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    Shabba Ranks
After Bob Marley’s death in 1981, the reggae community searched for an international star for most of the next decade -- someone who, like Marley, could continue to bring the music to a much wider audience. Gruff-voiced DJ Shabba Ranks certainly fit the bill, and he continues his global crossover quest with the exclusive new Reggaeblitz track “Who Got the Money.” The tune is a slick, sassy refinement of the hip-hop/dancehall fusion that Ranks helped pioneer in the early ‘90s, sweetened with soulful female background vocals and a funk-inflected riddim. And it opens with the chant “Sexy girls love money,” showing that Shabba’s sticking with the themes -- chicks and making big bucks -- that helped him reach the lofty heights he now occupies. Beginning his career at age 14 and naming himself after two slain Jamaican gangsters, Ranks’ stylish, sexy ragga tales of girls and guns were modeled on his idol, Josey Wales. A string of hit Jamaican singles helped his popularity skyrocket in the late ‘80s, and he conquered Jamaica, then England and Japan. His boasts and toasts reached American ears through a major label deal with Sony/Epic, which saw big crossover potential, thanks to Ranks’ charisma -- and the fact that he shared a rough, tough lyrical outlook with many U.S. rappers. Hit crossover albums like As Raw As Ever and X-Tra Naked featured collaborations with hip-hop artists like KRS-One, and gave Ranks several top ten R&B singles. They also helped paved the way for American success for a slew of other Jamaican DJs, from Mad Cobra to Beenie Man. Many of Ranks’ highest-profile duets with American rap and R&B artists were later collected on Shabba and Friends, a 1999 best-of that showcases Ranks’ considerable musical legacy. It’s a legacy that continues proudly with “Who Got the Money,” which amply demonstrates that the mic-rocking Shabba’s “as raw as ever.”

-- Dan LeRoy

Dan LeRoy is the music and entertainment writer for the Charleston Daily Mail. He serves as an associate editor for Grafitti, a statewide entertainment newspaper, and has also written for several music-related publications including Launch.com, Boston Rock, and Lexicon.

   
Shabba Ranks Who Got the Money MP3,WinMedia Reggae
Shabba's right on the money with this thick slice of souped-up dancehall that's all about da Benjamins -- and the ladies that love 'em!


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