Staff writer - Kerran Monroe
In recent years I have identified some dancehall songs that I call instant classics. Now as we know classic songs are those which remain popular for years.
They almost never die. Songs become classics in my mind for varying reasons. They may be classics due to the controversy they caused, the relevance they maintain from generation to generation, among other reasons. Here are my picks for recent instant dancehall classics and the reason they are classics in my mind.
COME INTO MY ROOM – MAVADO FT STACIOUS: This song was released a few years ago but every time I hear this song, it’s like it was just released. From the production of this song, to the lyrics, to the vocal qualities of both artists, this song is just lovely. They say perfection does not exist, but this song comes very close to perfection. The sex appeal of this song is inescapable and you can tell that the female vocalist, Stacious was just really inside of character. You would almost believe that they were making love in the studio when this song was being voiced. The work put into the making of this track is obvious in the end result. Check it out here
WIFEY WALK OUT – LIQUID: ZJ Liquid, a disc jock who recently added artist to his resume blew up the charts and the parties with this one. This song is and will always be relevant as long as men continue to cheat or keep a woman on the side (matey). Therefore this song will always be relevant and will always be playing at parties. Recently I was at a party and this song was played and got crazy forwards from the females (wives and mates alike). Check it out here
TEK – VYBZ KARTEL: This song was released in 2003 and at that time I was in first form in high school and trust me it was a mammoth hit. The adults, the school authorities and heads of media were not too fond of this one but the youth were all over it. This was being played on every bus, in every dance/party, it just didn’t make it into mainstream media due to its lewd content but that did not stop it from gaining in popularity. Check it out here
RAMPING SHOP – VYBZ KAREL AND SPICE: No surprise here, this song was banned by media entities and later it was banned by the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica, therefore no disc jock was allowed to play this song on radio or television in Jamaica. However, this ban only came after the song was number one on the various charts and was hugely popular. It also sparked many debates about the content coming out of the music. Our overseas friends also loved this one, as it made its way onto the billboard charts. Also this one is still highly respected. Check it out here
GOOG GOOD – PAMPUTTAE: This song is celebrating the female anatomy, telling the world how good it is, as the name suggests. As long as there are females around who love to boast the goodness of that part of their body this song will always be playing at parties and dances. Check it out here
DUTTY WINE – This song was made by another DJ/Selector turned DJ, Tony
Dangerous Dutty Wine
Matterhorn to promote the dance, bearing the same name. This dance stirred up many controversies, with claims of it resulting in the death of a young lady, who died subsequently to her competing in a Dutty Wine dance competition. There were calls for the dance to be banned but this did not deter females and even some males from doing the Dutty Wine. The dance and song went international with supermodel Tyra Banks doing the Dutty Wine on her daytime show, Tyra. This single also made its way onto to the billboard charts. Check it out here
