I Wayne

Dancehall and hip-hop have always had a lot in common, but it was rare to hear roots reggae on hip-hop radio -- until I Wayne. The young Jamaican roots singer's debut Lava Ground shot up Jamaican charts in 1994 and 1995. Some of that magic transferred to the United States when New York's hit-making radio station Hot 97 picked up the searing "Can't Satisfy Her," and the song soon fell into heavy rotation. It made a modest dent on the charts, thanks in no small part to Wayne's unusual (for the genre) soprano voice and his band's light instrumental touch. He followed up with Book of Life in 2007.