Bobby Digital and His Dancehall Legacy

June 01, 2020 | Natasha Von Castle |

The world of Reggae and Dancehall lost one of its’ greatest creators – Mr. Robert ‘Bobby Digital’ Dixon.

From his earliest days at King Jammy’s studio (where he earned the moniker ‘Bobby Digital’) to later owning and operating his own studio, Digital-B at 6 Rons Road created some of the most memorable songs for Reggae artists, produced some of the best albums and gave fans some of the best memories. The term ‘bad like 90’s Dancehall’ is in large part because of Bobby and the classic cuts in his catalog.

Will you ever forget how you felt when you heard the chunes “Simplicity,” “Solid As a Rock” and “Thank You Mama” from Sizzla for the first time? From the sound of the Alto-Saxophone, to the pluck of the riddim guitar, to the drop of the heavy bass in “Solid As a Rock,” you connected with every lyric Sizzla sang.

When the beat of the Kette drum came through the speakers, and Buju sang “til I’m laid to rest / yes / always be depressed / there’s no life in the west…” did your lighter go up in the air as a salute to the riddim and the lyrics? When Shabba sing-jay’d “in Jamaica there’s a party / peanie peanie pon yuh” and, when Cocoa Tea and Shabba sang “love me / love me truly / love me / come love me truly” the appreciation for the moment had us singing like we made the music. This is how Bobby made us feel … like he got the music out of us though it came from him.

Check out this interview with him and Irish and Chin.