You Rate It: Alley Cat’s “Idling” Video

Words by Jesse Serwer, Photo by Tono—

If you followed dancehall in the mid and late ’90s, you should remember Alley Cat (a/k/a Imperial) as part of the Shocking Vibes camp. The prolific deejay also worked with Dave Kelly at Madhouse Records and recorded for Penthouse and Techniques, among other labels.

Now based in South Florida, Alley is still at it. His latest tune “Idling” speaks to the lack of job opportunities for young people in Jamaica and elsewhere, and the impact that has on crime and other aspects of society.

Alley recently shot some visuals to go along with the tune—no big-budget thing, just some images to complement the track’s powerful message. Watch the video and tell us what you think in the comments, and take a listen to some throwback tunes from Alley Cat below.