Maxi Priest - 2 The Max

If Maxi had wanted to rest on his laurels, there would have been no shame in it. The man is a pioneer and it's easy to forget how important he was. Rewind to his time as an early-80s youth learning his trade by singing on Saxon, the South London sound system that would eventually help bring dancehall to a huge audience, and you realise that he really was in at the genesis of a reggae revolution that has long since proved its mettle worldwide. And he remains addicted to the vibe of the dancehall to the extent that if he was to walk into your session, he might still be tempted to pick up your set's battered mic.

"Yes, I still do that," he says, his voice filling with warmth. "The experience of being on the sound systems, through all the ups and downs, is what put me here today. I keep my ear to the ground and I'm very much aware of what's going on in dancehall and bashment. I like to think I'm somewhat of a foundation for that, just as I looked at John Holt, Beres Hammond and Dennis Brown as the foundation for what I do."
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