Yakety Yak Riddim – Coxsone, Upsetter, Pama, Justice League, John John, Very Huge

Yakety Yak Riddim brings together the classic 1967 roots of The Cool Spoon’s Yakety Yak with later versions from Lee Scratch Perry, The Upsetters, Charlie Ace, Elephant Man, and Lady Saw, and the project is credited to a cluster of key names including Niney The Observer, Coxsone Dodd, Lee Scratch Perry, John John, and Chester Walker. The tracklist leans on that long-running Jamaican habit of reworking a strong rhythm over different eras, moving from early cuts like Lee Scratch Perry’s Yakety Yak and The Upsetters’ Tackio and Clint Eastwood to later dancehall takes such as Elephant Man’s Bad and Bold and Dem Bad Mind, plus Lady Saw’s Stress Free. What gives it its identity is the way it bridges ska-era and reggae foundations with modern dancehall voices, while keeping the same playful, bouncing groove at the center.