Sly & Robbie

1990s: Dancehall

Sly & Robbie continued to innovate during the late 1990s and early 2000s, fusing dancehall and Latin music sounds (La Trenggae) or dancehall and hip hop/R&B (their 2004 'Big Up' riddim). They had a second UK top 40 hit in 1997, collaborating with Simply Red on a cover of Gregory Isaacs' "Night Nurse", reaching number 13. Also in 1997, their collaboration with The Fugees was included on The Score, which went on to be one of the best selling albums of the decade. In 1999, their Strip to the Bone album paired them with Scottish electro producer Howie B, and together they explored new dub territories. Their 1999 single "Superthruster" from this album became a mainstream hit, whose music video was played on MTV frequently. The animated video depicted Sly and Robbie in battlesuits chasing a harlequin through a technological complex. As the video progresses, the harlequin turns out to be a marionette directed by the real villain. The early scene involving the Harlequin marionette bears at least a passing resemblance to Sven Väth's 1994 animated cult-video "Harlequin". "Superthruster" was released on vinyl and as a DVD single, its February 1999 release date making it one of or even the first DVD single ever to go on sale.