Various Artists - Tappa Records Showcase (RSD 2025)

This exclusive compilation showcases the very best of Tappa Zukie's productions from 1988 to 1994, featuring an all-star lineup of legendary Jamaican vocalists and backed by top musicians such as Sly & Robbie and Clive Hunt. Each track has been remastered and is available together on vinyl for the first time ever. ""When your mother and your father forsake you, the Lord God Jah will pick you up."" These were the words spoken by the people of Trench Town (Kingston, Jamaica) to a young Tappa Zukie, who began running away from home at the age of twelve. Drawn to the allure of the Rude Boy gangs, Tappa was captivated by Kingston’s thriving Sound System culture, where every neighborhood pulsed with music. It was in this vibrant environment that the young Tappa Zukie first began deejaying, quickly gaining recognition as a rising star in the dancehall scene. This early success solidified his deep connection to music, as he developed a sharp intuition for what the dancehall crowds craved. Over the next two decades, Tappa would find both fame and fortune as a deejay, but his influence reached far beyond the mic. He became known as a visionary producer, founding the Stars label, which became a platform for legendary artists like Prince Alla, Junior Ross, Horace Andy, Knowledge to name a few during reggae's golden age of the 1970s Roots era. By the mid-1980s, as Jamaican reggae evolved both in style and production techniques, Tappa responded by launching Tappa Records. This album is a carefully curated selection of ten tracks from Tappa Records, spanning the years 1986 to 1994. These ten tracks—produced by Tappa Zukie—highlight some of Jamaica’s finest singers and deejays, and while the music reflects the shifting styles of Jamaican music at the time, the deep influence of Roots is unmistakable. The themes of Roots music are still front and center, not just in the lyrics but in the very fabric of the production itself, a sound that has since become known among reggae music addicts as ""Digital Roots."" Tappa Zukie and his talented array of musicians developed a sound that remains fresh even today, a testament to their creative vision. It has since become a reference for modern reggae producers, especially within the sound system scene, where Tappa's innovative work continues to inspire and set the standard for the next generation of reggae music.