Big Youth: Natty Universal Dread: 1973-1979

Preceding but paralleling the emergence of rap, the Jamaican toasting phenomenon proved one of the earliest demonstrations that the DJ and MC could progress from second-thought background to first-thought foreground. Just as Jamaican music began to really take off in the late '60s (as ska slowed down and gradually morphed through rocksteady into reggae), so did the DJ, the man behind the sound systems and radio shows that brought the music to the people. Taking advantage of the increased preponderance of instrumental "versions" placed on the B-sides of singles primarily as money-saving filler, DJs such as U-Roy began talking over the music, recording their own, often slang-filled, stream-of-consciousness rhymes, shout-outs, and words of wisdom. Oddly enough, U-Roy became as big as many of the acts he talked over, while Big Youth soon took toasting one step further. As if creating a dub remix where he himself acted as an instrument, Big Youth shrieked and chuckled his way through the music while spouting off quotes from Psalms to The Last Poets. This religious and political material gives many of his recordings a palpable edge, like a schizophrenic's inner dialogue. The three-disc Natty Universal Dread collects plenty of prime material, both popular and obscure, from Big Youth's '70s reign, and the set is a treat from start to dubby finish. Big Youth's influence on conscious reggae is obvious, while his polemic and craft similarly inspired England's incipient punk scene. (John Lydon was reportedly a big part of Big Youth's Virgin Records deal.) The set also includes a strong essay by Steve Barrow documenting Big Youth's rise, while historic songs (including "Every Nigger Is A Star," the first to feature Bob Marley's future I-Threes) boast illuminating annotations. But best of all is Big Youth himself, an unstoppable, unpredictable force who deserved the star treatment. While Natty Universal Dread may not be the best starting point—several other releases, particularly on Trojan, collect Big Youth's best-known hits—it makes for fine listening, both in the background and the foreground.