US artiste, Madlib, debuted at # 2 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart with his homage to ganja. Light, by Jewish deejay, Matisyahu, was the # 1 charting album last week.

The album, entitled Madlib Medicine Show Number 4: 420 Chalice All-Stars features remixed reggae hits and includes a 12-page booklet of the medicinal uses of ganja, a substance that his home state of California will vote to legalise in November, having already decriminalised it. Supporters received more than the 433,971 signatures needed for a ballot vote.

This is the fourth of Madlib’s one-a-month, twelve CD series released via his own Madlib Invazion label. Previous releases in the series included remixed songs from Brazil and Africa. Madlib, who produced artistes including Erykah Badu, made a name for himself as a rapper, producer and deejay.

It’s not his first reggae CD, as in 2002 he released Blunted in the Bomb Shelter Mix, on dub/reggae label Trojan.

His highest previous charting on Billboards was # 13 on the Billboard Jazz charts with his 2003 release Shades of Blue.

Billboard, considered to be the US music bible compiles its charts from sales data from private company Nielson Soundscan. Light by Matisyahu has been charting for 35 weeks on Billboard and is one of five albums in the top 10 older than seven months. Music stakeholders have criticised the chart as not adequately reflecting the Jamaican market which focusses on singles rather than albums.

The Billboard Reggae Albums chart for the week ending May 8, 2010 includes:

* Light by Matisyahu;

*Medicine Show by Madlib;

*B Is For Bob by Bob Marley and the Wailers;

*Imperial Blaze by Sean Paul;

*Talk About by Mishka;

*Brighter Side of Life by Rebelution;

*The Green by The Green Band;

*Time Bomb by Iration;

*Ragga Ragga Ragga! 2010 by Various Artistes; and

*Family Time by Ziggy Marley.