Lady Saw - Passion (1997)

Jamaican dancehall sensation Lady Saw achieved her breakthrough with 1997’s PASSION, a mix of hip-hop, contemporary American R&B, and classic dancehall rhythms. But the stylistic mix doesn’t end there. Lady Saw’s vocal stylings fold in opera, down-home blues, country & western, and Dean Martin-style lounge, among other tricks. On top of the disc’s crisp, danceable beats (most of PASSION was produced by the artist), Saw’s authoritative flow and sassy, saucy attitude pack a serious wallop. This is especially evident on her duets with Shaggy (“Love Is Strange”) and Beenie Man (“Healing”). A minor modern dancehall classic, PASSION is one of Lady Saw’s most successful efforts.© TiVo