Mark Professor – Oystah Card
East London MC and Wrongtom bring infectious old-school reggae big-up to public transport.
REGGAE DOESN'T MIND tunes about getting around – see oldies like Laurel Aitken’s Skinhead Train, Sly & Robbie’s Unmetered Taxi and, more frustratingly, Baba Brooks’ Bus Strike. A new addition to the list, here comes a hugely catchy salute to London’s electronic travel card, courtesy of Mark Professor, toaster and seven-inch single fiend from East London’s Wreck It Up Crew, and made man of the new-old reggae boom, Wrongtom.
Going back to about 1985, and suggestive of Tenor Saw’s classic Ring The Alarm, the sunny, sauntering Oystah Card sees Mark roaming the city using buses including the 302, 266 and 97 and the Central and Victoria tube lines, all the while being glad he doesn’t have the hassle of maintaining a vehicle. “You can keep your BMW,” he advises. “The parking fines will mug you!”
Coming on August 26 on Rongorock records, it’s a Notting Hill carnival fave in waiting and should be huge. This is the version played by Sir David RamJam Rodigan on BBC1xtra the other week, by the way. And apologies for the London-centricity of this post, but what can you do?
UPDATED: Now with extra Oystah Card, check out the video for the song here:
