Tony Curtis – Mr. Law

Tony Curtis returns in familiar form on “Mr. Law, ” a dancehall-nu-roots cut built on the Duke Street rhythm and issued through Pull Up My Selecta with Maximum Sound in the background. The song plays like a sly, rebuking message tune, with Curtis riding the groove in a measured, melodic style that keeps the edge sharp without losing the easy warmth that has long defined his voice.

Curtis is one of Jamaica’s dependable lovers rock and dancehall singers, first coming through in the 1990s and later extending his reach through L. U. S. T. , the harmony group he shares with Lukie D, Thriller U, and Singing Melody. That history matters here, because “Mr. Law” uses the same polished phrasing and clean tone that made his softer records land so well, only this time the mood is a little more streetwise and squared off. The track sits neatly in a lineage of classic vocal reworks, and it draws extra weight from the old-school feel of the Duke Street reflip, which gives it a retro backbone without sounding dusty.

Released in 2008, “Mr. Law” caught listeners who appreciate rootsy dancehall with a melodic hook and a veteran singer who knows exactly how to work a rhythm. It is the kind of single that reminds you how much mileage Curtis can get from one voice, one tune, and a well-chosen riddim.