Send In the Patient

At the dawn of the dancehall era in the early ‘80s, DJs like Toyan, Yellowman, and Eek-a-Mouse wowed listeners with their sometimes ribald, sometimes boastful, but always rapid-fire microphone techniques. On the other hand, Early B delivered his lyrics at a more deliberate pace. He was something of a storyteller, crafting long, intricate narratives that could spread out over the course of several songs. On “History of Jamaica,” he relates an irreverent and decidedly anti-colonial tale of Jamaica’s historical travails that spans from the 15th century to the present. Elsewhere, Early B takes on subjects like Kingston’s congested streets (“Four Wheel No Real” and “Pedestrian”), Haile Selassie’s 1966 visit to Jamaica (“Visit of King Selassie”), and the plight of Jamaican factory workers (“Poor Class Want Mass”). On all of these selections, which are drawn from the handful of full-lengths that Early B recorded with producer Jah Thomas in the mid-‘80s, Early B is backed by The Roots Radics, whose spare, drum and bass–laden performances give this set considerable rhythmic heft.