Black Roses

Recorded for the Jah Life production team of Hyman Wright and Percy Chin, “Black Roses” was issued in Jamaica in 1983 and is associated with the Revolution rhythm. The single paired Levy's vocal with a dub version, commonly credited to the Roots Radics backing track tradition of the period. “Black Roses” became one of Barrington Levy's notable early-1980s singles, following his breakthrough run from the late 1970s into the dancehall era. Its darker romantic imagery made it stand out among his catalogue of Jamaican hits. The song remained one of Levy's signature recordings and was later revisited on his acoustic-era projects and reissued on 7-inch singles. Its title and imagery also carried into wider reggae and hip-hop culture, including Foxy Brown's planned Black Roses album title.