An admirer of dancehall music from the 1980s and 1990s, producer Donald “Levels” Barnett tries to emulate the approach that made songs from that era palatable.

He did so once again for Opportunist, a song by I-Octane and Shane O.

Released in February, it was done for his Levels To Life Production.

“The 80s and 90s dancehall music was full of melodies, clarity, and most importantly had a groove. That basic blueprint is what made dancehall and reggae sell, as it was easier to decode. It broke down all language barriers that made people dance, like rocksteady or lovers’ rock,” Barnett told the Jamaica Observer.

Opportunist is said to be a dig at “people who like to use or drain other people’s energy for their own personal gain”.

Barnett was approached by I-Octane about working together on a possible collaboration with Shane O and he readily agreed, as both artistes fit the sound and attitude he prefers.

“Even though I produce more modern music, I still inject melodies and groove as well as clarity, that’s why I mostly target artistes that can sing and hold notes,” Barnett stated. “The testimonies are Alkaline’s album, New Level Unlocked, all the songs have melody; [Vybz] Kartel had to start singing and incorporate melodies into his craft to compete with Mavado [and] Busy Signal is on the world stage because of lovers’ rock and melodies.”

Raised in the community of Cumberland in Portmore, St Catherine, Barnett has been producing music for five years. He considers Denyque’s Between Me And You, Chronic Law’s Revenge, and Soul Cry by Lisa Hyper, as his most successful productions to date.

The 1980s and 1990s saw dancehall music wading into the American mainstream through acts like Shabba Ranks, Super Cat, Mad Cobra, and Patra. Their songs, including Housecall, Girlstown, Flex, and Pull up To The Bumper, appealed to hip hop and pop audiences.

Most of the genre’s top acts were signed during that period to major record companies, who were keen to capitalise on the growing popularity of Jamaican acts in the United States.

— Howard Campbell