Africa Iron Gate Showcase – Berris

1982 was a sweet spot for that tense turn from roots into early dancehall, and Africa Iron Gate Showcase catches the moment with sharp deejay cuts riding rugged, dubwise rhythms cut from the Roots Radics school. Prince Hammer is the guiding hand here, and his own cuts — “Africa Iron Gate, ” “King In A The Ring, ” “Press Along Dreadlocks, ” and especially “King Selassie M-16” — sit right in the centre of the set, while Echo Minott, George Nooks and Trinity keep the energy moving with chants that feel half studio session, half sound system warning. It’s lean, militant reggae with space for the bass to breathe, and the closing “She Is Mine” leaves the showcase on a cooler note after all that fire.