In terms of popularising the genre internationally, Rexton Ralston Fernando Gordon, better known as Shabba Ranks, is to dancehall what Bob Marley is to reggae; although he was not the first deejay to 'cross over', as the fusion of dancehall with hip hop and other genres began to achieve unprecedented popularity.

How big was Shabba in the early 1990s? When you get spoofed on a US cable network show, uneven haircut and all, you're big. When Bounty Killer can remember you coming back to Seaview with some people around you and "you look like President!" you're big.

Shabba tends to introduce his presence with "a me man, big dutty stinkin' Shabba!", but in short order he was the Grammy Kid, with back-to-back wins for his Epic label albums As Raw as Ever (1991) and X-Tra Naked (1992).

Then came the accustomed cycle - the Epic connection ended in 1996 and Shabba had a few recordings aimed at the dancehall core market, among them Oil Up All a De Gun Dem, his deep voice connecting with the massive once more.

Before that Epic time and before he was Shabba Ranks he was Co-Pilot, a youth from Seaview who ended up at (where else?) Jammys and had a golden run in the mid-1980s. He carved out his place with the ladies from early, with Live Blanket.

Trailer Load a Girls put him over the top and, in all-reggae radio station IRIE FM's earliest days, became an unofficial anthem.

There was the unfortunate (for Shabba) Sting clash with Ninja, a total wipeout for the Ranks (remember when he told the crowd "this is stardom"?). But then there was the unforgettable helicopter entry at Sumfest - which worked - and the ball of fire - which nearly had a blazing end.

With stardom his image changed and so did some persons' opinions, who reclassified Shabba from ugly to "ruggedly handsome". With all the international appeal of Mr Loverman and Housecall, among others, Shabba has one of the toughest tunes in dancehall history, Respect. It is a roll-call of foundation deejays and Shabba has certainly earned his place of respect.

The Ranks performs on Reggae Sumfest 2012's International Night 1 on Friday in Montego Bay, St James.

Link to 'Dem Bow': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVP-CbbbXgM