Shabba Ranks and Friends

Performer: Shabba Ranks
Artist: Chevelle Franklin; Johnny Gill; Maxi Priest; KRS-One; Chubb Rock; Mykal Rose; Ky-Mani; JC Lodge; Cocoa Tea; Home T.; Patra; Coco T.
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel: Shabba Ranks, Chevelle Franklin, Patra, J.C. Lodge, Johnny Gill, Maxi Priest, Mykal Rose, Ky-Mani, Cocoa Tea, Home T (vocals); Chubb Rock, KRS One (rap vocals); Brian Thompson, Patrick Morrison, Anthony Hawthorne, Brian Gold, Roy Jobe, Tony Gold (background vocals); Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Lloyd "Gitsy" Willis, Tony Anderson, Mikey Spence, Chris Garvey, Leroy Roman, Courtland White, Nigel Staff. Producers include: Mikey Bennett, Clifton Dillon, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, KRS One. Engineers include: Steve Hodge, Jerry Comito, Roy Jobe. With the exception of Bob Marley, probably no other artist catapulted reggae music to the commercial status that it's enjoyed more than Shabba Ranks. During his reign in the first half of the '90s Shabba's form of reggae music (dancehall) dominated radio and clubs, and he was the yardstick that a lot of dancehall artists measured themselves by in terms of attaining commercial success. After being out of the limelight for the latter half of the 90's Shabba returned with SHABBA AND FRIENDS, the equivalent of a greatest hits album. With cuts like "House Call" (w/Maxi Priest), "Mr. Loverman," "The Jam" (remixed with KRS One) and "Telephone Love," Shabba reminds the forgetful what it was that made him so successful. He also includes two new cuts, but it's the older songs that will keep you coming back to this album.

Shabba Ranks was ragga's figurehead in the early '90s, delivering rude & lewd "slackness" lyrics (sample title: "Hard & Stiff") with a rough gravelly voice over equally aggressive, electronic beats. His international recording deal with Sony did not dilute his music, and allowed him to reach a far wider audience than any Jamaican DJ before. His work thrived in a world that had been musically hardened by the success and dominance of hip-hop.

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