Ricky Ranking and The Rebel "I" - A Banana Klan Community Story

Rebel "I" and Ricky Ranking Brixton 2008

So it started in Amsterdam (where else lol) I was there DJing at a club on a Friday night back in 2001. When I finished I saw a text from my good friend DJ MK saying that he's touchin down in 'Dam in the morning to DJ for Roots Manuva at a gig at The Melkweg that night. Do I wanna roll with them? he asked so I said yeah, I'm up for that bell me when you land. The next morning I got up early, changed my flight round and headed out for breakfast waiting for his call.


Ricky Ranking, DJ MK, Roots Manuva and Rebel I
Slime And Reason Tour 2008

I'd been waiting outside the famous Barneys Breakfast Bar for ages, my breakfast eaten, my coffee was cold and my spliff was now a dead roach in the ashtray. I was pissed off at waiting even though it was a sunny morning and I was feeling pretty lean off the White Widow I'd been smoking.
Finally MK called me and told me what hotel they were at and said he'll meet me in the lobby. The phone was down before I got a chance to cuss him. I knew the hotel where they were staying and I made my way down there. As I walked towards the entrance I saw him walking out the lobby like he was on a mission. "We've lost Ricky, We Can't Find Ricky" MK said. "Who's Ricky?" I replied.
"Ricky Ranking!" MK said amazed I didnt know who he was talkin bout
"Ricky Ranking?... What Ricky Ranking from Nasty Rockers?" I replied stoned and confused
"Yeah, he's known Rodney for years" he said "Thought I told you that?"
"Oh,didn't know that... Let's go find him then"


Ricky Ranking, Banana Klan Godfather

Ricky Ranking is a legend, make no mistake about that. He started in the sound system business in the late 70's on the Small Axe 2 sound. He earned his stripes performing at various dances for sounds like King Tubby's. But it was when he joined Brixton sound Nasty Rockers that he established himself as a star MC in the UK London dancehall scene. Soon he found himself in the recording booth and "Rocking The Dance" became a massive dancehall hit followed by "I Can't Get Enough Love" which hit number 2 in the reggae charts and stayed there for 6 weeks.
More hits followed and tours with the late great Sugar Minott's Youthman Promotion and shows with Pablo Gad, Twinkle Bros,and not forgetting legendary dancehall nights with Brigidier Jerry and Josey Wales and the famous jams with Supercat at Balham 200 and Nitty Gritty at Jubilee Hall and countless classic performances at dances for Nasty Rockers and Taurus Hi-Fi and Coxone Sound cemented his position as a microphone Don Dada.


Ricky Ranking with dancehall award in 1980's


Ricky Ranking performing on Coxone Sound Clapham 1986

Fast Foward a few years from the Amsterdam trip and I'd seen Ricky along with the whole Roots Manuva/Banana Klan family at various shows and tours over that time. Since I was down with the Klan Lords and knew them from the 90's Hip Hop scene I soon became a member of the Banana Klan and Roots then asked me to DJ for Ricky.
So when we would meet up we'd get into a reasoning and he'd school me on the history, the dancehall clashes, the road stories from legends he'd rolled with and I learned so much all the shit I didn't know that put the Sound System puzzle together. I had all the Riddims and Versions and knew how to drop them but Ricky fine tuned me into getting the sequence of selection at a dance to perfection.
We'd also talk about getting together to make music and record some sessions but with so many commitments on both sides we've only managed to get a couple sessions recorded. The legendary Banana Klan Community Session 2008 Part's One and Two are posted below....download links to follow. As for me and Ricky...well the story is to be continued. Peace.

Dj Diablo And The Godfather Ricky Ranking Banana Klan Session Pt1 (Unreleased) by Dj Diablo Aka Rebel "I" on Mixcloud

Dj Diablo And The Godfather Ricky Ranking Banana Klan Session Pt2 (Unreleased) by Dj Diablo Aka Rebel "I" on Mixcloud

Live At The Funhouse DJ Diablo, DJ MK - Hip Hop Bashment Special with special guest Seanie T

Mighty Moe "Dangerous" (Diablo's Reggae Refix)

Off the forthcoming Mighty Moe Mixtape... Catch Mighty Moe performing at Sticky's Birthday Bash at Hot Wuk Thursday 25th November East Village, Shoreditch.

Mighty Moe "Dangerous" (Diablo's Reggae Refix) 2010 by Dj Diablo on Mixcloud

Seanie Tee - Bullit Official Video

New Heat from Seanie Tee... Bullit! Bullit! Bullit!!!

Gregory Isaacs - Rest In Peace

Gregory Isaacs (15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010)

It was a normal Monday morning, I had just finished chattin' to Seanie Tee about his new single when I got a text from a friend saying that Gregory Isaacs had passed away at his London home aged 59.
Gregory Isaacs aka The Cool Ruler aka Jah Tooth and many other alias was a LEGEND even before his passing. I've never done a Tribute mix to any other artist before but I felt I had to for the Cool Ruler. You can download it with the link at the bottom of this article or listen to it on the mixcloud link here.

Rebel I "Tribute To The Cool Ruler" Gregory Isaacs R.I.P. by Dj Diablo on Mixcloud

I had enjoyed listening to Gregory Isaacs's music for quite some time but it was when a friend returned from Jamaica in the early 90's with about 20 Gregory cassettes that I really got into his music. After Bob Marley died, Gregory and Dennis Brown were the two men who ruled Reggae. Back then I was always asked who was my favorite Dennis or Gregory? Well as much as I love Dennis Brown's music, Gregory was the man. He killed it on every riddim he was on, whether it was a Lovers Rock tune or a Rub A Dub cut. For me Gregory sang the blues over Reggae riddims and his distinctive voice sent shivers down my spine. If your ever feeling down in the dumps stick on some Cool Ruler and the grey skies soon turn blue again.


Love Overdue - Gregory Isaacs

Born in Fletchers Land in 1951 and a resident of Denham Town he recorded his first single "Another Heartbreak" in 1968, he then join the group The Concords and they released several singles with little success and split up in 1970. He then teamed up with Errol Dunkley and formed the African Museum record label and record shop in Idlers Rest in Kingston and the hits then started. He recorded for many producers at the time to finance the label with classics like "All I Have Is Love" "Extra Classic" "Black A Kill Black" to name a few. In 1974 he started recording tunes with Alvin Ranglin and had his first number one "Love Overdue". A string of hit records followed and in 1978 he signed to Virgin records offshoot Frontline records and appeared in the classic Jamaican movie Rockers peforming "Slave Master".



"Slave Master" - Gregory Isaacs from the movie "Rockers"

The Cool Ruler and Soon Foward albums he did for Virgin didn't get the sales that were expected although they remain possibly his best work. A string of hits off these albums and other works around this time included "Soon Foward" "Tune In" "Wailing Rudie" "Number One" and countless others. International success was looming but it was a hard road to travel for the Cool Ruler.


"Tune In" - Gregory Isaacs Live TV Performance

He then signed for Island Records and finally got his break into the mainstream.He performed at his first Jamaican Sunsplash in 1981 and "Night Nurse" the single and album received heavy radio play in the US and UK and it seemed that now was the time when things were going to start happening for him and they did happen although probably not what he expected. He was arrested and sent to prison for possession of cocaine and firearms.It emerged that this was his 27th arrest and he was suspected of dealing drugs and was addicted to crack cocaine.


"Night Nurse" - Gregory Isaacs Live At Sunsplash 1983

His addiction had a big impact on his voice after most of his teeth fell out.In 2007 he said of his addiction "Drugs are a debasing weapon. It was the greatest college ever, but the most expensive school fee ever paid – the Cocaine High School. I learnt everything, and now I've put it on the side."
Through the 80's he released more material working with the likes of King Jammy and Bobby Digital and in 1988 he released the classic album "Red Rose for Gregory" with the massive international hit "Rumours". Through the 90's he released more and reissued his classic works on his African Musuem label. One of the hardest working men in the industry he continued to perform and record through the 2000's and in 2008 he released a studio album entitled "Brand New Me" to very positive reviews.


"Denham Town(Kingston 14)- Gregory Isaacs from the documentary "Made In Jamaica"

A terrible loss to the reggae world, I salute the Cool Ruler, The Don of Denham Town. Bless Up Gregory Isaacs... Rubadub In Paradise, your music will live on forever.

Rebel "I"
Banana Klan

Rebel "I" "Tribute To The Cool Ruler" Download...

www.mediafire.com/?8y937d04tn0m5mo

Tracklisting

1. Out Deh
2. Mr Cop
3. Skank to Jah Music
4. Front Door
5. Top Ten
6. Stranger In Town
7. Storm
8. Tune In
9. Soon Forward
10. Cool Down The Pace
11. Love Overdue
12. Ba Da
13. Don't Go
14. Thief A Man
15. Rasta Business
16. One One Cocoa
17. Slave Master
18. Conversation
19. Extra Classic
20. Sun Shines For Me
21. Raving Tonight
22. Smile
23. Mr Brown
24. Bend Down Low
25. Substitute
26. Something Nice
27. A Few Words
28. Hard Time
29. Black A Kill Black
30. Uncle Joe
31. Down The Line
32. Jailer, Jailer, Bring Me Water
33. Warriors
34. Babylon Too Rough
35. Reasoning With The Almighty
36. Lonely Soldier
37. Promised Land
38. Once Ago

Rebel Sounds - Seanie T " War/ Rap Revolution " Official Video

Foundation Words From Roots Manuva

FOUNDATION WORDS

The Banana Klan mission in essence is an "informal appreciation community," that has evolved out of the Roots Manuva live tour entourage. Indeed, this said party have partied hard over the years. In a nutshell, Banana Klan is a vessel of anti brand provocations, and interactive socio-economic concern, for a street level think-tank community.

Membership is achieved from living the Hip-Hop and Punk Rock "do-it-yourself" aesthetic. As a result, the Klan is a constantly evolving organism. For me the inception was more akin to a trade seal of approval rather than a conventional record label or band. There are 3 degrees of Banana Klan type:

BK HARDCORE
BK FRINGE
BK ADOPTEE

A rebel community animal in its very least, we will: jam, brainstorm, squabble, and agree to agree or disagree. We obsess about all things elastic to a migrant adjustment in the UK and beyond. As founder of the platform my inspiration grows out of frustration with the "give me a record deal mentality" of our times.

The Klan hustle is deeper than money, genre, religion, age, greed, class and political persuasion. The struggle continues strength of conviction; recognized over-standing. When you see the trade mark: let it be said that we do not follow trends. We do this for the love of our school of thought; an underground Academy of DIY reluctant anti-heroes.

As the Klan grows daily, the Question "What is Banana Klan?" is getting harder to answer. The harder the better.

Thank you for your interest,

Roots Manuva

This Station Rules Di Nation With Version! The Funhouse Dub Special With Rebel "I" aka DJ Diablo & Chris P Cuts