I-Roy - Gussie Presenting I-Roy (1973)

In reality, by the time Gussie Presenting I-Roy arrived, the DJ needed no introduction -- he was already one of the hottest toasters on the scene. This, his debut album, was virtually a hits collection, and any tracks that weren't hits would be soon enough. Initially seen as little more than copying his bigger brethren, I-Roy had swiftly developed into a mature and distinctive talent. His conversational style was far removed from his contemporaries, as his powerful toast on "Black Man's Time" perfectly illustrated. That song is the album's centerpiece, and was produced by Gussie Clarke. Built around the "Slaving" rhythm, it opened with a long spoken intro, unique at the time. "Red, Gold and Green" was equally cultural in nature, with "Peace" an exuberant demand for unity, while "Screw Face" takes a thoughtful look at solutions for Jamaica's endemic violence. However, I-Roy was just as effective chatting about less weighty matters, as on "Tripe Girl," while "Melinda" is just as charming, both excellently employing classic rocksteady rhythms, as does the wonderfully moody "Coxsonne Affair." On "Tourism Is My Business," meanwhile, the DJ exalts his island home, surely with tongue firmly in cheek. There are a dozen seminal cuts in all, and what better way to meet one of Jamaica's greatest DJs.

Tracklist:
1.01 - I-Roy - Red Gold and Green (3:07)
1.02 - I-Roy - Pusher Man (2:51)
1.03 - I-Roy - Blackman Time (3:41)
1.04 - I-Roy - Smile Like an Angel (3:38)
1.05 - I-Roy - Peace (3:26)
1.06 - I-Roy - Coxsone Affairs (3:32)
1.07 - I-Roy - Screw Face (2:47)
1.08 - I-Roy - The First Cut Is the Deepest (3:25)
1.09 - I-Roy - Melinda (3:50)
1.10 - I-Roy - Tourism Is My Business (2:51)
1.11 - I-Roy - Tripe Girl (3:29)
1.12 - I-Roy - Cow Town Skank (3:19)
1.13 - I-Roy - Sudden Flight (2:36)
1.14 - I-Roy - Presenting I-Roy (2:34)
1.15 - I-Roy - Rival Warfare (3:04)
1.16 - I-Roy - Education for Free (3:26)
1.17 - I-Roy - Leggo Beast (3:07)
1.18 - I-Roy - Magnificent Seven (3:58)
1.19 - I-Roy - High Jacking (3:26)
1.20 - I-Roy - Burning Passion (3:47)
1.21 - I-Roy - King and the Pauper (3:48)
1.22 - I-Roy - Clappers Tail (2:42)
1.23 - I-Roy - Live and Learn (2:37)
2.01 - Ken Boothe - Black, Gold and Green (3:08)
2.03 - Lloyd Parks - Slaving (Version) (3:01)
2.04 - Glen Brown - South East Rock (3:18)
2.05 - Glen Brown - No More Slavery (3:22)
2.06 - Dennis Brown - In Their Own Way (3:19)
2.07 - Dennis Brown - In Their Own Way (Version) (3:16)
2.08 - Alton Ellis - Breaking Up (2:53)
2.09 - Alton Ellis - Dub Wise to Break Your Heart (2:17)
2.10 - Gregory Isaacs - Late At Night (AKA Satisfaction) (2:39)
2.11 - The Heptones - Tripe Girl (2:43)
2.12 - Augustus Pablo - Fiat 125 (Cow Town Rock Version) (2:51)
2.13 - The Simplicity People - Anywhere But Nowhere (3:09)
2.14 - Roman Stewart - Try Me (3:08)
2.15 - Augustus Pablo, Simplicity People - Stardum (3:11)
2.16 - The Simplicity People - No No No (Version) (3:24)
2.17 - The Simplicity People - KG's (Cross Roads) (3:21)
2.18 - Augustus Pablo, Simplicity People - KG's (Cross Roads) (3:22)
2.19 - The Simplicity People - The Murderer (AKA High Jacking Version) (3:13)
2.20 - Gregory Isaacs - I'm Alright (AKA Loving Pauper) (3:43)
2.21 - Old Boys Inc. - I'm Alright (Version) (3:39)