Glen Brown

As a producer and musician, Brown was never one of Jamaica's most prolific, lacking the funds to properly distribute his music. But he's become something of a cult figure, having directed top-notch Jamaican sessions and produced some of the greatest rhythms. Scintillating percussion backs up sparse beats and deep, gut-wrenching basslines with unstoppable impetus. One of the first to credit King Tubby with a remix, many Brown tracks feature sparkling hi-hat work, crackling snares and chicken-scratched guitars that loop into atmospheric, swirling echoes. All the best musicians have worked on Brown's sessions, including groups like Soul Syndicate and the In Crowd. Brown loaned his backing tracks to toasters like U-Roy and Big Youth, floating his simple melodic lines between choruses and leading to some of their best sessions. False starts and breaks pop up in the middle of choppy rhythms when you'd least expect them, but the "rhythm master" (as he's known in Jamaica) keeps the tracks flowing with a tough, driving energy.