Dance Hall Showcase, Vol. 2

iTunes Review

Sugar Minott is one of the most important figures in Reggae’s history. An effortlessly accomplished singer and performer, his discography is one of the richest in Reggae. Yet despite his great popularity at home and abroad, Minott was reluctant to sign to a major label and instead spent his most productive years seeking out similarly minded independent producers. 1983’s Dancehall Showcase II is the fruit of one of these collaborations, and sees Minott teaming up with the legendary Bronx-based producer Llloyd “Bullwackie” Barnes to create a set of spare yet forceful rhythms ideally suited to Minott’s unfettered vocalizations. Four booming tunes, “Informer,” “Genuine Lover,” “So We Love It,” and “Dread a Mi Dren” form the basis of this set. Each is accompanied by one of Barnes’ trademark dub productions, and each found an immediate audience in the impromptu dancehall venues that dotted the Bronx and Brooklyn in the early eighties. These minimal and unrelenting rhythms set countless feet moving upon their release, and are graced by simple, uncluttered performances by Sugar Minott, one of Reggae’s most distinctive voices.