Search - U-Roy :: B.O. U Roy / Rightful Ruler

U Roy may not have invented rap, but he was a crucial force in the popularity of hip-hop's Jamaican antecedent, the deejay style. While other artists like Sir Lord Comic first delivered spoken lyrics over reggae, ska, and rock-steady tracks, U Roy was the original jive talker, able to invent complex rhymes at high speed. In today's techno era, the backing tracks here may seem quaint, but the raps are as bracing as ever, with an edge that still sounds avant-garde. No wonder record producers originally had no idea what to do with this volcanic talent. An early attempt is the title cut, featuring a spoken introduction by Peter Tosh and a slow and uncharacteristically stately performance from U Roy. Recognizing his amazing potential, producer Duke Reid unleashed U Roy in all his motor-mouth glory over proven hits from Reid's Treasure Island label, like the Paragon's "Tide is High," known in the U.S. for Blondie's fairly faithful reprise of the original. "Ain't That Loving You" turns an Alton Ellis pop confection into a sizzling verbal assault. U Roy hit his peak in the early 1970s, but the momentum he created hasn't slowed down yet. The shape of rap has certainly changed. But "You Keep on Running" and other seminal scorchers prove the fire burned bright from day one. --Bob Tarte