I-Roy “Magnificent 7” / “Leggo Beast” (Foundation DJ track)

Many thanks to our good friend Doctor Dread for donating this classic!

I-Roy is a foundation DJ, pure and simple. One thing to note here on the A-side titled “Magnificent 7″ is the now-classic reasoning at 3:10 between I-Roy and the “likkle yute” (no doubt a reference to Big Youth). The yute say “Man have you seen the movie Screaming Target yet?”

Now, Screaming Target was an Oliver Reed cult classic film released in 1972. It just so happens that it is also the title of Big Youth’s debut album, released the same year. I-Roy slyly replies “Yes….Screaming Target (sarcasm)….Hear I-man, You wan see this one it name Magnificent 7, with van Cleefe?”

I-Roy references the 1972 film The Magnificent Seven Ride starring Lee Van Cleef as Chris Adams, a role based on Yul Brynner’s performance in the famous 1960 western The Magnificent Seven.

I-Roy continues “You haffe see dis one ya. This one A DEADLY me a tell you mon!” I-Roy clearly establishing the forthcoming track as superior to anything done by Big Youth on Screaming Target, and also asserting that his skills are “deadly” and not to be trifled with by the (Big) youth.”

This is battling at it’s finest. I-Roy almost gentlemanly while taking a shot at Big Youth. This is why the DJs are so vital to the evolution of the sound. Constantly attempting to better the other through the use of deadly verbal weapons. PURE GENIUS was I-ROY, GENIUS….

My mind starts to wander what it would have been like to watch I-Roy listening to Big Youth’s Screaming Target album for the very first time. Probably ran down to the local record shop and had the shop owner throw it on the player. I-Roy listening intently, devouring every word, with a furrowed brow. Quiet though, very quiet – not a word. Just a thought from I-Roy – ‘the shit is changing, the shit is changing….’