Toppa Top 10: Soca Jams of 2010

Compiled by Rishi Bonneville, DJ Gravy, Jillionaire and Eddie STATS Houghton

It is the end of year that ends in ’10, so you can forgive us if we go Toppa Top 10 mad and just post Top 10s from now til 2011. In that spirit, we have wukked up a list of the biggest, baddest, maddest, massest, muddiest soca jams of 2010…and in the Carnival spirit of too much is better, we let it run to 11!

11. Natalie Storm, “Nuh Watch Me”
You nah get nuttin fi free. Listen here!

10. Lil Rick, “Go Dung”

9. Farmer Nappy f. Kerwin Dubois, “Pavement”

8. Busy Signal f. Machel Montano, “Woiiiee Gal”

See rule #1 and add rule #2: Busy Signal was the most pan-Caribbean Jamaican artist of the last 5 years, getting his Harry Belafonte on with Machel and Bunji Garlin collaborations–not to mention his own soca solo-jawms.

7. Ravi B, “Ah Drinka”

You can argue whether or not it’s ‘real’ soca until Carnival, this was the chutney anthem of the year and displays all of the requisite hallmarks: rum, marital problems, a minute-plus dramatic intro to the video and an addictive Bollywood hook.

6. Tallpree “Wicked Jab”

Grenada stand up!

5. Pitbull f. Machel Montano, “Alright”

Meet us at the hotel.

4. Fay-Ann Lyons, “True Lies”

Once again Faye Ann–or Fay-Ann if you’re hyphenated–was the female Machel and the female Skinny Fabulous in one, virtually owning the road–see also “Iron & Steel” and “Start Whining.”

3. JW & Blaze, “Palance”

Road kings. What more can we say?

2. Buffy, “Anything”

Easily the breakout artist of the year, Buffy was the Swappi of 2010 and the clear winner in another important category called “most international soca club nights named after my song/catchphrase/lyric”–which may actually be the truest indicator of street heat.

1. Skinny Fabulous f. Machel Montano, “Duracell Plus”

It was actually just Skinny Fabulous “Duracell” that tore up the set but this version has the new video and the first clear pattern that emerged in this year of soca is this: Machel Montano was the +1 at all the best fetes, creating monster jams with one flag tied behind his back.

Honorebel mentions: Shal & Screws, “Police,” Blaxx, “Huntin,” Patch “Pipe” and the entire Gutter riddim, the Brassfest riddim, Kerwin Dubois f. Slammer Cutter “D Fan,” Machel Montano “Bumpa to Fenda,” anything with Machel Montano, “De African,” “Zoom Zoom” and anything with Bunji Garlin on it.