CHUNE

Riddim: Answer

Producer: Philip “Fatis” Burrell

Even allowing that this era of dancehall was straight up lousy with sweet-voiced tenors, there’s no beating Pinchers. Not only did he excel at both lovers’ tunes and clash tunes, but he came in the game rocking a side part like he was in an R&B boy group. “Bandolero” is in my all-time top 5, and as far as I’m concerned he’ll always be criminally underrated. Had to draw this early tune, though, because Answer is in my all-time top 5 riddims (that bassline!), and the marriage of the two is undeniable. He hasn’t quite perfected that multi-tone run that became such a part of his repertoire, but his voice is more than enough to forgive him.

Additional Listening:

• Pinchers, “Bandolero” (1991): A tale of wreaking havoc in the Wild West. I mean. Come on. When wi pass through—a danger business!

• Pinchers and Bounty Killer, “Twenty One” (aka “Benti Uno” aka “Riding West”) (2006): Updating “Bandolero”‘s Spaghetti Western sensibility for the new millennium, with an assist from the era’s pre-eminent firearm enthusiast. Mi shoot through neegle, kill hawk an eagle, murder a boy, mek him know seh mi evil…

• Pinchers, “Sit Down Pon It” (1988): Lest you think he never had time for the finer things.

• Voicing an “Agony” dubplate last year: Dem want a cemet’ry, cemet’ry, cemet’ry…