Visual Culture: Clovis Designs New ‘Strictly the Best’ Covers

Words by Jesse Serwer—

Since 1990, VP Records has released two annual Strictly the Best compilations, compiling the year’s biggest tunes in reggae and dancehall onto two separate releases. For this year’s editions, the label tapped Clovis Brown, the Jamaica Observer‘s provocative editorial cartoonist—and a LargeUp favorite—to design the CD covers. The famed cultural gadfly puts his distinctive visual spin on a reggae dance and a dancehall bashment, for Strictly the Best 46 and 47, respectively. Read LargeUp’s interview with Clovis here, and get the full track listings for the discs below. And for more on Strictly the Best’s history, read an exhaustive rundown of every release in the series, at Achis’ Reggae Blog.

Strictly The Best 46

DISC 1 (Current Hits)
1. The Return – Morgan Heritage
2. Sound Alarm – Iba Mahr
3. Reggae Music Again – Busy Signal
4. Dancing Beauty – Beres Hammond
5. Lover’s Leap – Tarrus Riley
6. If I Were A Carpenter – Christopher Martin
7. One More Night – Gyptian
8. Start Over – Etana
9. Fired Up Inside – Romain Virgo
10. By My Side – Chino
11. Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You – Jamelody
12. That Girl – Jah Cure
13. Africa – Freddie McGregor

DISC 2 (Classic Hits)
1. God Is Standing By – George Nooks
2. Never Dis The Man – Sanchez
3. Raid The Barn – Anthony B
4. By His Deeds –V.C.
5. Princess Gone – Jah Mason
6. Love So Nice – Jr. Kelly
7. Beautiful Lady – Gyptian
8. Warrior Love – Etana
9. Lonely Girl – Bascom X
10. One More Night – Busy Signal
11. Your Love Is My Love – Terry Linen
12. Mus Come A Road – Mr. Vegas

Strictly The Best 47

DISC 1 (Current Hits)
1. Summer Wave – Popcaan
2. We Love Di Vibes – I Octane
3. Bruk It Down – Mr. Vegas
4. Jump – RDX
5. Stop Sign – Konshens
6. Get Gal Easy – Vybz Kartel
7. Rebel – Cherine Anderson featuring DI
8. How Deep Is Your Love – Sean Paul featuring Kelly Rowland
9. Some Bwoy – Tommy Lee Sparta
10. La a Land – Aidonia
11. Psycho – Tommy Lee Sparta
12. No Long Talking – Bounty Killer
13. Uncle Demon – Tommy Lee Sparta

DISC 2 (Classic Hits)
1. Hot Stepper – Ini Kamoze
2. Them A Bleach – Nardo Ranks
3. Poco Man Jam – Gregory Peck
4. Down In Jamaica – Red Fox & Naturalee
5. Blackboard – Beenie Man
6. Faith – Tony Curtis
7. Goggle – Tanya Stephens
8. Go Go Wine – Captain Barkey
9. Peanut Punch – Fabby Dolly
10. Badman Forward – Ding Dong
11. Sufferah – Bounty Killer
12. Badmind – Capleton
13. Kimbo King – Reggie Stepper