Sister Nancy: Jamaican Dancehall Pioneer and New Jersey Accountant

We are quickly approaching the summer weather where many people, myself included, look forward to spending time out in the sun, near a body of water, listening to great music. As someone who frequently finds herself near a body of water on a summer day, I have a hand full of songs that perfectly accompany that type of vibe every time. One of those songs happens to be “Bam Bam” by Sister Nancy.

I can confidently say that most people have probably heard “Bam Bam’ either on its own, or even in the various songs it has been sampled in. However, most people don’t know much about the woman behind what is now considered a classic in the reggae scene.

Inspired by the chorus from a Toots and the Maytals song, Ophlin Russell, professionally known as Sister Nancy, created a reggae anthem without even realizing it. Sister Nancy, one of 15 siblings, is a Jamaican native where she quickly took after her older brother, Brigadier Jerry, and found interest in being a Jamaican Dancehall DJ, despite being expected to withhold the family’s conservative values and expectations for a young woman. At only the age of 16, she dove head first into the DJ scene and would eventually become the first female Jamaican DJ to tour internationally. She continued to purse music and found success in the early 1980s with the release of her debut album, One Two. Although receiving much praise for her music, she had no idea what phenomenon had become of her song “Bam Bam” until she migrated to the United States in 1996.

Once she got settled in New Jersey, Sister Nancy completed her GED and went on to receive her Bachelors in Accounting. Because she didn’t think her music took off the way it actually did, she put her music career on the back burner and focused on her career as an accountant, while occasionally playing shows here and there.

Upon moving to the United States, Sister Nancy claims she never even heard “Bam Bam” playing on the radio in Jamaica but shortly after her move, she heard “Bam Bam” playing in a movie on TV and was shocked. At that moment, she realized that people in the United States had really taken to her song. What was even more shocking to her was that no one had even contacted her for permission to use her song, which lead her to discover that the producer for her debut album, Winston Riley, owned all the rights to her music. So despite “Bam Bam” being such a hit, Sister Nancy was receiving nothing from it. Following her discovery of the use of her song in the 1998 film “Belly”, she soon discovered many other instances where artists all over the world were using and sampling her song without her knowledge. Her breaking point was when she found out her song was used in a Reebok commercial.

She finally decided to fight for what she deserved and the case was settled without even going to court. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to receive compensation for all the past royalties, however, she received some and now owns 50% of the rights to her song.

Since its release in 1982, “Bam Bam” has been sampled over 80 times, with notable instances including Jay-Z and Kanye West. After being a bank accountant for 15 years, Sister Nancy retired from the profession and has shifted her focus to pursuing music full time again now that the rights to her music have been situated and she’s being properly compensated. I am so pleased to hear that after 32 years of her music rights being used and abused, she is taking back her power and continuing on with her undeniable talent.

So this summer when you are laying out by the pool or beach and enjoying the sun, you can listen to Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam” and really appreciate the woman behind such a classic.