After this week’s trouble with the law, we thought it would be a good time to do a Top 5 x Busy Signal. Busy is such an incredible and versatile artist whether it’s reggae (as his recent VP LP showed), Soca or Dancehall that compiling this list might have been one of the hardest things we have ever done. From his break out hit Step Out in 2005 to his most recent cut on the massive Leftside riddim Bong Diggy bang he will always be one of our favourites. (If you are a Busy Signal fan you should check out this interview, one of his last, on the Shimmy Shimmy website.)
Tic Toc
This was our first real introduction to Busy Signal, from the moment those strings started we knew it was special. The way that he rode the beat is something special, it makes you wonder could he work over even the most grimey of hip hop beats.
Get Outta Mi Way
Busy Signal is one of the most versatile artists in dancehall and you can see that on this power soca track. As lovers of both dancehall and soca how could we not love this tune! It featured as one of Kazabon’s top tunes to get you through your commute in her Commute or Carnival feature for the first edition of No Ice Cream Sound.
Government Gone Lu
Over the classic Boops riddim Busy talks about the struggle that the Jamaican people are going through from tax rises, poverty and his visa troubles. It seems extra poignant bearing in mind the current legal woes he is facing.
Easy Access
There’s nothing wrong with a bit of slackness from time to time and Easy Access is one of those dancehall tunes that demands your attention from intro to outro. Its difficult to stop yourself whining when listening to this one.
Up In Her Belly
From the Serigo Mendes interpolation to those tribal drums to the various vocal styles that Busy does you can’t help but love this song. The sample might have been created with Brazilian carnival in mind by Busy took it and made it a smash for a new generation and that song that everyone remembers about carnival. We have no idea what the Portugese chorus is about but when Busy starts his slackness chorus we are singing it with all our might.
