CHUNE

Riddim: Real Rock

Producer: King Jammy

If you hadn’t noticed by now, it’s been Informer Week around here. No real reason other than I’d wanted to do “Tenement Yard” for a while now, and the theme just jumped out. To wind things down, I’m going for a lesser-known artist on one of reggae’s biggest riddims. The late Gregory Peck (stage name) had a handful of low-key hits in the ’80s and ’90s, but this dancehall remake of “Tenement Yard” is a standout, even in addition to its thematic resonance. You’ll recognize the chorus, though this time around the lyrics are about rudeboys’ tribulations rather than Rastas’:

Informer, rudeboy rise yuh gun when you see dem
Informer, dem wi put yuh inna problem
Cause if it’s nice to have yuh gun unu mek nuh informer see it
A playin a fool or mongrel pon street
Whole heap a DJ tell man whoa fi hol’ up di gun mek dem see it
Dem mussi waan see it fi tell di police…

As for Real Rock, Coxsone Dodd himself has called it the biggest riddim to ever come out of Studio One. One of the great joys of iconic riddims like this is that there’s always a tune you haven’t heard.

Additional Listening:

• Sound Dimension, “Real Rock” (1968): Two and a half minutes of rocksteady perfection.

• Born Jamericans, “Boom Shak-a-Tack” (1993): The fusion of hip-hop and dancehall enjoyed a few great years during rap’s golden age, and the D.C. duo known as Born Jamericans are lodged squarely in that bit of history. Employing the classic singer/DJ binary that spawned many a party jam (see: Chaka Demus & Pliers, Tanto Metro & Devonte), the kids from foreign paid homage to the greats—yes, including a track on Real Rock.

• Koffee, “Raggamuffin” (2018): What, you think one of today’s best vocalists hasn’t voiced Real Rock? Of course she has!