Home → Roots Manuva → Duppy Writer
Duppy Writer
Hip-Hop · 2010 · 13 tracks · 42m

Duppy Writer

Roots Manuva

A vibrant collision of South London hip-hop and vintage 80s dancehall. Roots Manuva's iconic baritone finds a new home amidst Wrongtom's tape-saturated riddims.

September 6, 2010 · Big Dada Recordings

Find on Amazon

Duppy Writer is a sun-drenched reimagining of the Roots Manuva catalog, trading the claustrophobic urban tension of his earlier work for the warm, skanking embrace of 1980s dancehall. Produced by Wrongtom, the album feels like a long-lost collaboration found in a dusty Kingston basement, where the grit of South London meets the rhythmic bounce of the Caribbean. It is an album defined by its heavy, melodic basslines and the unmistakable hiss of analog tape, creating a listening experience that is both nostalgic and refreshingly vibrant.

Tracklist · 13 Tracks · 42m
01
Butterfly Crab Walk
2:39
02
Chin Up
4:06
03
Duppy Writer (skit)
0:42
04
Worl’ a Mine
3:38
05
Big Tings Redone
4:28
06
Jah Warriors
3:57
07
Proper Tings Juggled
4:20
08
Dutty Rut
3:38
09
Dub Decay (skit)
0:20
10
Lick Up Ya Foot
2:47
11
Rebuff
3:00
12
Son of Bodda
3:30
13
Motion 82
5:04
Moments Worth Listening For
The way the Witness vocal sits perfectly over the jaunty, organ-led One More Time riddim.
The sudden drop into cavernous reverb during the breakdown of Jah Pick Up.
The interplay between the dry rap delivery and the wet, echoing snare hits on Buff Nuff.
Reviews
BBC Music
Read review
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Duppy Writer sound next to the rest of Roots Manuva's catalogue?

Confident+4.0σ

Confident saturates this record far more than the artist's norm.

Cassette uses generative AI to enrich its catalog. How we use AI →