Riddim: Kette Drum
Producer: Bobby Digital
When a young Determine teamed up with Beenie Man for this song over traditional nyabinghi drums, it felt like a harbinger of things to come—and it was. The man born Rohan Bennett would go on to become an international star and a beloved voice in conscious reggae, though he also rode hardcore dancehall riddims with aplomb. This was an enduring hit for the two artists, celebrating music’s power to topple Babylon and its most prominent avatars1.
Kette drum, kette drum, mek mi hear wi sound
Bwoy beat kette drum an mek wi bun dung Rome
Kette drum, kette drum, mek mi hear wi sound
Shake di tambourine an mek di pope Paul drown…
Determine lost his battle with cancer on Thursday; prayers up to his widow and family.
Additional Listening:
• Buju Banton, “’Til I’m Laid to Rest,” a massive hit from Gargamel’s masterpiece album ’Til Shiloh over the Kette Drum riddim
• Footage of Determine and rockstone-voiced Danny English—who also passed recently—having a blast performing at a local weekly party in JA. A good reminder that we all contain multitudes.
- Even people unfamiliar with reggae are familiar with Babylon—but Rome, Vatican, Buckingham Palace, and the Pope also rest in the upper reaches of Rastafarian artists’ Top Ten Symbols of Oppression. ↩︎
CHUNE 
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