More than flour, more than rice, more even than Gasoline. Not only is this mixtape hot but it is actually THE MOST EXPENSIVE MIXCD EVER.

Normally it costs $999.99. Wow. Bronx dancing, selecting, trend setting dancehall icon Skerrit Bwoy linked us in early on this mix by him, Jazzy Joyce from Hot97 and Walshy Fire from Black Chiney.

Joyce plays hiphop, Skerrit holds down Dancehall and Walshy drops Soca. Check for the two exclusive dubplates on two of my riddims for Skerrit’s Ghetto Life Entertainment sound system of Jahdan’s Go Round Payola and 77Klash’s Mad Again in his section of the mix.

'Gully Creepa' is more than just a song, a dance, it's an experience. As patrons from the popular sessions such as Passa Passa, Weddy Weddy  and Bembe  just to name  a few will explain. They'll tell you, it's not really for the uninitiated.

Elephant Man, after a slow start to the year, has apparently found his form and is clearly on a roll.  Not content with turning the entire dancehall into creatures, he has a follow-up song and dance 'Nuh Linga' , which has also muscled its way into 'Chartdom.' After two weeks on Hype TV's Top 20 Singles Chart it's at number 17, on RE TV's Dance Top 20, it sits at number 18, and it claims the number 10 slot on Richie B's Jamaican Music Countdown.

Elephant Man will be one of the featured artistes on Reggae Sumfest Dancehall Night, Thursday, July 17 at the Catherine Hall complex in Montego Bay.

The haunting melody of Fallen Soldiers is still topping the charts while Duppy Know Who Fi Frighten breaking records in its rise to the top. And now, Sort Dem Out is a clear warning that DeMarco has become a dancehall star.

Twelve months ago, DeMarco was known more for his beats than his rhymes, but his collaboration with Star Kutt and subsequent synergy with Juke Boxx Productions has launched his career to a whole new level. The combined management team introduced the multi-talented artiste to the US based independent label, Koch. Koch boasts an eclectic list of acts but has a keen interest in urban reggae, signing acts like Sean Kingston, Foxy Brown and recently, DeMarco. The lucrative deal guarantees DeMarco world-wide distribution through global giant, Universal.

From an outside view, it may seem like an overnight success, but for DeMarco, the recognition is fair reward for years of dedicated effort. While living briefly in Baltimore and New York, DeMarco worked at odd jobs, struggling to earn money to buy equipment for his studio piece by piece building beats more for credit than cash. Before releasing his breakthrough hit, DeMarco collaborated with both hip hop and dancehall stars including Missy Elliots’ Soul Diggaz, Styles P of The Lox, Free from 106 and Park, Hot 97’s Jabba and Bounty Killer.

It was the mid-1990s. In only 1985 the Sleng Teng rhythm had transformed Jamaican music in general and dancehall in particular, ushering in the era of multiple artistes on one rhythm launched from a computerised base ('digital music' it was called), that itself developing into the distinctive 'boop boop' drum pattern with Bogle.

And a number of deejays emerged almost simultaneously, creating a generation that overlapped with, and then replaced, the stars of the late 1980s, among those relative 'oldsters' Shabba Ranks, Supercat, Cutty Ranks and Admiral Bailey.

They formed the nucleus of what was to be the only group of deejays to emerge as a distinctive unit in the 1990s, persons such as Sizzla making his presence felt without much in the way of new performers emerging at the same time later in the decade.

dancehall generation

There is only one recording on which a large proportion of the dancehall generation which not only changed the beat but was also at the forefront of the visual era of Jamaican music. Performers were not only being heard on radio and sound systems but also seen in formal music videos on television (CVM by then joining the free-to-air fray) and the numerous recordings of dances and live recordings that were increasingly popular.

That song is Anything For You, with Canadian deejay Snow, Nadine Sutherland (the two having a version by themselves), Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Terror Fabulous, Louie Culture and Kulcha Knox performing on the remix. And while the audio recording was, and still is, very popular, it was the video which put Anything For You over the top.

Shot in black and white in a recording studio the video is simple but extremely effective, capturing Buju Banton and Louie Culture when their locks were just beginning to grow, Terror Fabulous in his prime and a glowing, all grown-up Nadine Sutherland after her 'teen queen' era.

"Karen Mason from EastWest felt it would be good promotion. I was signed to EastWest and my album was scheduled to be released, so they wanted to keep me visible," Sutherland told The Sunday Gleaner.

huge hit

For her it was post the huge hit Action, done with Terror Fabulous.

Anything For You was recorded at Penthouse Records, and while all the performers were not necessarily in the studio at the same time they all came in that day. "The video was shot while, or after, we did our part on the song. We call it a 'live video'," Sutherland said.

Seeing that it was done that way, there are few scenes in which more than one person is featured, among them Snow and Nadine Sutherland, whose lines overlap at one point, Snow and Beenie Man, and Snow, Sutherland and Terror Fabulous.

There is no scene where two members of the then new deejay generation appear together.

Sutherland says that in studio "the energy was off the hook. Remember, everyone was creating on the spot. It's a true indication of the talents of these young men at that time. Everyone was busy writing; I don't remember any competition".

Debates raged then about whose part was the best (Beenie Man said "... I'm not Richard Kimble, don't tek me fe no fugitive ..."; Buju growled "Some man give dem min' dem heart dem soul an everyting, an a nex man deh wid dem ting". Terror Fabulous chanted "If you see me walking out den something mus be wrong, I would neva do yu dat, trus' me nuh ooman". Louie Culture lilted "Me no fool fi go buil' up me residence, an a nex' man live een like a president, all a teach private lesson to me student ...". And Kulcha Knox (whose part is often treated as an afterthought) intones "it's all about love, love it's all about."

Sutherland is clear about which segment is he favourite. "Buju's. That the part I deejay when I perform it onstage. All the parts are special though. I love them all," she told The Sunday Gleaner.

However, the all-star studio cast never made it onstage to perform together. "It has never happened. What a shame!" Sutherland said.

"Great music lives together. I am glad, I am proud to be a part of this song."

Teflon’s Tings Dem on the Big Ship label and Make It on producer Flava’s Drop It riddim are getting lots of airplay. Another popular single, Life Aint That Rough is also doing well. There are plans in place to do a video for Make It when he returns from Europe.

PASS-ROUND GIRLS CREW GETS DROPPED
Mi mek a early pass through Weddy last night, and mi tell yu, mi nuh love how the ting look. Is like is just one set of girls out there and dem a get pass around like a old battered copy of XNews. Only one man buy and spend pon her, but everybody a get a one use offa her, it nuh look good, dem a behave like community property. Last night wah mi see happen is some new British girl drop inna the place and all the regulars dem who get batter from the man dem just get kicked to the curb instantly. The whole ah dem haffi tek taxi go home, ‘cause the new girl dem a get feature.  Some gal condition nuh stay good at all, listen mi tune: dem de a road from 19 how long and no have no car key a spin pon dem hand. WHOI!  Mi ignorant fi dem! Dem fi have some p--- principle.

KHAOS AND DONIA FRICTION DEEP
Mi log on to one876 and see say the article about Khaos get over 70 comments, and everybody ah talk about how Khaos de wid Donia former girl, and there is a feud between them and all these things. Mi hear whole heap a personal information about high school days drama wid school football and girls and it interesting bad, but the way mi see it, the man dem shoulda just hold a order and reason it out. J.O.P fi life we say!

Tads Recording has done it again with the release of his latest compilation CD the Ultimate Reggae Dancehall Experience 2008. This album comes with the hottest hits for 2007 and all we can say about it is that it definitely sell off.The collection can take on VP’s Strictly the Best track for track and leave it still standing! The compilation CD kicks off with Anthony B’s mega hit ‘Tease Har’ and this song needs no introduction as since its release it has taken Jamaica by storm. It also played a dominant role on the charts both in Jamaica and on the overseas charts. Richie Spice makes his contribution on the CD with ‘De Plane Land’ another  top song on the compilation CD. ‘On The Rock’ by Mavado and JayZ  …what more can we say of this track that even now is tearing the place apart. It’s blasting from every record shop,  blessing the dancehalls and no session is complete unless this one  buss the place. On The Rock sits very comfortable in the collection of hard hitting top songs. Busy Signal’s ‘Nah Guh A Jail Again’ comes in at #5 on the compilation album and we don’t have to say anything about this song…the record speaks for itself. Track number 6 is Queen Ifrica’s Daddy ‘Don’t Touch Me’ There another reggae classic that cuts to the heart of the matter when it comes to incest and sexual abuse. Wine Pon It, Munga Honourabel; Board House, Nesbeth and A Nuh Me Dat by Beenie Man are among the other top notch songs featured on the 22-track album. Upcoming new stars are also featured on the compilation CD such as Contractor with Break My Promise and Chuckle Berry with Bad Man, Bubu Zaro team up with Capleton and Contractor for Pain. This is definitely an album you want to go out there and purchase…no where else can you get so many hits stocked in one collection. Executively produced by Tad’s Record International, the album  is a must have for the collection.