Sinsemilla Riddim – Unknown Label

Sinsemilla was produced by Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare and issued in 1980 under an unknown label, with Black Uhuru anchoring the release on the deep, heavyweight title cut. The set pairs the vocal version with the dub, The Monkey Is A Spy, which adds extra room for the rhythm to breathe and shows off the stripped-back Sly and Robbie approach that helped define the sound. Black Uhuru were already building serious momentum around this period, and Sinsemilla later became one of the group’s best-known albums, giving the riddim a lasting place in reggae history.