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Last week at Newark's Rock Steady concert, Chubb Rock announced to the crowd that Shabba Ranks had been shot and killed and then proceeded to perform a series of Shabba's songs as a tribute. That set off a week's worth of speculation, with most people accepting it as fact after Dana Dane announced it on his Sirius radio show Backspin.
Back in the day, Shabba was easily my favorite ragga artist - after hearing The Jam with KRS-1 back in middle school, I started copping dancehall cds like it was an addiction - so I had to take a few minutes to see if there was any truth to the rumors of Ranks' passing. I have no idea where Chubb got his information from, but everything I've been able to turn up on the internet regarding Shabba seems to suggest that he is still alive and well. His wikipedia page doesn't mention it, nor does his MySpace page. I also checked out a few Jamaican forums and, after decoding the patois, the rumor seems to be debunked. A few posts on the internet admittedly do not constitute rock solid evidence, but barring an actual funeral for the man I think it's safe to say we can hold off on the R.I.P. Shabba tributes.
It's rare that I get a chance to discuss Shabba Ranks, so I might as well use this opportunity to post up links to a few of his videos:
Ting-A-Ling
Bedroom Bully
Mr. Loverman
Bonus: In Living Color's Mr Ugly Man.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a link to the song he did with KRS-1, The Jam.
8/04/2007 7:28:29 AM posted by Fresh