Yellowman - Two Giants Clash (1984)

During the late '70s and early '80s, the DJ rose to prominence in Jamaica's musical hotbed and helped usher in the dancehall era after several years of roots reggae dominance. Some of the earliest and most talented of these toasters included Charlie Chaplin, Ranking Toyan, General Echo, Jah Thomas, and the young Josey Wales. This musical outlaw first came up with U-Roy's Stur-Gav Hi-Fi before riding hits produced by Henry "Junjo" Lawes, Bunny Roots, and George Phang -- he even manned the boards himself on his sophomore release, No Way Better Than Yard. By the time of this 1984 meeting with the biggest dancehall star of the early dancehall period, Yellowman, Wales had honed his hoarse-toned and rangy delivery to perfection. The resulting album, which avoids the sad fate of many a marquee date, is one of the highlights of the period. Besides some top toasting, the album also features superb backdrops from Lawes and the Roots Radics.~Review by Stephen Cook