 06/03/2009 Nuts and Bolts: Jimmy Screech – vocals, DJ Mr Mosmo – decks and FX, Sam - drums, Leon – guitar, James - bass
Stomping Ground: London, since 2006
Set to Soundtrack: Hash filled rooms everywhere
Destined to Upset: Reggae purists
You’re in Business if you Like: Jimmy Cliff, Toots and the Maytals, Roots Manuva, King Tubby, Nas
Jimmy Screech embraces a distinctly British variant of dancehall reggae, eschewing the clichéd
historical baggage of love, peace and harmony that’s weighed the genre down since it became a parody of itself in the early eighties. His formative years were spent steeped in Jamaican gospel roots acts, like Toots and the Maytals, but it’s his basterdisation of the genre with British hip-hop and dub that’s seen him selected for support slots better known artists would kill for.
Roots Manuva handpicked Jimmy as his support act and old school hip-hop crew, Ugly Ducking, were second in line to whip him away on the tourbus for a handful of dates. Listen to his recent single, ‘Wood 4 the Trees’, and you will know why... it sounds like latter day Lee Scratch Perry swamped in heavy basslines, with flourishes of brass, and sweetly intoned vocals, contrasting with breathless rapping.
On other tracks he veers further towards vintage dancehall, like ‘England’, his ode to down-and-out Britain, in which he sounds like Blighty’s answer to East Coast hip-hop duo Nice & Smooth transposed to the days of the great Jamaican sound clashes. Since the eighties - when Don Letts, Steel Pulse and the Specials were shunted from the airwaves - British reggae has been dominated by dreadlocked, acoustic guitar-toters regurgitating the same hackneyed style. Most reggae produced on our shores after ’82 has been dire. Jimmy isn’t; he’s great. Listen to him.
Single ‘Scandalous’ is out now (MAP Music)
Extracted from Notion Magazine 38 (On Sale Now) |
