Reggae and hip-hop grew up alongside each other, with reggae being the more consistent innovator. The first DJ battle occurred in Jamaica in the 1950s and from that base gave hip-hop much of its attitude and form. In Soul Jazz's compilation
Nice Up the Dance, hip-hop's influence on dancehall reggae is shown in both the production and lyrical delivery. Kenny Dope and
J-Live make appearances, but the album is devoted to dancehall sounds coming out of Jamaica that are not quite crossover hits but definitely tinged by American hip-hop.
Cutty Ranks' "Who Say Me Done,"
Dawn Penn's "No No No," and
Tenor Saw's "Ring the Alarm [Hip Hop Mix]" are all big tunes that creep into hip-hop sets unnoticed. The real gems on the album are the ones that are unapologetically Jamaican.
Pompidoo's "Synthesizer Voice" is a hilarious exercise in vocoder magic. The moaning and groaning resemble throat singing, but with beatbox drums perfect for the dancehall.
Singer Blue, riding the
Dr. Dre riddim, blends hip-hop production with reggae vocals and gives the album its best track. It doesn't have the hokiness of previous rap-dancehall collaborations like
Run-D.M.C. and
Yellowman's "Roots, Rap, Reggae." In typical Soul Jazz style, they opt for
Sean Paul's treatment of the playground riddim rather than making the obvious choice of
Beenie Man's "Who Am I." If taking second best was a priority,
Mad Cobra on the playground riddim would have filled the spot with a rougher sound.