The role of women in dancehall is extensive and varied. Most famously, there are the dancehall queens who have turned the seductive movements inspired by the music into a distinctive and worldwide artform of its own. Deejaying has always been a male-dominated sport but that’s not to say there haven’t been many worthy ladies in the ranks, too. We decided it was about time to spotlight women’s contributions to dancehall by highlighting all of the genre’s most crucial female voices, from relative newcomer Tifa to pioneers like Sister Nancy. Turns out we aren’t the only ones thinking this: this Saturday, May 24, Club Amazura in Queens, NYC is hosting a concert dubbed the Invasion of the Queens, featuring an all-female cast of dancehall greats, including a number of the lady deejays on this list.
From the moment that “Crawny Gal” dropped on Ward 21’s Dem Gal Sitt’n riddim in the mid-2000’s, it was obvious that Tifa would be a leader among dancehall’s millennial generation of female artists. Known for tracks like “Dash Out,” “Wife Me Up” and “Champion Bubbler” (for NY-based Mixpak Records), Tifa also joined up with fellow Ward 21-affiliated females Natalie Storm and Timberlee to form the group TNT. She has earned numerous titles and accolades in Jamaica—where she is one of the most popular—from the Excellence in Music and Entertainment Awards, Youth View Awards, and Stone Love. —Raine Martin
Shelly Thunder is probably most known for her massive ‘80s dancehall hit “Kuff” that lyrically struck back at the male-dominated dancehall scene, encouraging women to smack a man who steps out of line. Born in Jamaica, Thunder spent her formative years in Brooklyn, cutting her teeth as a deejay on the borough’s burgeoning sound system scene. She recorded her first hit “Shock Mi a Shock” over the Sleng Teng riddim with producer and fellow Jamaican expat Whitfield Henry for his NYC-based Witty label. She would score other hits with Henry including the seminal “Kuff” before signing to Chris Blackwell’s Island Records where she dropped the successful crossover dancehall LP Fresh Out the Pack. Since then, Thunder has changed up her vibe but remains active musically as a gospel reggae singer and minister. —Saxon Baird
One of the most versatile female deejays, Spice can easily morph from being a brash and aggressive spit-fire deejay to being a soft and harmonious singjay and soulful singer. Her first big tune “Fight Over Man” on Dave Kelly’s 85 riddim made her one-to-watch in 2006, and since then she has built a solid catalogue that includes the crossover hit “Ramping Shop” with Vybz Kartel; “Jim Screechie”; and her latest banger “So Mi Like It.” —Raine Martin
7. Macka Diamond
Macka Diamond entered into the dancehall sorority in the late 1980s as Lady Mackerel, a counteraction of sorts to the then-infuential deejay Major Mackerel. Throughout her career, her knack for taking popular songs and themes from her male counterparts and refashioning them from a female point of view has been one of her strongest points. She reinvented herself in the early 2000s at Macka Diamond with tunes like “Tek Con” a play off of Vybz Kartel’s “Tek Buddy.” Known for tunes like “Bun Him,” “Hoola Hoop,” “40 and Fabulous” and the sexually-charged “Dye Dye,” Macka remains one of the top female deejays in the industry.—Raine Martin
No ordinary deejay, Patra is a style icon and international sex symbol whose influence extends far beyond the dancehall. First coming to the Jamaican public’s attention in 1989, she made one of her earliest appearances at the legendary ladies-only Four The Hard Way clash at Reggae Sting , which also featured Lady G, Lady P and Sister Charmaine, that year. Early ‘90s singles like “Queen of the Pack,” “Worker Man” and “Romantic Call” with rapper Yo-Yo helped bring her to international attention, fusing dancehall with pop, R&B and hip-hop, while her arresting looks and sultry wining skill made her a favorite among male listeners. Today, Patra might be most famous for her hair: The jumbo-sized rows she popularized in the ‘90s, and since worn by everyone from Janet Jackson to Solange, are often referred to simply as “Patra braids.” After many years off the scene, she’s recently returned with the single “Come Ova” featuring Delus. Read our interview with the “Queen of the Pack” here.
One of the earliest females to become a successful deejay, Sister Nancy earned her stripes as a teenager toasting on local sound systems under the guidance of her older brother Brigadier Jerry, and General Echo, in the late 70s. In 1982, Nancy dropped “One, Two,” “Transport Connection” and other tunes that became local hits on Winston Riley’s Techniques label. “Bam Bam,” a mostly ignored single in Jamaica, would find its way overseas where it became a staple tune on the popular Stalag Riddim juggling in Caribbean clubs and parties in North America and beyond, eventually becoming a cult classic and one of the most recognized dancehall tunes worldwide.
“Bam Bam” has been sampled by hip-hop acts Main Source, Guerilla Black, Too Short, Pete Rock & CL Smooth and, most recently, Chris Brown and Wiz Khalifa. Nancy’s signature tune was featured in Hype Williams’ 1998 film Belly, and, just this year, a Reebok commercial featuring former Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr. —Raine Martin
One of the most popular cultural reggae artists in Jamaica, male or female, the “Fire Muma” Queen Ifrica is known for righteous, message-driven music. Raised in Montego Bay, the daughter of ska pioneer Derrick Morgan joined Tony Rebel’s Flames Production camp in the late ‘90s before scoring some major hits in the mid 2000s, including “Below the Waist.” Never one to shy away from speaking on taboo topics, she’s been broadly praised for “Daddy,” her 2008 single addressing the topic of child molestation, and censured for her comments regarding homosexuality. Her knack for crafting top-quality anthems celebrating female empowerment—best exemplified by “Lioness on the Rise”—is indisputable, though. —Jesse Serwer
Tanya Stephens emerged in the late 90s, following the path of Lady Saw, and a host of other female deejays at the time with sexually-charged singles like “Yuh Nuh Ready Fi Dis Yet” and “Goggle.” Eventually she would distinguish herself from the pack in the mid-2000s, opting to sing more melodic bluesy singles that broke with convention and were more socially aware and personal. Her largely acoustic 2006 album Rebelution featured the single “Do You Still Care” which touched on homophobia, a taboo topic in dancehall. Sexism, racism, addiction, and politics were also central themes in this groundbreaking album. Tanya continues to push the envelope with her latest album Guilty, which features the song “Unapologetic” which pretty much sums up her approach to music.—Raine Martin
Lady G isn’t just a woman in a man’s world, she’s a feminist in a man’s world. Since her first hit, “Nuff Respect” in 1988, the deejay born Janice Fyffe has been calling it like she sees it on tunes meant to point out cultural issues, from “Legal Rights” to “Breeze Off” to “Me Or The Gun” to the more recent “Ghetto Vibes.” After getting her start with Black Scorpio Sound System in the mid-80s, she had a string of hits with Papa San, as well as on her own, before taking a brief sabbatical in 1990 to raise her children.
Returning in 1994, she’s continued to record and tour, even charting in the U.K. with garage hit “Girls Like Us.” Soon after, she founded G String Productions, where she works with artists like Capleton, Sizzla, and Lady Saw. She’s largely avoided slackness, though songs like her first record “Ghetto Rock” (recorded while still in high school!) show she can get down with the best of them. The always-outspoken Lady G has an unparalleled flow—if you’re not convinced, just check her appearance at the Four The Hard Way clash at Reggae Sting ‘89.—Natalie Weiner
Of all the female deejays to break into the male-dominated Dancehall arena, Lady Saw is the undisputable and indomitable champion. Saw emerged on the scene in the early 90s with the slack lyrics and machismo that put most of her male counterparts to shame. Early tunes like “If Him Lef,” “Stab Out The Meat,” “Hardcore,” “Sycamore Tree,” and “Woman Mi Name” were among the first sexually empowering female Dancehall anthems.
Two decades later Saw is still going strong as the reigning Queen of the Dancehall – the only female Dancehall artist to win a Grammy, hit the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 100, and be certified triple platinum (“Underneath it All” with pop Punk group No Doubt). She’s redefined femininity and female sexuality in Dancehall culture and shattered many sexual stereotypes and taboos. (In what may be a first she’s recently dropped the masturbation-themed “Pretty Fingers”). She is also one of the few female producers in the industry, producing many of her own tunes and albums, and co-producing singles for the likes of Vybz Kartel and others with her longtime love interest, Lloyd “John John” James. —Raine Martin
+1: Sister Charmaine
One of the first female deejays to chat slackness on wax, Sister Charmaine was well-respected among her peers as a razor-sharp freestyle lyricist in the mid- to late-80s, famously destroying Lady G, Patra, and Lady P at Sting in 1989. At 17, her single “Glammity” hit some of the local charts in Jamaica, despite being deemed not fit for airplay. Charmaine challenged Dancehall’s ruling male deejays with tunes like “Hol A Rest,” “Community Girl,” “Hol A Kuff” and “Wake Up,” boosting her popularity among the bigger sound systems. She moved to New York in 1990, where she was crowned ‘Female DJ of the Year’ at various annual events. —Raine Martin
Sasha was one of those female deejays who had HITS! From her breakout dancehall hit “Kill the Bitch” to “Dat Sexy Body” (arguably one of the most radio-friendly songs on the classic Bookshelf riddim), to her international smash with Sean Paul, “I’m Still in Love with You,” Sasha was notorious for delivering great club records! If you were wondering what ever happened to this artist, who seemed to drop off the face of the planet in the early 200s, well, she’s still making music, she’s just doing it for the Lord now, releasing gospel reggae under the name Sista Sasha—G. Brown
An active force in reggae for over 30 years, “Mother Culture” did not arrive at her success by any traditional route. The voice behind socially-minded tunes like “Black Cinderella” and the spiritual “Oh Jah (Mi Ready)” earned a college degree and had her first child before ever picking up a microphone. Under the tutelage of Brigadier Jerry while living in Brooklyn, she became a staple deejay and one of the few females in the early years of New York’s growing Jamaican music scene, recording with NYC legends like Jah Life and the late Philip Smart. Her knack for strong melodies, along with uplifting lyrics founded in her unwavering Rastafarian principles helped Carol carve out a successful career that included a Grammy nomination for her 1995 LP Lyrically Potent as even a brief acting career, appearing in such films as Something Wild and Married to the Mob.—Saxon Baird
Arriving on the scene in the late ‘70s, Lady Ann started out on the sound system Little Jaro alongside Barrington Levy, Toyan, Little John and Tristan Palma, establishing a reputation as a tough-talking female who could hang with the guys. Moving into recording, she worked with producers including Joe Gibbs and his son, Rocky Gibbs. She’d have her biggest hit in 1982 with “Informer,” a track on the Heavenless riddim known for its classic, oft-quoted chorus of “Murderer!” Now based in New York, the wife of artist Carlton Livingston continues to perform frequently–she’s one of several ladies from this list on the lineup at this Saturday’s Invasion of the Queens concert in NYC. —Jesse Serwer
As much as it seems like females get left out of the conversation when it comes to reggae and dancehall, the music’s history is filled with notable female deejays: too many to even make our list. We’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention pioneering females Mother Liza (of Nigger Kojak and Mother Liza fame) and Junie Ranks (of “Big and Ready” fame). And, on the more modern end of things, the prolific and influential Cecile and Timberlee and Natalie Storm of TNT and Ward 21’s Badda Badda Bunch, have brought us much enjoyable tunes.
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