Search - Buccaneer, The Innocent Crew, Beenie Man :: Strictly Best 21

Volume 21 of this best-selling series draws from reggae's late-'90s arsenal, each selection a certified "haul up and come again" call for listeners to get off the sofa and shake something. Buccaneer, whose patwah opera antics livelied up '98, leads off with "Bruck Out," featuring cannonball drum shots and storming six-string rock & roll action, courtesy of American group Rancid. He's followed by the Innocent Crew, the best of dancehall's tsunami wave of singer-deejay collectives, sweating that quartet dynamic here in "Impossible Mission." With "Oh Yeah," Lady Saw, reggae's favorite "outta order gal," strikes the perfect compromise between her singing and deejaying personas. Together with dancehall singer Tanya Stephens's latest wake-up call to the boyz, "Freaky Type," this set's female presence is not just an exception to the rule. Vegas, the "singjay" hero of the year, contributes two from his unbroken chain of number ones that's run the dancehall since he appeared just over a year ago. Beenie, who's de rigeur for any reggae hits collection, represents with "Gospel Time" and "Tell Me (The Remix)", featuring New York City radio personality Angie Martinez--a clear signal of stateside hip-hop's official approval. Other reggae compilation must-haves: Sizzla, Degree, and Sean Paul weigh in with their pieces of gold, and on the roots-and-culture tip, Tony Rebel and Culture--indefatigable reggae preachers--remind listeners that there's more to life than a rub-a-dub dance in a corner. --Elena Oumano