Grammy-nominated Jamaican-American musician, DJ, MC, and producer Walshy Fire, best known as one-third of the platinum recording group Major Lazer, is set to release his first book, Art of Dancehall: Flyer and Poster Designs of Jamaican Dancehall Culture. The book, set to launch on April 1, 2025, will be published by Rizzoli Universe.
Accompanying the book is a solo album, Art of Dancehall, the follow-up to his 2019 debut set, Abeng, which saw him pairing Caribbean dancehall, reggae, and soca artists with emerging stars from Africa’s afrobeats movement.
In a release sent to WMV, Walshy states that Art of Dancehall promises to further solidify Walshy Fire’s role as a cultural ambassador, not only as a performer but also as an historian and storyteller of the genre.
The book publication offers a definitive look at the iconic and often overlooked art of flyer and poster design within the world of Jamaican dancehall music.
The book celebrates Jamaican dancehall through a curated collection of flyers and posters drawn from private collections across the globe, including Jamaica, London, New York, Toronto, and Tokyo. Walshy Fire’s personal connection to dancehall culture as an ambassador of the genre enriches the narrative, offering cultural insight while shedding light on the evolution of the genre through its visual art.
Flyers and posters have long been a key element in the promotion of dancehall parties, sound clashes, and events, and in the same way that graffiti played a crucial role in hip hop culture, these handmade designs became a visual language that helped define the genre. With their bold colors, inventive typography, and lively energy, these designs serve as a reflection of the creativity and DIY spirit at the heart of dancehall music.
A Celebration of Creativity and Spirit
Dancehall music, which emerged from Jamaica in the late 1970s as a more club-friendly offshoot of reggae, has gone on to shape not just Jamaican culture, but global music scenes as well. The genre’s influence can be seen in hip hop, rave culture, and beyond. In turn, the flyers and posters featured in this book serve as cultural artifacts that chronicle the rise and global spread of sound system culture, offering a glimpse into the legacy of dancehall through its visual representation.
Other features in the book include rare and previously unseen flyers from the late Denzil “Sassafrass” Naar, one of Jamaica’s original celebrity poster artists, as well as works from notable contemporaries such as New York’s Errol “Irie” Myrie. It also includes commentary from a number of influential collectors, including Lee Major DeBoss from New York, Sheldon “Muscle” Bruce from Toronto, Mark Professor from London, and StranJah, who offer a deeper understanding of the culture and the significance behind the flyers they’ve collected over the years.
A Global Phenomenon
Art of Dancehall has images from clashes in Brooklyn and Toronto to the birth of the first Jamaican-style soundsystems in Japan, the book showcases the worldwide influence of dancehall and sound system culture. Walshy Fire’s own experiences as a prominent figure in the genre, along with contributions from collectors and curators, help paint a comprehensive picture of dancehall’s rise from a local Jamaican movement to a global cultural force.
The book’s cover design, created by renowned Jamaican poster artist Nurse Signs, complements its rich exploration of the culture with a modern, yet deeply rooted visual representation of the genre.
