THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

780-Shabba Ranks-Trailer Load a Girls.

1991-Number 63 single.

Best Bit-At 0.14. Shabba Ranks says more in 3.57 seconds than most people say in a week.

Shabba Ranks was born Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon, on January 17th, 1966, in Saint Ann, Jamaica, and raised in Seaview Gardens, Kingston, Jamaica. Shabba Ranks who covers the genres of ‘Reggae,’ Dancehall,’ ‘Reggae Fusion,’ and ‘Ragga,’ was one of the most popular and successful Jamaican artists during the late 1980’s, and early 1990’s. His discography includes 13 studio Albums released between 1988-1998, and the compilation Album ‘Shabba Ranks and Friends,’ issued in 1998. Shabba Ranks has also released 18 singles between 1989-1997, several of them with featured artists, including Scritti Politti, Maxi Priest, and KRS-One. In America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, Shabba Ranks has charted within the top 40 on three occasions, with ‘Slow and Sexy’ featuring Johnny Gill, peaking the highest at Number 33 in 1992. In the UK he has had nine top 40 hits, with ‘Mr Loverman’ charting twice, the first time in 1992, with featured vocals by Deborahe Glasgow, (1966-1994) which reached Number 23, and after her death, the song was re-recorded with vocals by the Spanish singer Chevelle Franklyn, and this time it peaked at Number 3 in 1993.

Shabba Ranks who prior to finding fame, started his career in Jamaica by ‘toasting,’ (rapping) using the stage name ‘Co-Pilot. His 1990 song ‘Dem Bow’ uses a ‘riddim’ (rhythm) based on a track created in the late 1980’s by the Jamaican music producers ‘Steely & Clevie. The song ‘Dem Bow’ inspired a whole new music genre that would become known as ‘Reggaeton,’ and it is said that ‘Dem Bow’s’ riddim has been incorporated into over 80% of all Reggaeton productions. Reggaeton evolved from ‘Dancehall,’ and has been influenced by American ‘Hip-Hop,’ ‘Latin American,’ and ‘Caribbean Music.’ The vocals include rapping and singing, typically in Spanish. Reggaeton is now regarded as one of the most popular music genres in the Spanish speaking Caribbean, including in Puerto Rico, Panama, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela. By the 2010’s, the genre increased in popularity across Latin America, as well as within mainstream Western music.

In 1992 during an appearance on the British television Channel 4 music show ‘The Word,’ Shabba Ranks caused controversy for his homophobic remarks when asked by the shows presenter Mark Lamarr for his thoughts on the subject of the current single called ‘Boom Bye Bye,’ from the Jamaican artist ‘Buju Banton.’ Shabba Ranks held a copy of a Bible which he carried with him, and stated that the ‘Word of God’ advocated the ‘Crucifixion of homosexuals.’ Following these comments, Shabba Ranks had concerts he was to perform at cancelled, and his record label ‘Sony’ made amendments to his contract. Shabba Ranks subsequently apologised, after realising that his comments might advocate ‘The killing of gays and lesbians, and any human being in retrospect,’

‘Trailer Load a Girls’ was the first of three singles released by Shabba Ranks from his seventh studio Album ‘As Raw as Ever,’ from May 1991. The song was written by Cleveland ‘Clevie’ Browne, Wycliffe Johnson, and Greville Gordon, with the production being by Browne and Johnson. The Album reached Number 1 on the American Billboard ‘Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums’ chart in 1991, and Number 89 on the mainstream ‘Billboard 200’ Album chart. ‘Trailer Load a Girls’ like many ‘Rap’ records is full of boasts. The narrator tells us of his dominance in the Dancehall scene, and his ability to make women go crazy with his music, he also boasts about how much money he has got. The lyrics contain a lot of Jamaican slang terms, with the main message being about his success and power in the music industry.

‘Girls graduation. Woii Shabba, world of girls in container loads. Any man out deh weh nuh have no baby wait ’til dem dock up and Shabba clear them, you come fi some, lord a mercy. Girls, girls, everyday from London, Canada, and the USA. Girls, girls, everyday, crown Shabba king as fi dem DJ.’