Dancehall Reggae collaborations with Hip-Hop artists were extremely popular from the late 1980's throughout the 90's and beyond. Dancehall is a stripped down version of Reggae with faster tempos and more of an emphasis on percussion, which was usually provided by drum machines. Dancehall also emphasized existing Reggae rhythms (riddims), and a subject matter that was less spiritual and social than that of traditional Reggae.

Artists such as Shabba Ranks, Louie Rankin, Super Cat, Cutty Ranks and Nardo Ranks were giants in Dancehall, even collaborating with r&b and Hip-Hop artists. At some point Hip-Hop artists like Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy, Ice Cube, The D.O.C., and Chubb Rock injected elements of Dancehall into their music.

KRS-ONE consistently used Dancehall elements in his releases as early as 1987's "The Bridge Is Over. In addition to producing Dancehall bangers for himself and Boogie Down Productions, he also produced them for other Hip-Hop and Dancehall artists. Here we present KRS-ONE's Top 5 Dancehall Reggae productions. Be sure to check out KRS live at this year's Rock The Bells Festival.

1. "Moshitup" - Just-Ice feat. KRS-ONE, 1987

Moshitup (pronounced mash it up) appeared on Just-Ice's 1987 sophomore album, Kool & Deadly. KRS-ONE co-produced and mixed every song on this project, and "Moshitup" is a fan favorite. Moshitup uses the "Jah Send Me Come" riddim. When speaking with The Foundation, Just-Ice revealed the source of his love for Reggae. "The influence is from my mother , she’s Jamaican. Besides that, all I listen to is Yard music. I may play some R&B every once and awhile but that’s it."

2. "9MM Goes Bang" - Boogie Down Productions, 1987

Criminal Minded, BDP's game changing debut full length album contained the first taste of BDP's Dancehall production. The "P is Free" remix and "The Bridge Is Over" showcased KRS' ability to chat (vocalize in the Jamaican patois style), but "9MM Goes Bang", a violent tale which includes Chris' beef with a crack dealer is one of BDP's most revered Dancehall tracks, and a favorite from Criminal Minded.

3. "100 Guns" - Boogie Down Productions, 1990

"100 Guns" appears on Edutainment, BDP's fourth studio album. "100 Guns" tells the true story of the ease with which one could smuggle guns from other states to New York. KRS spits " I'm driving my car, cross country/With a hundred guns and about six G/Me driving through a town, me see two cops/They're looking at me funny like they really want stop/Me just turn my head, and gwan on me way/Put Hip-Hop inna de tape and press play/Me get one block and me hear "Pull over!"/The guns are in the trunk with a thin cover." The songs hook, "I got a hundred guns, two hundred clips goin' to New York" was used on Ja Rule's "New York" in 2004.

4. "Black Cop" - KRS-ONE, 1993

In the wake of the Rodney King case, and the general history of violence and murder experienced by Black and Brown people at the hands of law enforcement in the United States , KRS holds the Black police officer to task. "Thirty years, there were no black cops/You couldn't even run, drive round the block/Recently police trained black cop/To stand on the corner, and take gunshot/This type of warfare isn't new or a shock/It's black on black crime again nonstop."

"Black Cop" appears on KRS-ONE's first solo album, 1993's Return Of The Boom Bap. Kris always spoke this kind of truth to power. Check 1989's "Who Protects Us From You?" from Ghetto Music: The Blueprint Of Hip-Hop.

5. Mad Lion - Take It Easy, 1994

KRS and Dancehall artist Mad Lion have several bangers under their belts, but "Take It Easy" from 1995's Real Ting remains amongst their best. Mad Lion rips KRS' piano heavy, Boom Bap track on one of KRS' lesser talked about productions.

Honorable Mention: "Lyric Licking" - Just-Ice, 1987

"Lyric Licking" is another classic from Just-Ice's Kool & Deadly. Released as the b side of "Going Way Back", the album's first single, "Lyric Licking" features Just chatting, harmonizing, and rhyming in top form over hard drums and dope riddims.