The Biggest Dancehall Anthems 1979-82: The Birth of Dancehall

The stalling of roots reggae in late-’70s Jamaica paved the way for a raft of post-Marley stars — Barrington Levy, Eek-A-Mouse, Yellowman — and a lyrical shift toward more diverse, and risque, subject matter. These uniformly excellent songs, produced mostly by Kingston studio icon Henry ”Junjo” Lawes, lope along with heavy reverb and crisp drum patterns while a new generation — sexual, political, vital — makes itself heard.