CHUNE

Riddim: Answer

Producer: Winston Riley

I don’t think I’ve ever bought a Record Store Day release on Record Store Day, but on Saturday VPAL is releasing a RSD version of Sister Nancy’s groundbreaking 1982 debut, One Two. “Bam Bam” is obviously one of dancehall’s biggest tunes ever, but you also can’t overstate the impact of Nancy’s entire pioneering career. DJing from adolescence—her older brother was Brigadier Jerry, and she cut her teeth alongside slackness king General Echo on the sound Stereophonic—she trod inna dance with authority. Voiced all the biggest riddims of the era, reminded you at every turn that she was the people’s champ.

This tune rode Answer’s unmistakeable bassline into the spate of “Connection” tunes that rushed the market after Nicodemus dropped “Boneman Connection.” Chatting about donkey carts and trains may sound overly practical, but as she points out:

Whether you a driver or a walk-foot man
Di whole a wi live inna disya island

We all gotta get around, right? I also love how her usually demure demeanor cracks a little bit to make room for a couple of uncharacteristically enthusiastic adlibs (1:47 and 2.34 on the above clip). Steady!

Additional Listening:

• Sister Nancy, “No Any Man Can Test” (1983): The combination album The Yellow, The Purple & The Nancy (with Yellowman and Purpleman, obv) came out only a year after One Two, but with a deeper voice—and lyrics like no bun bush herb, a but mi bun sensi—Sister Nancy sounds like a grown-ass woman.

• Performing “Bam Bam” at Sting 1990: Cigarette in one hand and a Red Stripe in the other, she looks as though she might be on autopilot—until she absolutely MASH UP THE PLACE. Get two minutes in and watch Muma Nancy go to work.