Unity
The leading ragamuffin hip-hop exponent--loosely defined as reggae deejay style meets its hip-hop cousin--works his considerable musical imagination for this 1988 LP. Digging deep into his African and Jamaican roots, drawing on the funky sounds of his adopted U.S., and scanning contemporary news headlines for pertinent lyrical material,Unityreveals Shinehead in his finest hour, before his patchwork style of music-making became formulaic. Spin-off hit singles, including the title track, "Chain Gang Rap," "The Truth," "Gimme No Crack," and "Who the Cap Fits," stitch together a dizzying array of sounds: a bit of churchical reggae hymn to a short stretch of B-Boy rap, a speed toasting rush, a sweet R&B; classic riff, or a verse from "We Shall Overcome."--Elena Oumano