Yellowman is one of my favourite dancehall deejays. He has one of the smoothest, most natural flows and a calm, deep voice.
He was one of the first toasters in Jamaica to champion the new “slack” style. You can read “slackness” as essentially rudeness. Some dancehall today is so painfully explicit, but back then it was more about innuendos.
Produced by Henry “Junjo” Lawes and backed by the Roots Radics band, Mister Yellowman is crammed full of classic tunes. Although the album was released in 1982, it’s only aged like fine wine…
“Morning Ride” is from that album, and Yellowman is on such fantastic form, singing with such a chilled flow that at times it’s like he is just another instrument. He’s good!
The instrumental is built around a thick bassline, as well as some dubbed out drums and a skank. It’s not quite dancehall yet, but definitely harder than roots.