The Sistem (Pow Wow, 1990)

Papa San is one of the most charismatic, fun dancehall DJs of all time -- embodied by his hilarious smash "Maddy Maddy Cry" (see Strictly the Best 7) -- and he played a largely unsung role in the acceptance of dancehall in the United States, having released several albums on New York-based Pow Wow Records at a time when modern dancehall was just becoming known stateside. He never really broke into the US mainstream market, but Papa San no doubt helped set the stage for the next wave of dancehall artists invading the airwaves. Pow Wow likewise is underappreciated for its role in the acceptance of dancehall in the US, not only putting out the early Papa San albums, but also the great Level the Vibes collections and seminal singles like Foxy Brown's "Sorry" and JC Lodge's "Telephone Love." Although not specializing in reggae, Pow Wow's releases remained admirably true to the Jamaican sound and rarely threw in the pop, hip-hop, and R&B elements that major labels felt obliged to add. The Sistem epitomizes Pow Wow's approach, sporting simple, old school digital riddims that showcase Papa San's rapid-fire, quirky vocals. This isn't the best that the DJ has to offer, but it's a solid sampling featuring the Jack Scorpio production "New Dance," a cover of The Melodians' "I'll Get Along Without You," his take on the Rumours riddim entitled "Dancehall Good to We," and "Jump Up Posse," borrows the melody from Air Supply's (!) "Making Love Out of Nothing At All." His take on The Sound of Music's "Do Re Mi," however, challenges the lengths to which we're willing to follow Papa San's zaniness.