Dancehall Originators
Dancehall Originators, a new compilation of original dancehall mixes featuring "Hot This Year", one of the riddims that started it all.
Dancehall Originators is the first album in the "Lets Go Back...Way Back" series which showcases the foundation artists and riddims that made dancehall reggae what it is today, and puts them in one fantastic collectors edition package. A must-have for old and new dancehall reggae fans alike.
Dancehall Originators voices Philip Smart's 1992 "HOT THIS YEAR" riddim, which provided the foundation for Frankie Paul's "DAY-O,"Shaggy's "MAMPIE," Red Foxx and Screechy Dan's "POSE OFF," and the hugely successful "HOT THIS YEAR" by the late DJ Dirtsman (PATRICK THOMPSON).
Track Listing
| 1. Hot This Year | Dirtsman |
| 2. Big, Bad & Bold | Chaka Demus |
| 3. Take It Easy | Peter Metro featuring Tanto Metro |
| 4. So Sweet | Pinchers |
| 5. Look Work | Josey Wales |
| 6. Rougher Than Dem | Charlie Chaplin |
| 7. King Fe Dancehall | Yellow Man |
| 8. Stop it | Coco Tea |
| 9. Dancehall Vibes | General Trees |
| 10. Mr. Bad Mind | Buju Banton |
| 11. The Originator | U-Roy & George Nooks |
| 12. Taking You Back Mega Mix | Mixed by DJ Roy of Road International |
Featured Video
Album Info
Multiple Grammy winning artist Ziggy Marley, and Tuff Gong Worldwide present "Dancehall Originators Vol 1," the first in a new series of dancehall reggae albums designed to pay homage to the groundbreaking original artists that paved the way for dancehall artists today. The album, features tracks by Chaka Demus, Yellow Man and Buju Banton, among others.
In 1992, producer/songwriter Phillip Smart, founder of Long Island's HC&F Studios, created the scorching "Hot This Year" riddim, whose bouncy keyboard riffs and resounding bass were considered groundbreaking at the time.
From its initial release, "Hot This Year" inspired numerous other artists, including Shaggy, Yellow Man, Buju Banton, and Chaka Demus, to use it as a basis for their own songs. It also inspired the durable and popular song "Hot This Year" by the late DJ Dirtsman, which crossed over into other radio formats.
"There weren't that many reggae records that crossed over to R&B radio at the time, and Dirtsman's song went from reggae radio shows to getting airplay in regular rotation on New York stations," recalls Phillip Smart. "So that put it in a different format and the song became a favorite in clubs that didn't play a lot of reggae."
Because it so deftly illustrates such an important era of dancehall reggae history, Dancehall Originators is a must-have for any knowledgeable dancehall devotee, as well as more recent reggae converts.