Kunta Kinte Roots
Ranking Dread
Kunta Kinte Roots is the second album by Jamaican deejay Ranking Dread, originally released in 1979 on the Burning Rockers label and now reissued on formats like vinyl and CD. Recorded in the late‑1970s roots reggae era, it captures him “at the height of his powers,” riding heavyweight rhythms with a fierce, militant delivery over deep Channel One–style dub backdrops. The record sits firmly within roots reggae and dub, pairing live band tracks and stripped-down mixes with Dread’s toasting and chants, and has come to be regarded as one of his key full-length documents.
The album’s tracklist includes cuts such as Kunta Kinte Roots, Leaving Out Of Baby, Black Starlina, Poor Glory, and other tunes that channel late‑1970s Kingston’s political tension and street reality through the lens of African resistance and pride. The title track, referencing the enslaved African protagonist Kunta Kinte from Alex Haley’s Roots, sets the tone: raw, defiant, and steeped in heavy “roots reality,” with Dread’s voice riding the riddim with fire and authority as echo and reverb carve out a cavernous dub space. Contemporary descriptions of the reissue emphasize how the album preserves the militant sound of that period—thick bass, hypnotic one‑drop drums, dubwise production flourishes—and how Ranking Dread’s combination of tough lyrics and commanding vocal presence makes Kunta Kinte Roots an essential listen for anyone interested in the more confrontational, politically charged side of classic roots and dub.
Kunta Kinte Roots
Ranking Dread
Kunta Kinte Roots is the second album by Jamaican deejay Ranking Dread, originally released in 1979 on the Burning Rockers label and now reissued on formats like vinyl and CD. Recorded in the late‑1970s roots reggae era, it captures him “at the height of his powers,” riding heavyweight rhythms with a fierce, militant delivery over deep Channel One–style dub backdrops. The record sits firmly within roots reggae and dub, pairing live band tracks and stripped-down mixes with Dread’s toasting and chants, and has come to be regarded as one of his key full-length documents.
The album’s tracklist includes cuts such as Kunta Kinte Roots, Leaving Out Of Baby, Black Starlina, Poor Glory, and other tunes that channel late‑1970s Kingston’s political tension and street reality through the lens of African resistance and pride. The title track, referencing the enslaved African protagonist Kunta Kinte from Alex Haley’s Roots, sets the tone: raw, defiant, and steeped in heavy “roots reality,” with Dread’s voice riding the riddim with fire and authority as echo and reverb carve out a cavernous dub space. Contemporary descriptions of the reissue emphasize how the album preserves the militant sound of that period—thick bass, hypnotic one‑drop drums, dubwise production flourishes—and how Ranking Dread’s combination of tough lyrics and commanding vocal presence makes Kunta Kinte Roots an essential listen for anyone interested in the more confrontational, politically charged side of classic roots and dub.