Strictly the Best Volume 5 (VP, 1992)

I owe a lot to the Strictly the Best series for exposing me to a variety of dancehall songs and artists over the years.  It helped spur my interest in dancehall, which then spurred my interest in reggae as a whole.  In general, the series is released two volumes at a time, one with tracks by DJs (the odd-numbered volumes) and one with tracks by singers (the even-numbered volumes).  It used to be (at the time this particular one came out) that 4 or 6 volumes would be released per year, but nowadays, it's down to just two.  Volume 5 is a typically solid example of one of the DJ compilations, released just as dancehall was poised to cross into the mainstream consciousness (though not necessarily into the mainstream's CD players).  A couple of big hits highlight the album, Johnny P's "Look Good" (later remixed to become an early crossover hit in the US) and a great interception of Bob Andy's "Fire Burning" by Cutty Ranks and Marcia Griffiths, entitled "Half Idiot."   In the where-are-they-now category, Papa San bolsters the collection with a pair of great lightly hip-hop-influenced cuts, "Hippitti Hippitti Hop" and "Clutch," each made all the more fun by his high-pitched vocals and speedy, tongue-twisting delivery.  Speaking of fun, Tiger provides is usual dose in "You Dead Now," where he sounds a bit like the Cowardly Lion with marbles in his mouth.  Then-king of dancehall Shabba Ranks rounds out the quality tracks with his hit "Deh Pon Mi Mind."  The remaining songs are just OK, but these few make the album worthwhile.