Sister Nancy — Bam Bam
Introduction:
Born Ophlin Russell on 2 January 1962 in Kingston, Jamaica, Sister Nancy is the first female dancehall deejay in history — the woman who took an art form from Kingston's sound system yards to stages across the world, blazing a trail that every female Jamaican artist has walked since. Her 1982 song "Bam Bam" — built over the Stalag riddim, released on her debut album One Two (Greensleeves) — is, as Billboard put it in 2016, "a strong contender for the title of most sampled reggae song of all time." Pitchfork named it the Best Dancehall Song of All Time. It has been sampled by Kanye West, Jay-Z (who travelled to Jamaica to meet her personally for his 2017 video), Lauryn Hill, Chris Brown, Lizzo, Wiz Khalifa, Pete Rock & CL Smooth and well over 100 other artists. It appeared in the films Belly (1998) and The Interview (2014). She was also the first female deejay to perform at Reggae Sunsplash and the first Jamaican female deejay to tour internationally. Her brother is Brigadier Jerry, one of Jamaica's most respected dancehall pioneers.
Brigadier Jerry's Sister Takes the Mic:
Ophlin Russell grew up in Kingston's Papine district as one of fifteen siblings in a conservative household. Her brother Robert — Brigadier Jerry — was already a respected dancehall deejay, and despite her family's traditional expectations, she was drawn irresistibly to the sound system world she saw him inhabiting. She learned her craft on the Jahlove Music, Stereophonic and Chalice sound systems throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, moving among sound systems as work arose. In 1980, legendary producer Winston Riley brought her into the studio for the first time, resulting in her debut single "Papa Dean" for his Techniques label. Her Reggae Sunsplash appearance made history — no woman had performed there before. The first UK performance, at Brixton Town Hall in 1982 with Brigadier Jerry, made her an international pioneer.
Her debut album One Two (1982, Greensleeves) contained "Transport Connection", "Money Can't Buy Me Love" and the record that would define her legacy: "Bam Bam" — a song that barely registered in Jamaica on release but which she only discovered had become a global cultural phenomenon after moving to New Jersey in 1996. Producer Winston Riley had concealed its success from her to avoid paying royalties. She fought a legal battle for her rights and won fifty percent ownership, plus ten years' backdated royalties. She worked as a bank accountant in New Jersey for fifteen years before retiring from that career in 2016 to return full-time to music. In 2025 she released a new album Armageddon, produced by dub pioneer Mad Professor.
Sister Nancy - The Best Of
01 Chinchilla Choons Intro - (Half Pint).mp3
02 Bam Bam - Sister Nancy.mp3
03 One Two - Sister Nancy.mp3
04 Roof Over Mi Head - Sister Nancy.mp3
05 Only Woman DJ With Degree - Sister Nancy.mp3
06 I Am A Geddion - Sister Nancy.mp3
07 Gwan A School - Sister Nancy.mp3
08 Transport Connection - Sister Nancy.mp3
09 Coward Of The Country - Sister Nancy.mp3
10 Pegion Rock - Sister Nancy 1.mp3
11 Cocaine - Yellowman & Sister Nancy.mp3
12 Sister Nancy - Chalice A Fe Burn - Inna Dancehall Style (Gemini Dub).mp3
13 Chinchilla Choons Skit - (Joe Lickshot).mp3
14 Exrcito sem farda - BRAZA Ft Sister Nancy.mp3
15 Originality - Thievery Corporation Ft Sister Nancy.mp3
16 Chinchilla Choons ( Skit ) - OUTRO 2.mp3
* The Best Of
* Play Tracks Directly On Your Mobile Phone.
* All Tracks Are Individual.
* Full Tracks. *
* All Tracks Are Mp3 (320kbps) Quality.
* No Jingles Over The Tracks*
Key Releases:
- One Two (1982, Greensleeves) — debut album; contains "Bam Bam" (Pitchfork's Best Dancehall Song of All Time; 100+ samples)
- Sister Nancy Meets Fireproof (2007)
- Armageddon (2025, produced by Mad Professor)
Sister Nancy on Reggae On A Stick: 
Sister Nancy is one of the featured artists on our Reggae On A Stick USB — 100 of the greatest reggae albums compiled onto a single plug-and-play USB drive. Experience the first female dancehall deejay and the woman behind Bam Bam alongside 99 other legends.
👉 Shop Reggae On A Stick — 100 Reggae Albums On 1 USB