I'm new, and after many years of life I've managed to appreciate the beauty of this music style. I need "Mentors." Tell me your top 4 necessary artists, the ones I need to know. : r/reggae Skip to main content

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I'm new, and after many years of life I've managed to appreciate the beauty of this music style. I need "Mentors." Tell me your top 4 necessary artists, the ones I need to know.

I just listened to protoje and chronixx, are they good? I like them. Tell me your top 4 artists please!

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Horace Andy

Gregory Isaacs

Desmond Dekker

Yellowman

King Tubby

Lee Scratch Perry

Wailing Souls

Augustus Pablo

I second this list

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u/Bumboklatt avatar

Peter Tosh

Peter Tosh

Black Uhuru

Peter Tosh

u/KOTF0025 avatar

I laughed haaaard at this 🤣🤣 🔥

sponji hit me hard when i first hear black uhuru.

u/Sisyphus328 avatar

Came here to say this

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The Gladiators

Lee 'Scratch' Perry (productions)

The Heptones

Coxsone Dodd (productions)

u/Cunterpunch avatar

I generally gravitate more towards the older stuff. Personal favs are probably Burning Spear (Especially the studio one stuff), Dennis Brown, Tenor Saw, Courtney Melody, Garnett Silk, Conroy Smith.

Check out Lila Ike…

And Koffee

Ah that's cool. I'm not OP but I've been looking at dropping more female singers into my playlist.

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Clinton Fearon. Dennis Brown. Peter Tosh. Burning Spear.

u/Goooooner4Life avatar

Dennis Brown Bob Marley The Wailers - including solo stuff Gregory Isaacs Sugar Minott The Royal Rasses The Abyssinians Wailing Souls Culture Burning Spear Freddie McGregor

The above is a good starting point.

The Heptones

Joe Higgs

Bob Andy

The Gladiators

u/NoName22415 avatar

Definitely depends what you're looking for...there's the classics like of course Bob, Peter Tosh, Don Carlos...a lot of those have been listed by others.

Personally, while I absolutely love all that stuff, I tend to listen to more modern stuff, some of my favorite artists being Morgan Heritage, Tarrus Riley, Midnite (Midnite isnt all that modern, but theyre legendary). I really like Gentleman though he isn't Jamaican...also Turbulence has some incredible songs, but honestly he tends to drop heat mostly on riddims and his albums don't quite hit the same for me.

Hope that helps, have fun doing some deep dives, way more people should know about the beauty that is reggae

Edited to add: Protoje and Chronixx are both awesome! And very much in that more modern style I was talking about.

u/Odd_Plane_8727 avatar

Thanks a lot very helpful! Yeah protoje and chronixx I think will be the reference that bring me here,and to appreciate this music, in my late 20s. But I will dive deep in.

If you like chronixx and protoje, check out Kabaka Pyramid, Koffee, Jesse Royal, Lila Ike. They’re all friends and big influences for each other. They’re definitely more of the Hip Hop influenced style of modern reggae. Also check out Collie Buddz. I listen to them all day, everyday. 🔥🔥🔥

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u/StOnEy333 avatar

Toots and the Maytals, Don Carlos, Steel Pulse, Buju Banton

u/djserc avatar

Dennis Brown

Yes to the Crown Prince.

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u/KOTF0025 avatar

Mikey Dread

Eek a Mouse

Misty in Roots

Yellowman

Beng geggle beng meng bong bennah…ay!

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Black Uhuru

Black Uhuru

Black Uhuru

Black Uhuru

Bob, Lucky Dube, Eddie Lovette, Fiji, Toots, Peter Tosh, Gregory Issacs, Tarrus Riley, Alpha Blonde, Jimmy Cliff, Bunny Wailer, UB40. I can go on just to many to say top 4. But Bob will always be #1.

scratch, anything with the barrett bros, peter tosh, heptones

Gregory Isaacs

Eek-a-Mouse

Steel Pulse

Lee “Scratch” Perry

Damian Marley

Kabaka Pyramid

Buju Banton

Samory I

Bob Marley, Mike Love, Natalie Rize, Midnite... although I'm pretty new to reggae myself as well.

Dennis brown

Johnny Clarke

Johnny osbourne

Junior Delgado

u/iamstop avatar

Of ones that may not have been mentioned Culture Eek A Mouse Hempress Sativa Don Carlos

King Tubby

Sugar Minott

Johnny Clarke

Toots and the Maytals

The Abyssinians, Cultural Roots, Hugh Mundell, Israel Vibration. This music is all essential in my collection

Ken Boothe Alton Ellis Toots Hibbert King Tubby

Many good ones already mentioned so I’ll throw out Groundation. And start with the Hebron’s Gate album.

Yellowman Black Uhuru Wailing Souls Tosh/Marley

u/Klondyke-57 avatar

Personally I always go to Lee Scratch Perry His back catalogue is 2nd to none that includes some of Bob and Wailers finest output.

Then King Tubby

Then Toots and the Maytals

Then it gets broader Hard to choose it

But one album always hit me up Iration Steppas Dubz from the Higher Region Really rocks my incar sound system

Fuckin yuppp

Toots and the Maytals, King Tubby, Scientist, Scratch Perry, Big youth. Yellowman..... Desmond Dekker John Holt Jesus almost forgot Tosh.

I guess I don't really listen to new(er) reggae anymore but when I did,

Bad brains, Buju Banton, Sublime, Lol idk Khuranhbin sounds a lot like reggae to me til it doesn't. They did at least one song w Scientist.

CRUCIAL POINT if its me I like to throw some hardcore in there to keep the spirit of 69 strong 🥾🥾 ✊✊🏽✊🏿

Bob Marley

Steel Pulse

Gregory Isaacs

Black Uhuru

Gladiators

Black Roots

Clinton Fearon

Black uhuru

Melodians, King Yellowman, Marcia Griffiths, Phyllis Dillon

Bit of a mix but definitely worth checking out these artists ✨

u/squidensalada avatar

Steel Pulse

Burning Spear

Israel Vibration

Bob Marley and the Wailers

Buju Banton

Augustus Pablo, Jackie Mittoo, check out the following labels Trojan, Studio one, Randys Studio 17, Crab, Tuff Gong & Island ❤️💛💚

let me add a crucial one

Vaughn Benjamin from Midnite and Akae Beka

Maybe not what you are looking for but something you should check out. The Story of Jamaican Music (Tougher Than Tough) is a 4 cd box set that covers Jamaican music from 1958-1993. Each disk covers a different genre and various artists from that period. You can find them all on YouTube.

https://www.discogs.com/master/161595-Various-The-Story-Of-Jamaican-Music-Tougher-Than-Tough

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOBM2odo7tBpeH2BPyF5ljHSNfGZSLpYo

Dennis Brown

Steel Pulse

Peter Tosh

Lucky Dube

Luciano

(Assuming you've already been all over Bob Marley)

u/bobthereddituser avatar

It may be heresy but I like international artists influenced by the classics

Alpha blondy

Los pericos

Don't forget to listen Daddy U-ROY ...the DJ creator..!

I'm gonna keep it more modern since that's what you've listened to:

I Wayne

Richie Spice

Luciano

Damian Marley

Jesse Royal

u/WhileElegant9108 avatar

Peter Tosh

Itals

10 ft. Ganja Plant

Prince Fatty (producer)

u/NickBeavie avatar

There’s 3 main subgenres in Reggae.. Jamaican, Cali/American, and Pacific Islander reggae. All have their own unique sound I recommend checking out each of these and figure out your favorite

The Upsetters and Lee Scratch Perry. Album called Super Ape. Dr Alimantado - Best Dressed Chicken in Town. One new artist I'm loving is Prince Fatty, a bit more dubby but some excellent albums.

I enjoy reggae very much but I’m not old school or very deep into my knowledge. Either way, these are my top 4: Barrington Levy Yellowman Toots and the Maytels Sublime (sry)

Everyone posting legends so I’ll go with some more modern acts:

Chronixx.
Protoje.
Koffee.
Kabaka Pyramid

Black Uhuru. It's my favorite Sly and Robbie band. The Peter Tosh years with Sly and Robbie were great as well, but I find BU more groovy. Grace Jones has some great songs backed by them and a cool dub album worth seeking out. If I were you, I would deep dive Black Uhuru and spring board that into Mycheal Rose and Taxi Dub, etc. Have fun!

Israel vibration

Steel pulse

Lutan fyah

Anthony b

Ska

  • Skatalites

  • Prince Buster

  • Derrick Morgan

  • Byron Lee & The Dragonaires

Rocksteady

  • Alton Ellis

  • Ken Boothe

  • The Techniques

  • Hopeton Lewis

Early Reggae

  • Ken Lazarus

  • Derrick Harriott

  • Desmond Dekker

  • The Pioneers

Roots Reggae

  • Dennis Brown

  • Burning Spear

  • Don Carlos

  • Max Romeo

u/floatious avatar
Edited

Bushman, Chezidek, Luciano, Alborosie, Red Rat, Alpha Blondy, Freddie McGregor, Naptali, Matisyahu, Stephen Marley, Morgan Heritage, Buju Banton, Snoop Lion (...last one was a joke)

Burning Spear

King Tubby

Culture

Lee “Scratch” Perry

u/Reddytoreggae4415 avatar

Alborosie

Chronixx

Proteje

Jesse Royal

Koffee

u/HeftyHold480 avatar

Anything with sly & robbie in it. True masters of the riddim.

Alton Ellis, Peter tosh, wailing souls, Gregory Isaac

u/SachSachl avatar

Joe Gibbs

Burning Spear

Steel Pulse

Aswad

Black Uhuru

All great suggestions already. I’ll add Jimmy Cliff Yellowman Ini Kamoze Mikey Dread Midnite

Do we just do this every day on this sub?

u/Odd_Plane_8727 avatar

Maybe!! :) but that's so good! It means there's interest and newcomers.

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