Brigadier Jerry

More influential through his live performances than his scant recordings, Brigadier Jerry was one of Jamaica's top DJs at the dawn of the dancehall era. A brilliant lyrical improviser, Briggy -- as he was affectionately known -- elevated the standards for speed and fluidity in DJ chatting technique, laying the groundwork for much of what followed, along with Josey Wales and Charlie Chaplin. Despite early dancehall's taste for slackness, Jerry's subject matter was almost always spiritual and cultural, though he did have a sense of humor and was an excellent battle DJ. Still act...