#easystar

No.1 on Billboard's reggae chart? Oh alright then. :) Music by Spragga, production by the Buttercuts gang and art by me. #spraggabenz #chiliagon #buttercuts #easystar #billboard #albumcover #musicart #graphicdesign https://www.instagram.com/p/B3aX83aj4Kw/?igshid=18j6ww0262psw

Gregory Isaacs Night Nurse: this dancehall classic was a strong part of my teen years, Gregory was the cook ruler for a hit minute. This song and the album which included Stranger In Your Town as well was a constant on my turntable in HS. At his height he came to play in NYC and did a 15 minute set almost causing a riot at the Ritz in I wanna say 83. He had a gang of great chunes including Nimber 1, Mind You This and the wonderful Beres Hammond duet One Good Turn. Unfortunately Gregory battled serious cocaine addiction for many years damaging his voice and stopping his ascent. For a brief moment though in the early 80s he was indeed the Kool Ruler and this song is a classic. Takes me back to Brooklyn seen! #SaluteTheKoolRuler #SaluteGregroyIsaacs #Roots #SuperDiscoBreakin’ #EasyStar # (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqxvbhdBTb0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=15djugq4znkm6

Toots and The Maytals Monkey Man: This 1969 proto ska classic was a top 40 hit in the UK and later covered by The Specials who are my all time favorite second wave Ska band and actually how I came to know this song originally. Amy Winehouse also has a great cover of his chune. Toots and The Maytals were ska and rocsteady pioneers and he first to use the term Reggae in a song with 1968 Do The Regay.Toots Hibert was and is a great singer, His raspy Otis Redding like voice was one of the things that turned me on the Jamaican music as a youth. Pressure Drop which I discovered from the magnificent Harder They Come soundtrack as a kid was and remains one of my all time favorite songs and was a gateway drug for Punk Rock after hearing the Clash cover I was sold. The connection between Jamaican music and english punk was a huge influence on a 14 year old me. Back to Toots: he and the Maytals had a gang if classics including 54-46 Thats my Number, the cover of Louie Louie, Reggae Got Soul, Funky KingstonJohnny Cool Man and he original Bam Bam which was recreated by Sister Nancy and is one of the all time greatest JA riddims. His later Toots in Memphis is a masterpiece with Toots covering soul records and was produced by Steve Cropper the man behind alot of he Stax classics on the record. Live hes still out there touring I must have seenhim 10 plus times. In his 70s he still got it in droves. Besides Bob Marley he is the most important roots Reggae artist and was a huge influence on Nesta. He is the OG vocalist of all things Yard musically and a national treasure and this re-issue makes me happy! #SaluteTootsHibert #JaLove #KnowYourRoots #SuperYardmanBreakin’ #EasyStar (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpFhFXcB1Vt/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1dgxf6eyi38sz

Make It Easy by johnbrownsbody From the album Pressure Points released by Easy Star Records (2005). Buy the album! iTunes: bit.ly/1ba1DEm Amazon: amzn.to/1iD6k8z Google Play: bit.ly/1eakGsj John Brown's Body: http://bit.ly/2lsG7V1 Easy Star Records: www.easystar.com

"Make It Easy" by johnbrownsbody