All She Wrote (Island, 1993)

For me, this was one of the very first reggae albums -- dancehall or otherwise -- I ever bought, and as you can see, it was certainly good enough to keep me interested in the genre. Chaka Demus & Pliers are the prototypical DJ and singer duo, as well as one of the prototypical dancehall crossover acts. All She Wrote is the pair's most popular album to date, and there is little doubt why. The smash hit "Murder She Wrote" makes brilliant use of the "Bam Bam" rhythm -- a simple, yet utterly infectious dancehall beat -- as does a nice remake of "Bam Bam" itself. Unlike in the UK, it is uncommon to hear reggae -- particularly dancehall without a pop beat -- on mainstream radio, but "Murder She Wrote" accomplished this back in 1993 (on the mainstream R&B stations, that is), a tribute to its popularity. Indeed, it wouldn't be until 1998's "Who Am I" by Beenie Man that such a true dancehall beat was consistently heard on the radio. While the remainder of All She Wrote doesn't achieve the standard set by "Murder She Wrote," it still contains solid material. Strangely, although Chaka Demus & Pliers have a crossover appeal, a good portion of the songs are not really blatant crossover material. "Nuh Betta Nuh Deh," in particular, has a stripped-down beat that allows the duo to flex their vocal skills. Even more strangely, though (for me, at least), the songs with the most appeal are indeed the crossover, R&B-styled numbers. "I Wanna Be Your Man," "Let's Make It Tonight," and "She Don't Let Nobody," are a sensual, sultry mixes of reggae and R & B. And that's all she wrote.