Linton Kwesi Johnson's 1978 debut sparked a reggae revolution. It established him the first dub poet by combining his socially conscious poems with reverb-drenched tracks overseen by producer Dennis Bovell. In a deadpan tone that perfectly underlines the gravity of the situations he depicts, Johnson speaks of senseless violence ("Five Nights of Bleeding") and oppression-driven riots ("All Wi Doin Is Defendin"). Meanwhile, Bovell's equally hard-hitting tracks pulse powerfully behind him, lending his understated outrage additional weight.