Shabba Ranks

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• Genre: Dancehall

About

He's gained international recognition and praise from fans and musicians alike, delivering semi-rapped lines with his gravelly vocals on hundreds of classic tracks -- often with support from major artists like KRS-One, Maxi-Priest and Queen Latifah among others. Though he's cleaned up his act considerably, the slackness' of his lyrics is evident in even the titles of his albums, such as Love Punanny Bad, and who can blame him? The single "Wicked in Bed" earned him a good deal of his massive reputation. As an artist on Epic records, Ranks has reached a much larger audience than many of his peers, gaining fans all over the world, especially in Japan and England. Working with top producers like King Jammy and Bobby Digital has given his music reliably fresh rhythms and a melodic edge. With a couple of Grammys and name drops by artists like A Tribe Called Quest, there seems to be little chance of Shabba's reign ending.

- Jessy Terry