Throwback Thursdays: Jasmine Solano on Shabba Ranks’ “Love Punany Bad”

Words by Jasmine Solano—

It’s been a few weeks since we’ve indulged in our usual Throwback Thursdays routine. Tomorrow night, Feb. 1, sees the return of LargeUp friends Jasmine Solano and Melo-X‘s long-running and much-loved NYC-based party, Electric Punanny, so had Jasmine weigh in on a certain punanny-loving classic from Shabba Ranks that’s sure to get rinsed on Friday night.

Now in its fifth year, Electric Punanny has become a destination for all music lovers to come and experience a wild night of reggae extremes. In gearing up for this Friday’s edition at The Paperbox in Brooklyn with special guests Dre Skull and Dubbel Dutch, I’ve chosen an anthem that represents what Electric Punanny is all about. Taking it back to my favorite time period, the 90’s, we highlight Shabba Ranks’ “Love Punanny Bad,”—or “Love Punany Bad.” Throughout its years of being spread through dancehall music, the term has been spelled both ways. Shabba’s 1987 classic—an early breakthrough on the King Jammy’s label for the guy who would soon bring dancehall to the mainstream around the world— hits home with the vision that celebrating the punanny is of utmost importance. If we could all do it, it would spread love instead of spreading violence.