Bam Bam! Jay-Z goes Jamaican

Two classic Jamaican songs have been resuscitated by superstar rapper Jay-Z on his new album.

The songs are ‘Tenement Yard’ and ‘Bam Bam’, originally done by Jacob Miller and Inner Circle and Sister Nancy, respectively.

Jay-Z samples both on Bam, a song from 4:44, his new album which will be released this week. It features Grammy winner Damian Junior Gong Marley.

Tenement Yard was originally done in 1976 by Miller and Inner Circle. He died tragically in 1980 at age 27.

Sister Nancy cut Bam Bam on the fabled Stalag rhythm in 1984 for producer Winston Riley.

Ian Lewis is the bass player for Inner Circle which he co-founded in 1968 with older brother Roger. They have been Miami residents for over 30 years. He told Caribbean National Weekly that Tenement Yard, like other songs Inner Circle did with Miller, is timeless.

It is the same with the hits ‘Bad Boys’ and ‘Sweat’, the songs that announced their comeback in the 1990s. “Every Spanish artist waan (want) lick (sample) dem. It sey Something about our longevity,” Lewis said.

The Lewis brothers re-recorded ‘Tenement Yard’ as ‘Newscarrying Dread’ with singer Chronixx three years ago. That song was a hit in Jamaica.

Sister Nancy, the younger sister of deejay Brigadier Jerry, has ridden a wave of resurgence through Bam Bam. The song was used in the 2014 movie ‘The Interview’, starring James Franco and

Seth Rogen. That year, it was featured in a Reebok television commercial.