Produced by the mighty
Prince Jammy,
Nitty Gritty's 1986 debut is a fine example of dancehall's early days. The backing tracks on
Turbo Charged are split between the usual riddims featuring studio musicians and digital creations with the cheap synths and drum machines that define 1985/1986 dancehall.
"Key to Your Heart" sounds positively Casiotone with its ultra-cheesy drum'n'bass line while the infectious
"Gimme Some a Your Something" features the kind of Linn drum machine found on numerous synth pop and new wave recordings.
Jammy's electronic creations are minimal, leaving much of the heavy lifting to the vocalist who responds with a rapid singjay style somewhere between
Tenor Saw and
King Kong. Lyrics filled with broken hearts, hopes for a better tomorrow, and adapted Jamaican proverbs -- like the big hit closer,
"Hog in a Minty" -- are seductive delivered by
Nitty, but unfortunately this is one of the few examples. After a move from Jamaica to New York City, a 33-year-old
Nitty Gritty was shot and killed in 1991. ~ David Jeffries
