Rejoice Skank Riddim – Black Art, Mango

Produced by Lee Scratch Perry for Black Art and Mango in 1973, Rejoice Skank pulls together just five cuts but leaves a strong stamp from the Black Ark era. The Silvertones lead the way with Rejoice Skank and Rejoice Jah Jah Children, while Jah Lloyd’s Colombia Colly and the two African Dub versions round out the set and keep the focus on Perry’s spare, heavy skank. It also sits right alongside Silver Bullets, the Silvertones’ Black Art album that carried Rejoice Skank and Rejoice Jah Jah Children in the original 1973 issue, which helps place this riddim firmly in Perry’s early-70s catalogue. The result is a short, rootsy selection with that lean bass-and-drum pressure, split-stereo feel, and unmistakable Black Art character.