Uptown Ranking - Athena and Donna This song by a pair of female vocalists blew my mind when I first heard it in 1978. The Joe Gibbs production on the single bubbles along while Athena and Donna throw down their seriously dread lyrics. It's an amazing cut. I love the lyrics which I posted below the video.
Lyrics to Uptown Ranking
Quote:
See me in me heels and ting
Dem check sey we hip and ting
True them no know and ting
We have them going and ting
Nah pop no style, a strictly roots
Nah pop no style, a strictly roots
See me pon the road I hear you call out to me
True you see mi inna pants and ting
See mi in a 'alter back
Sey mi gi' you heart attack
Gimme likkle bass, make me wine up me waist
Uptown Top Ranking
See mi in mi Benz and ting
Drivin' through Constant Spring
Them check sey me come from cosmo spring
But a true dem no know and ting
Dem no know sey we top ranking
Uptown Top Ranking
Shoulda see me and the ranking dread
Check how we jamming and ting
Love is all I bring inna me khaki suit and ting
Nah pop no style, a strictly roots
Nah pop no style, a strictly roots
Watch how we chuck it and ting
Inna we khaki suit and ting
Love is all I bring inna me khaki suit and ting
Nah pop no style, a strictly roots
Nah pop no style, a strictly roots
Love inna you heart dis a bawl out fe me
When you see me inna pants and ting
See me inna 'alter back
Sey me gi' you heart attack
Gimme likkle bass, make me wine up me waist
Uptown Top Ranking
See mi pon the road and hear you call out to me
True you see me in me pants and ting
See me inna 'alter back
Sey me gi' you heart attack
Gimme likkle bass, make me wine up me waist
Gimme likkle bass, make me wine up me waist
Love is all I bring inna me khaki suit and ting
Nah pop no style, a strictly roots
Nah pop no style, a strictly roots
You shoulda see me and the ranking dread,
Check how we jamming and ting
Love is all I bring inna me khaki suit and ting
Nah pop no style, a strictly roots
Nah pop no style, a strictly roots
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Make It Up - Junie Lodge Junie Lodge has been called the Diana Ross of Jamaica, but take my word for it, Junie is a whole lot better than Diana the diva. This song got a ton of dancehall play in 1980. Her winsome and elegant vocal on
Make It Up established her as a major star in Jamaica in the Eighties.
Mi God Mi King - Papa Levi This is one of the fastest reggae toasts ever recorded. Shortly into the song Papa Levi starts rapping in double time and his blazing speed outclocks any rapper or toaster I've ever heard. It was recorded at Taxi Studios with Sly and Robbie in 1984. One day when I had nothing better to do I translated and wrote down the amazing lyrics to Mi God Mi King and they're provided below the embedded You Tube video below.
Lyrics to Mi God Mi King
Quote:
intro:
yeah in smoking sensimelia,yuh gotta give thanks an praise unto di almighty LORD GOD JAHOVIA. do it JAH. murda.
chorus1x:
mi GOD mi king him name JAHOVIA
JAH MAN mi GOD mi king him name JAHOVIA
verse1:
HIM inspire mi to be a mic chantah
mi mass wid di mic rrroun di amplifiah
mi fling way di slackness cau now a culchah
di conscious lyrics yuh a go hear mi uttah
so if you are a adult or a teenagah
say everyday yuh wake yuh fi read a chaptah
beginning of wisdom is di fear of JAH
di bottomless pit mek wi trow lucifah
dem tek way wi gold JAH MAN dem tek wi silvah
dem heng mi puhpa an rrrape mi maddah
dem trick wi from di wondaful land a AFRICA
fi slave fi di plantation ownah
dem tek way wi name JAH MAN dem call wi niggah
di only word wi know "i is a coming mastah"
dem tell wi say wi ignorant an inferiah
an how dem intelligent an superiah
true di complexion of dem skin colah
but i as a yute bawn as a supah
mi badda dan di bite from a tarantulah
yuh hear fi mi voice a come tru di speakah
but it soun sweetah wid di echo chambah
say R fi di roots C fi di culchah
say S fi SELASSIE earth rightful rulah
say once as a lamb going to di slawtah
now di conquering lion a di tribe a JUDAH
yuh cann enta ZION wit a bushmastah
a m16 or a rrrevolvah
say tana babylon wid yuh ammunition
cau deh so a di ultamate destruction
bridge:
puhpa levi pon di version
hail JAH MAN a levi pon di version
how mi stay
verse2: (speed rap this verse)
JAH MAN mi cool nuh stubbon like mule
mi walk pon di street nuh gwaan foo fool
arrive a di dance di mic a mi tool
eat off a table sit on a stool
nuh black mi brown,mi brown nuh black
mi ribs deh a mi chest,mi spine in mi back
trousiz have pocket an pocket have flap
well soul a rock but REGGAE mi chat
cap a nuh buck an di buck a nuh cap
an di bottom a bass an treble a top
wheh hot nuh cold,di cold nuh hot
electricity can gi yuh a shock
nuh fraid fi nuh mouse nuh fraid fi nuh rat
stawt from di bottom mi reach to di top
eat up di snack di crackle di pop
mi run in di toilet fi cut di crap
mi hungry again mi nuh eat a snack
an from mi a yute mi nuh scowa nuh pot
fi mi head dread mi head it nuh platt
nuh live inna house mi live inna flat
lawd if yuh hear wen dis ridim drop
yuh head yuh toe yuh body a rock
from mi pon di mic it's a lyric attack
put slackness a bottom an culchah pon top
AFRICAN land affi i an i spot
in time ah trouble JAH naw tunn him back
mi pray to JAH mi neva will stop
who worship satan a foolish idiot
JAH blow breath di devil cannot
who get a bullet nuh mista Sadat
afta reagan public fiyah shot
MALCOLM X dem kill pon di spot
up inna ZION di righteous a clap
dung inna hell di wicked a rot
di sweetest singa a sugah minott
di madess comedian a kenny everett
dracula tunn inna vampiah bat
but wen him si sun him caan tek dat
yuh eye dem dawk affi use contact
but a me pon di mic is levi a chat
not so long JAH walk pon di lan
di peaceful righteous RASTAMAN
trod wid di MACCA B inna him han
preaching love to man an woman
him crucify by di roman
dem nail him to di cross tru him foot an him han
rise again di resurrection
well a him create di earth an heaven
tek six day nuh tek seven
give riches to king SOLOMON
make him wisa dan all odda man
EVE couldn't mek wid out ADAM
living in babylon as a Blackman
well all mi face is racism
wen mi weak dem say dat mi strong
wen mi right dem say dat mi wrong
true mi nuh check fi politician
nuh care who win di election
pon di mic mi please everyone
flashing down style an fashion
chorus:1x
then 1st verse to fade
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