In 1975, Jacob "Killer" Miller, a prodigious talent and one of reggae music's greatest entertainers, dropped his first hit song as lead singer of Inner Circle, one of Jamaica's most legendary bands (and the group behind the pop culture smash, and Cops them song, "Bad Boys.") The tune, "Tenement Yard," spoke to the struggles Rastas faced living in government housing. "Dreadlocks can't live in a tenement yard/ Can't penetrate in a tenement yard," he sang, also lamenting the fact that there were "too many laws" in place to hold back those who shared his ideology.
Times have undoubtedly changed, but life in the tenement yards is still difficult. That's why, 40 years after the release of the original track, Inner Circle decided to release "Tenement Yard (News Carryin' Dread)," an update of the song for a new generation. This time there's a new Rasta, Chronixx, singing lead vocals. He has big shoes to fill, but the rising start does well. With Inner Circle providing the riddim and a sample of Mr. Miller backing him up, Chronixx warns listeners of some of life's perils, including "he that keepth his mouth shall stay out of problems.”
Today, after tearing down Rebel Salute this past weekend, Inner Circle is dropping the Gil Green-directed video, which features the band as well as Chronixx carrying news through the yard. To get a look at how it all came together, peep this behind-the-scenes clip.
