#5. DUTTY ROCK SEAN PAUL released 2002
Probably the album that brought the greatest international recognition to dancehall in this decade. Most tracks were well known by the time the album was released internationally but that didn`t stop us from jumping to them one more time in celebration of reggae reaching the top of the mountain.
#4. GANGSTA BLUES – TANYA STEPHENS released 2005
An instant classic! Tanya came off of a relatively lacklustre 5 year period of recording mostly outside of Jamaica to deliver a classic reggae album. She displayed stellar songwriting ability and was everyone`s top female singer of the year. She did not forsake hardcore fans either as was feared after her foray into alternative-styled music. Heavy hitters like Boom Wuk were well received. Introspective numbers like What A Day and Turn the Other Cheek led to comparisons to reggae founders like Bob Marley, and will live on as modern classics. Her success was named as inspiration for many female artists and the latter part of the decade saw dancehall`s female scene revitalized with serious commentary from the females such as Etana, and Queen Ifrica.
#3. RASTA GOT SOUL BUJU released 2009
Buju Banton entered the 15th year after his most acclaimed work, “Til Shiloh” by releasing a long awaited masterpiece called “Rasta Got Soul.” The collection of tunes could hardly be beat. From the opening bars of “Hurt Us No More” it is clear that the project was a monumental effort for the Banton. Flawless vocal deliveries and engaging melodies convey themes of determination, integrity, and struggle that have been characteristic of Buju Banton for nearly two decades. Close on the heels of “Too Bad” Buju demonstrated that he was ready and able to straddle the two fences of dancehall hardcore and conscious themes. The album was nominated for a Grammy and would have been his best chance to date to collect the prestigious award.
#2. DA REAL THING –SIZZLA released 2004
This album has been one of the most consistently rated at 5 stars by die hard reggae lovers and newbies alike. In the midddle of the decade after Kalonji had strayed from the righteous themes for which he had been known, he connected once more with Bobby digital to produce this masterpiece. Like the product of thier first collaboration, “Black Woman and Child,” “Da Real Thing” is viewed as one of the finest pieces of work emerging from a recording studio. Lyrically, musically, vocally it is among the best that dancehall reggae can offer. “Solid As a Rock” and “Dry Cry” actually titled as “Just One of Those Days” are modern reggae classics known even to listeners outside the genre having been sampled by artists like Ja Rule in other markets. To date it may be the greatest of Sizzla`s 30+ albums.
#1. TOO BAD-BUJU BANTON released 2006
Though not the most commercially successful reggae or dancehall artist, Buju Banton may be the most gifted. No one would disagree that his album “Til Shiloh” featuring “Untold Stories” was one of the most impactful works in the history of dancehall and reggae. It changed the game at the time. Slackness was briefly ushered out and consciousness ushered in under the auspices of the Banton. The international media took it up and artists like Sinead O` Connor later sung from Buju`s music sheet. Many whispered the words Bob Marley in the same sentence as Buju Banton. Ironic, however, in that it was hardcore toasting to the ladies that saw Buju rapidly ascend the dancehall throne in his late teens. And it was the brash hardcore Buju that dancehall was married to. Ten years after the game-changing Til Shiloh and a slew of conscious material from the artist properly known as Mark Anthony Myrie dancehall had many new faces, and Buju looked a softened elder fading into the background with “music for grow folk.” Just as suddenly as his initial meteoric rise in 1992, Buju Banton stopped crooning and effortlessly dusted off the thunderous vocals that had been synonymous with the name Mr. Mention. Under his Gargamel label, and with little warning he threw a volley of dancehall dynamite into the fray. Fans of hardcore were overjoyed. Roots fans admired his versatility. The album was flawless as a hardcore dancehall package. “Too Bad” will be talked about for years as the “where did that come from” album that was perfectly timed and perfectly executed.
REGGAE IS THE ROOT 