Dancehall artist Sister Nancy is commemorating the 40th anniversary of her hit “Bam Bam” with a limited edition skateboard. The design is based on the cover art of her 1982 album, One Two, which was reissued in the ’90s. The board is part of Sister Nancy and Largeup’s capsule collection which also has a t-shirt, a baby onesie and a pin created with RockersNYC. The rest of the line was made by Mickal “Mr. Mikey” Stubblefield, the designer for Pharrell’s Billionaire Boys Club and ICECREAM brands.  

Sister Nancy’s often-sampled “Bam Bam” made her the first woman star of dancehall. The song’s ethereal majesty has created a mood for Hype Williams’ Belly, James Franco and Seth Rogen’s The Interview and most recently the final season of Netflix’s Ozark.  “Bam Bam” was used in EA’s 2007 video game Skate and the song became very well-known in the gamer and skating communities. She says, “Wherever I go around the world, skateboarders always hail me up and tell me ‘Nancy, we love your song.’” 

The skateboard is having a timely release because Jamaica’s first two skate parks and shop have all opened within the last three years. Sister Nancy and Largeup want to support skating in Jamaica and donate Bam Bam skateboards to Freedom Skate Park to give to skaters attending the brand-new Girls Sessions. The Jamaican native who now lives in New Jersey returned to music after working in banking for two decades. Next year she will perform at Cali Vibes Festival in Long Beach, CA Feb. 17th-19th and the South Facing Festival in London on August 6th. 

[youtube id=”nXXxUNJ23uk”] Jay-Z and Damian Marley walk around Jamaica and talk about the role of the artist in the video for “Bam.” They are joined by Sister Nancy, the writer and performer of “Bam Bam” and she shares her belief in the timelessness of good music. Young Guru sits in the studio with Jay-Z and makes the connection between reggae and hip-hop.

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Sister Nancy’s 1982 reggae anthem “Bam Bam” has been recycled within a legion of songs by Lauryn Hill, Gang Starr and many others. Chaka Demus and Pliers famously covered “Bam Bam” in the ’90’s. The Jamaican singer was inspired as a teenager by her brother, Brigadier Jerry, who is a respected reggae DJ, to start a career in music. She was popular in the world of dancehall and became the first woman to play at Reggae Sunsplash and to DJ on an international level. “Money Can’t Buy My Love,” “Transport Connection,” “Papa Dean” and “One Two” were other big songs for her. In addition to being a solo performer, Sister Nancy also worked with the Prince Norman, Jahlovemuzik and Stereophonic sound systems. In the late ’90’s she relocated to New Jersey where she works as an accountant. A second solo album, Sister Nancy Meets Fireproof, came out in 2007. The singer has said she has no plans to record again, but she still makes the occasional performance date.