Check It Deeply: When Jamaican Reggae Met Miami Bass

October 10, 2014


FURTHER LISTENING
Miami-Boyz-Outlawed-Bass

Miami BoyzOutlawed Bass (1992)

Besides for the aforementioned “Gangsta Bass,” this 1992 album from long-running Bass crew featured dancehall vibes on two more tracks, “Ghetto Swing”  and “A Hard Blow From The Bottom,” a track with tough lyrics and an even tougher bass drop:

Jamaican Quad SquadRasta Bass (1994) [Con Artist Recordings]

The album featured heavy one-drop/reggae sampling and themes with digital percussion and Miami Bass drums, on tracks like “Bass Off!,” and dancehall riddims on “Bass Riddims.” Con Artist Recordings produced several other minor Miami Bass releases, some with reggae influences like Bomb Threat’s 1995 Bass-N-Tha-Jungle which featured patois-slinging rapper Scrappy on “Bomb Threat Stylee.”

daddy-rusty-ragabass

Daddy RustyRagabass (1995) [Metropolitan Records]

Billed as “The Ultimate Reggae Bass,” this album features dancehall deejaying over Miami Bass beats on tracks like “Stab The Punani,” with a few pop/dance beats. Listen to it here.

madd-blunted-rasta-remix

Madd BluntedA Day In The Life of Madd Blunted (1995) [Vision Records]

Louis Howard aka Don Ugly co co-produced Luke’s 1997 album Changin’ the Game. Prior to that he recorded the dancehall track “Boo-Ya-Ka” on the Bogle Riddim, and the smoother but still patois filled “Wicked Thing” for Vision Records. He was featured on several songs from Miami-based Madd Blunted, including “Can I Smoke,” a NY-type track but still bass-heavy and with some touches of Yellowman.