On April 12, 2025—simply in time for Worldwide Report Retailer Day—VPAL is reissuing one in all reggae’s most iconic albums: One Two by Sister Nancy. Initially launched in 1982 and reissued on CD in 1992, the legendary debut from Jamaica’s first female dancehall DJ is lastly returning to vinyl in a remastered, restricted version collector’s urgent.
However that is greater than a nostalgia drop. It’s a long-overdue celebration and reclamation.
A Layered Legacy: The Many Lives of Bam Bam
On the coronary heart of the album lies Bam Bam, one of the sampled and influential tracks in reggae historical past. However its story didn’t begin with Sister Nancy. The tune nods to the unique Bam Bam by Toots and the Maytals, which received the Jamaican Competition Tune Competitors in 1966. It additionally attracts inspiration from Yellowman’s model, recorded at Harry J Studio—the place Sister Nancy occurred to be engaged on her personal album. With just one monitor left to complete One Two, she freestyled her model on the spot over the basic Stalag riddim, creating an anthem that might echo for generations.
The Stalag riddim itself, launched in 1973 by Ansel Collins and named after the movie Stalag 17, has grow to be one of the enduring backdrops in dancehall and hip-hop. Bam Bam—constructed atop that riddim—is a musical matryoshka, every layer revealing extra of reggae’s deep and textured lineage.
Lastly Getting Her Flowers
Regardless of its international success—showing in James Bond: No Time To Die, Ozark, Dexter, and being sampled by Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Lauryn Hill—Sister Nancy didn’t obtain correct credit score or compensation for many years. That modified solely lately when she took authorized motion and partnered with VPAL Music, the digital distribution arm of VP Information. Now, with this official reissue, followers can help the music the appropriate means—with proceeds going to the artist herself.
However when it first dropped, Bam Bam was barely performed in Jamaica. As Nancy herself defined in an interview with Vibe Journal, it wasn’t till she migrated to the U.S. in 1996 that she realised how massive the tune had grow to be. “I used to be simply house watching HBO and that’s how I noticed Stomach,” she recalled. “No one contacted me. I didn’t get a cent for it.” It might take years—and a authorized battle over misattributed credit and royalties—earlier than she lastly started to obtain what she was owed.
A Vinyl Rebirth
The brand new reissue is greater than only a repress—it’s an announcement. Restored and remastered from the unique grasp tapes, One Two can be accessible on restricted version child blue vinyl, full with unique cowl artwork, liner notes from reggae historian John Masouri, and even a particular sticker sheet. Collectors know the unique urgent has been fetching as much as £450 on the second-hand market, making this re-release a blessing for crate diggers and reggae heads alike.
A Celebration in Queens
To mark the discharge, VP Records will host a particular occasion at its Jamaica Avenue retailer in Queens, New York. Sister Nancy can be available for a document signing and meet-and-greet, adopted by a yard juggling session that includes sound system giants King Jammy, King Addies (with selector Danny Dread), and King Turbo from Canada. Hosted by Chin of King Addies, the occasion guarantees vibes for the true vinyl heads and dancehall followers alike.
In the meantime, impartial retailers throughout the U.Okay. may even host their very own rollout festivities for the One Two reissue on Report Retailer Day—an annual celebration geared toward bringing music lovers again into document shops and reigniting ardour for vinyl tradition.
Photographs of Re-released Vinyl
Extra Than Simply Bam Bam
Although Bam Bam could also be her calling card, One Two is filled with gems that showcase Nancy’s lyrical fireplace and fearless presence. Tracks like Transport Connection, The Solely Girl DJ With Diploma, and Coward In The Nation show her vary, mixing cultural commentary with dancehall grit. She drew inspiration from actual life, from her coaching in mechanics to her upbringing in sound system tradition alongside her brother, the legendary Brigadier Jerry.
And whereas her recordings are timeless, Sister Nancy is something however caught up to now. She continues to tour and captivate audiences all over the world. Her current look at Crimson Bull Tradition Conflict—becoming a member of Crew Spice—was an iconic, intergenerational second. If not for Sister Nancy blazing the path, there could be no Spice, no modern-day dancehall queens.
Sister Nancy’s Legacy
Her music continues to be reintroduced to youthful audiences by way of the sheer quantity of sampling and referencing. However this reissue goes a step additional—it’s a correct, artist-backed return of the unique document. The best way it ought to be.
This isn’t only a collector’s merchandise. It’s a robust act of restoration—for the artist, for the music, and for the tradition.
Because the tune says, “Ain’t no stopping Nancy.” And we wouldn’t need to.
