Argyle Bizarre silk Herringbone Houndstooth Paisley Pin stripes Tartan (Plaid) Tattersall Textile fibers Acrylic Alpaca Angora Cashmere Coir Cotton Hemp Jute Kevlar Linen Mohair Nylon Microfiber Olefin Pashmina Polyester Piña Ramie Rayon Sea silk Silk Sisal Spandex Spider silk Wool Finishing and printing Androsia Batik Beetling Bingata Bògòlanfini Calendering Decatising Finishing Fulling Heatsetting Mercerization Moire Nap Rogan printing Rōketsuzome Roller printing Sanforization Tenterhook Textile printing Waxed cotton Woodblock printing Indienne Related Dyeing Fiber History of textiles History of silk Knitting Pandy Shrinkage Synthetic fabric Terminology Manufacturing Preservation Weaving Yarn

Jah Cure, or Iyah Cure (born Siccature Alcock on 11 October 1978 in Hanover, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae musician, who was raised in Kingston. He was given the name Jah Cure by Capleton whom he met while growing up in Kingston.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

His first big break came in March 1997 when he released the single "King in this Jungle" which was a duet with Sizzla. The single was produced by Beres Hammond who went on to become his mentor. He then released a steady stream of singles that won him critical and popular acclaim.Beres Hammond eventually took Cure under his tutelage and began mentoring him and producing his music in the studio. In 1998, Cure performed on a European tour and visited several Caribbean Islands with Beres Hammond and the Harmony House Family.

In November 1998, while driving around Montego Bay, Cure was pulled over by the police and arrested on charges of gun possession, robbery and rape. He was prosecuted before the Gun Court^[1] in April 1999, found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Cure was transferred from the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre to the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, which had a digital recording studio the inmates could use. It was there that Cure released three albums and a number of singles, some of which have topped the Jamaican chart. His first album Free Jah's Cure The Album the Truth was released in 2000, it was followed by Ghetto Life in 2003 and Freedom Blues in 2005. More recently Cure has released the songs "Love Is", "Longing For" and "True Reflections", showing his unique voice and lyrical ability.

He was released from jail on parole on 28 July 2007, after serving 8 years of the sentence. Three days later, his fourth album, True Reflections...A New Beginning was released.

His first concert after he was released took place at the Reggae Sundance in August 2007. He was the last and headlining act.^[2]

He is now signed to SoBe Entertainment/Danger Zone Music Group.

In 2008, Jah Cure released "Hot Long Time" feat. Junior Reid. "Universal Cure", Jah Cure's new album, was to be released on November 25, 2008, but was postponed to a "mid 2009" release.

"The Universal Cure" was released in the US on April 14, 2009. The album features "Hot Long Time" (featuring Junior Reid, Flo Rida, and Mavado.), as well as "Mr. Jailer" and "Journey". The album is the first recorded album since his release from prison.

At the end of 2010, following the success of Jah Cure's single "Unconditional Love" featuring Phyllisia. SoBe Entertainment released the second single off Jah Cure's upcoming "World Cry" album, titled "Like I See It" featuring Rick Ross and Mavado.

Jah Cure married TV Host/Producer Kamila Mcdonald on August 7, 2011 in Sandy Bay Hanover, in a wedding only fit for a King and Queen. On February 20, 2012 the couple welcomed a baby girl named Kailani Belle, Their daughters name means "Beautiful Chief from the heavens".

Discography[link]

• Free Jah's Cure The Album the Truth (2000)
• Ghetto Life (2003)
• Freedom Blues (2005)
• True Reflections...A New Beginning (2007)
• The Universal Cure (2009)
• World Cry (2012)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jah Cure's Facebook page
• Jah Cure's MySpace page
• SoBe Entertainment
• Jah Cure Interview
• Website for the Free Jah Cure Campaign
• BBC 1Xtra Interview after Reggae Sundance in Holland
• Jah cure interview in French
• Jah Cure Brings "The Universal Cure" to the World

http://jamaica.zuri1.com/2012/03/new-baby-pictures-of-jah-cure-kamila-mcdonalds-baby-girl-kailani-belle/

I Wayne (born Cliffroy Taylor, August 1980, Portmore, Jamaica), is a roots reggae singer. He is known for his hit singles "Living In Love" and "Can't Satisfy Her" from his debut album, Lava Ground.

Biography[link]

I Wayne was raised by his aunt and her husband Ansell Collins, a renowned keyboard player.^[1] This young artist has been refining his craft since age seven. Coming from a musical family, I Wayne had first made his venture into performance as a student at Greater Portmore High School, joining a local group Vibes Machine.^[2] The group, consisting of singers and DJs, used to perform at afterwork parties at popular clubs such as Cactus and Asylum.^[2] One night, the artiste was forced to perform alone due to the fact that his bandmates were running late. The response was tremendous, and I Wayne was motivated to perfect his solo act.^[3]

In the summer of 2004, Wayne released Can't Satisfy Her, in the new wave of reggae. The track was reportedly the first roots reggae song to be added to the influential Hot 97 playlist.^[1]

In November 2004, I Wayne signed a recording contract with VP Records to release his debut album, Lava Ground.^[3] Lava Ground was praised for returning to reggae's "essential roots" in contrast to popular reggae artists who induce listeners to "dance and groove to their carefree music".^[4]

I Wayne’s first week sales from his second album Book of Life (6 November 2007) took him straight to the top of the Billboard chart at the #4 spot in the reggae category.^[5]

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• I Wayne Official Site at VP Records.
• I Wayne at Myspace.
• Billboard Discography

This article related to reggae music is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Fantan Mojah
Birth name	Owen Moncrieffe
Also known as	Fantan Mojah
Born	August 5, 1975 Saint Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica
Genres	Reggae
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Greensleeves Records Downsound Productions

Fantan Mojah (born Owen Moncrieffe August 5, 1975), is a Jamaican reggae singer.

Biography[link]

Owen Moncrieffe aka Fantan Mojah was born in St Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica. To gain experience, he took a job working with a traveling soundsystem, and performed songs during soundchecks. He adopted the name Mad Killer, in an homage to one of his favorite artists, Bounty Killer. After being exposed to the Rastafarian movement his music began to take on a more positive tone, and he was encouraged by Capleton to take the name Fantan Mojah.^[1]

Lyrical Themes[link]

Fantan Mojah is notable for being one of the new wave of contemporary reggae singers who prefer to include positive themes in their lyrics. Like some popular new reggae singers, he is a Bobo Ashanti. His faith is reflected in his lyrics, where some recurring themes are - praise for Jah and messages of Rastafari, positive portrayal of women, and condemnation of ill morals. This is a contrast to many popular dancehall artists, who encourage "slackness" in their lyrics, with boasts of sexual prowess and derogatory messages to women.

Hail the King and success[link]

After performing at many popular Jamaican festivals, Fantan Mojah recorded several songs on popular riddims, and was signed by Downsound Productions. He released his debut full length album Hail the King in 2005. It has become a hit in Jamaica, especially the track "Hail the King", which has an accompanying music video.^[2]

Discography[link]

• Hail the King - 2005
• Stronger - 2008

Notes[link]

Andre Johnson (born 1970), better known by his stage name Jah Mason, also known as Iron Mason and Fire Mason, is a reggae singer/deejay from Jamaica, active as a recording artist since 1991.

Biography[link]

Jah Mason was born in Jamaica's Manchester Parish, and grew up in a Christian family.^[1][2] During his childhood, he was nicknamed Perry Mason for his ability to resolve disputes, and it was under this name that his debut single "Selassie I Call We" was released in 1991 on Junior Reid's JR record label.^[1] In 1995 he joined the Bobo Ashanti order of the Rastafari movement, and began performing and recording as Jah Mason after linking up with the David House group.^[1][2] He had hits in Jamaica with "My Princess Gone" and "Lion Look", and also made guest appearances on singles by his friend Jah Cure.^[1] His first albums came in 2002 with Keep Your Joy and Working So Hard. Since then he has released albums at a rate of more than one a year, including Wheat and Tears and Princess Gone...The Saga Bed, both released in 2006 on Greensleeves Records and VP Records respectively, and the latter distributed by Warners.^[3] The Jamaica Gleaner, reviewing Wheat and Tears, commented on a lack of originality in Jah Mason's work but went on to say "clichés notwithstanding, the album is musical, and for hardcore reggae fans, the disc should provide enough of a vibe to chill with."^[4] David Jeffries of Allmusic described him as "an effortlessly agile artist able to communicate love, pathos, revolution, spirituality, and even sensuality on equal terms."^[3]

Discography[link]

• Keep Your Joy (2002), Ghetto Technology
• Working So Hard (2002), KJ
• Unlimited (2003), Reggae Vibes
• Never Give Up (2003), On The Corner
• Surprise Dem (2004), Vikingsd
• Most Royal (2004), Jah Warrior
• Rise (2005), On The Corner
• Princess Gone...The Saga Bed (2006), VP
• Wheat and Tears (2006), Greensleeves
• Life Is Just a Journey (2007), Maximum Sound/Corner Shop
• The Pow Pow Triology (2008), Pow Pow - with Anthony B and Turbulence
• No Matter The Time (2008), Vikings
• Ruff & Tuff Riddim (2008), Pow Pow
• Work Off Selection (2008), IrieVibrations
• Keep Ya Head Up (2010), Rastar

References[link]