CHUNE

Riddim: Stalag

Producer: King Jammy

A classic from one of early dancehall’s greats. Nitty Gritty fired off a string of hits through the mid-’80s, just as digital riddims were taking over, with “Hog Inna Minty” probably his best known. For me, though, it doesn’t get better than this tune, over King Jammy’s version of the eternal Stalag riddim. Tragically, Nitty Gritty died in 1991, shot outside a record store in Brooklyn; Eddie Houghton’s phenomenal Wax Poetics profile of Super Cat gives more context on that day than I’ve seen elsewhere.

Additional Listening:

• Sound system Stone Love’s “Good Morning Soundboy” dubplate

• Ansel Collins, “Stalag 17” (1974)