A towering figure on the Jamaican music scene, the always-dapper I-Roy revolutionized the art of toasting — chanting largely improvised verses over reggae instrumentals — with his easy charisma, unique vocabulary, and unparalleled storytelling abilities. Draped in a three-piece suit and a two-toned porkpie, I-Roy began his career in the late ‘60s, rocking Kingston’s most popular dancehalls with his own Soul Bunny sound system. Over the earth-shaking rumble of early studio one rhythms I-Roy would regale the crowd with impromptu movie reviews, bawdy come ons, and tales of ghetto violence all chanted in his inimitable, frog throated growl. Within half a decade he was one of Jamaica’s most popular, and most widely imitated DJs. Blood and Fire’s superb Don’t Check Me With No Lightweight Stuff, collects some of I-Roy’s most essential early work, and more than lives up to the exultant boast of its title. Standouts include the lighthearted tribute to Black Westerns, “Buck and The Preacher,” the thunderous, Keith Hudson produced “Hot Stuff” and the streetwise “Sidewalk Killer”. I-Roy’s influence on generations of Jamaican artist cannot be overstated, and Don’t Check Me With No Lightweight Stuff is easily the finest introduction to this great artist’s legacy.