Major Lazer’s Walshy Fire Breaks Down His Favorite Reggae & Dancehall Songs From VP Records’ Vault

Walshy Fire’s 14 favorite Reggae and Dancehall songs, which he hand-picked for VP Record’s Riddimentary Selection, were sparked from a place of nostalgia as well as the Toast co-producer’s sentimental side.

According to Walshy, the subject of undertaking the project was broached about five years ago, although he completely forgot about it until VP reintroduced the idea, earlier this year for him to choose his top songs from a list of approximately 60 in the VP/Greensleeves catalogue. “Mi nuh memba nuttn bout di ting.  Honestly, is like four, five years now.  And it just reappeared and they were like: ‘yow, we ready’…. They gave me a list of songs and asked me to pick my favorite.  And there were so many favorites on it, so it was an easy job,” he told DancehallMag in an interview.

Dubbed Riddimentary – Walshy Fire Selection, most of the songs date back to the 1990s, a decade considered the finest days of Dancehall, which VP describes as “foundation tracks” for anyone who grew up in that era. Besides being available for purchase online today, April 30, Walshy’s Riddimentary tracks will also be offered on a vinyl LP collection of fully re-mastered, full-length tracks.

Walshy is confident that fans of Jamaican music will react positively to his selections which span songs from some of the island’s most iconic sons of Dancehall and Reggae, the majority of whom are still at the top of the music industry to this day. It was a task the Major Lazer member, whose real name is Leighton Paul Walsh, described as a breeze, “fun vibes” and of being “glad fi do it”.  “Mi just guh through it (VP’s track list) one time… Because every song weh mi pick, mi have an emotional attachment to it,” the Half Way Tree native said.

He broke down his curated selections for DancehallMag:

Cocoa Tea – Good Life

Good Life by Cocoa Tea, which was produced by Philip ‘Fatis’ Burrell for Xteminator Productions, is what Walshy described as an “eternally great song,” to which he was attached, as it served as an anthem of sorts for him, when he was in a relationship with his first girlfriend.

“Like when yuh have a girl and you a meck a mixtape and yuh a put bare love song pon it, dat was one of the love songs, but that to me was like the love song.  Because we a struggle yuh nuh, so mi always tell her seh wi a guh work harder; wi a guh meck it and mi a guh meck sure seh yuh have a good life and dah song deh just wrapped up everything I was saying,” Walshy told Dancehall Mag.

An alternate mix and dub mix of Good Life from the 1993 VP/Xterminator 12-inch single has been released digitally for the first time, featuring Sly & Robbie and the Firehouse Crew. The classic Reggae track will also receive its first music video on May 4 — an animated visual by Jamaican illustrator and animation specialist Jenille Brown.

Beres Hammond – Come Down Father and They Gonna Talk

Of the two Beres Hammond songs, Come Down Father and They Gonna Talk, Walshy said the picks were beyond explaining as Beres, “naturally, is the best to ever do it”.

Louie Culture – Gangalee

Portlander Louie Culture’s Gangalee was also of sentimental value to Walshy, and it all related to friendship.

“The reason why I picked this song, a becaw one a mi bredrin dem did guh jail and dah song deh was di hottest song.  And when him come outta jail, me guh fi pick him up and when him a walk down di stairs, him a seh: ’I’m free from all chains and all bangles and rope’… and mi just love di song afta dat.  Mi jus love it, love it, love it,” he gushed.

Garnett Silk – Kingly Character

The late Garnett Silk’s Kingly Character was cemented in his musical top 15, due to how the star’s passing impacted Walshy’s sister.

“My sister’s favorite artiste was Garnet Silk.  And when he died it hurt her than any other artiste; not Tupac, not Biggy.  Garnet Silk (death) hurt her.  And it was her favourite song,” he explained.

Sizzla – Good Ways

The king of melodies Sizzla Kalonji’s standout song Good Ways, the title track for his 2003 album, also made Walshy’s honor roll.

“Sizzla was just in his bag… The melodies… there was nobody like him and I just love that.  It makes me remember when Dancehall was changing and moving into a new thing,” he said.

Anthony B – Raid Di Barn

The Original Fireman Anthony B’s Raid Di Barn which was released in 1996, also placed on Walshy’s Riddimentary list.   It was among his favourites when attending dances as a youth back in Jamaica in the 1990s.

“It’s one a dem song deh weh mi used to give nuff forward.  Just the delivery, Anthony B deh pon fire dem time deh,” he said.

Bounty Killer – Down In The Ghetto

No 90’s Dancehall list could be complete without the three Bs: Bounty Killer, his former arch-rival Beenie Man, and Buju Banton, and certainly the three icons also took pride of place on Riddimentary.

Bounty Killer’s Down in the Ghetto, Walshy explained, was handpicked again, due to an emotional attachment of sorts. “Mi used to love a sound called Super D.  And Silver Hawk and that was like one of their anthem dubs.  And so to me, mi did just love dah song deh because a di dub plate, cause is the sound system culture,” Walshy said.

Beenie Man – Big Up & Trust

As for Beenie Man, his Big up & Trust making the list was spawned by a memory etched in Walshy’s head, of the late dancer Bogle, dancing up a storm in Half-Way-Tree. “It was like mi did teck a picture wid Bogle in Half Way Tree… and him did a do one dance called di Urkel Dance, and den mi watch TV and si di dem a do di dance inna di video and den mi seh: ‘a dah dance deh him did a show wi’.   It’s like a song which lyrically it was different and it did have a nice dance to it an mi just love it,” he said.

Buju Banton – Good Looking Gal

Walshy, who is the younger brother of Jamaican and West Indies cricketing legend Courtney Walsh, said that his explanation for picking Buju’s Good Looking Gal which was produced by Bobby Digital on the Pick Up The Pieces riddim was simple; trigged by the beat which he found compelling:  “Becaw di riddim.  Mi did love dah riddim deh.”

Wayne Wonder – Baby You and I

Buju Banton’s Penthouse stablemate Wayne Wonder’s Baby You and I, which was produced by Steely and Clevie, was a track that Walshy said had all the elements that he loved about a song he considered to be perfect. “It was one of those songs that you thought yow: ‘this is such a good song’…the riddim, everything man.”

Ghost – Bodyguard

Ghost’s Bodyguard, a cover version of Paul Simon’s You can call me Al is also an all-time favourite of Walshy’s, dating back to the days when the Asylum nightclub reigned supreme in New Kingston. “It’s when we used to go Asylum ad Stone Love a play and dah song deh used to last di place and mi start love it,” he explained.

Capleton – More Prophet

Capleton’s fire-filled More Prophet, could be said to be one of Walshy’s most treasured songs on the list, as his explanation of this choice, speaks volumes. “Capleton a mi favourite, favourite artiste.  Caw me used to love di fire energy.  Das why mi name myself Washy Fire,” he stated.

Buccaneer – Bruk Out

Main Street label’s Buccaneer’s Bruk out, also got a simple explanation for its inclusion, as according to Walshy the 1998 release was: “A bad song.  Dah song deh was just badness!”

Generally, he said it was an honour working on the project with VP, whose record shop he used to frequent in his younger days in Florida, spending copious amounts of time there with General Manager Howie Chung, so much so, that many shoppers used to think he was employed there.

“I neva work deh but people used to tink mi work deh caw mi used to deh-deh nuff.  Mi an Howie a good friend man.  Mi deh-deh nuff. Just sit down and reason wid Howie,” he said.

Riddimentary – Walshy Fire Selection is accompanied by a 45-minute DJ mix by Walshy Fire, which premiers tomorrow, May 1 on BBC Radio 1’s Diplo & Friends.  

Stream the selection on Spotify and Apple Music below or on your preferred service.