Original Foundation Deejays

Original Foundation Deejays is a stellar compilation from Attack records that effortlessly reproduces the visceral thrills and riotous atmosphere of the Jamaican dancehalls and sound clashes of the early '70s. When DJs first appeared on the Jamaican music scene in the late '60s, few could have anticipated that their impromptu exhortations, nursery rhyme cadences, and casual boasts would eventually become the foundation of an entirely new genre of music. Yet artists like I -roy, (Whose seminal reading of “Satta Massagana” is prominently featured here) U Roy, Big Youth and others transformed DJing from mere party chatter into a vehicle for profound social commentary and displays of vocal virtuosity. Take note of Dillinger’s effortlessly fluid vocal performance on “Never Take a Life” and the sly satire underlying Trinity’s fashion manifesto “Three Piece Suite,” to begin to understand how these artists laid the groundwork for the raucous boasts and sly come-ons of early American rappers. Original Foundation Deejays features many of the finest rhythms and most talented DJs of the roots era.