from the LP Wa-Do-Dem, Greensleeves Records, 1981It’s incredible to see how much the so-called ‘dancehall’ genre has changed over the years, this classic sounding far closer to regular roots reggae than the hip-hop influenced dancehall which reigns supreme these days; although I must confess, the new school vibes are fun to wild out to sometimes, particularly if the alcohol has been flowing, I definitely prefer this style of vintage sounds from the late ‘70s & early ‘80s. The idea for it grew out of the Jamaican tradition of soundsystems (basically block parties), at which MCs would “toast” over top of the instrumental versions or dubsides the DJ was spinning; to be honest, this practice predates hip-hop by almost a decade, and if you listen to some of the older stuff it becomes clear just how influential it must have been in rap’s evolution. Ripton ‘Eek-A-Mouse’ Hylton is one of the most veteran MCs still doing his thing, deftly navigating through all the varying trends inside dancehall and remaining one of the most popular acts around, always turning in a standout set at annuals like Reggae Sunsplash or Reggae on the Rocks; his stage name actually comes from a horse he used to bet on at the tracks all the time. This song has some obvious appeal, in sound & name, and with the Roots Radics at his back and Prince Jammy on the controls, this LP was bound for glory, “biddy, bong bong, biddy eh-ehh…”
