Monster Shack Crew

In the late 1990s a wave of crew affiliations swept through Jamaican dancehall, prompting many deejays to band together rather than operate alone. Red Rat, Goofy and Hawkeye aligned as the Main Street Crew, while Elephant Man, Harry Toddler, Boom Dandimite and Nitty Kutchie formed the Scare Dem Crew. Another such outfit, the Monster Shack Crew, united Ghost, General B and Roundhead, each of whom had already built thriving solo careers. The three veterans first pooled their talents in 1996, touring the island’s sound-system circuit as a unit. Ghost’s trademark sing-jay delivery had taken shape as early as 1993, when he cut “Gal Pickney” for producer Clifton “Specialist” Dillon; subsequent solo successes included “Program For Your Body,” “Arms Of Love,” “Roses Are Red” and the Tony Curtis duet “Whine.” General B initially favored a rapid-fire patter showcased on tracks such as “Look Work,” “Ziggy Ziggy,” “Who La La La” and “Bad Inna New Clothes.” Roundhead, by contrast, became known for celebratory odes to marijuana, most notably the raspy hit “High Every Day,” alongside “Flavour,” “High Grade Hip Hop” and “Cruise Control.” Although already respected on Jamaican sound systems, the trio waited until 1998 to issue a joint compilation. Working with producer Colin “Fatta” Waters, they recorded “Make Money,” “Body Guard” and a distinctive cover of Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al.” The resulting collection earned strong overseas notices and reached the top of the album charts.