The music world, it seems, cannot get enough of Bam Bam, Sister Nancy’s groundbreaking song from 1982. To celebrate the Winston Riley-produced jam’s 40th anniversary, American company LargeUp has released a line of merchandise aimed at solidifying and expanding her base.

A statement from the New York-based LargeUp said it is “expanding on our tremendously popular Sister Nancy Bam Bam tee [shirt], launched for the song’s 35th anniversary. We’ve dropped three new items: A baby onesie, a limited-edition skateboard and a Bam Bam pin designed by RockersNYC and produced by Pintrill.”

LargeUp, which has worked with Sister Nancy for the past 10 years, noted that the onesie, T-shirt and skateboard are designed by Mickal “Mr Mikey” Stubblefield, whose clients include fashion designers Dee and Ricky, and Grammy winner Pharrell.

The items, according to the release, reflect the “visual inspiration from the ’90s-era reissue of Nancy’s One Two album, on which Bam Bam appeared”.

Sister Nancy (real name: Ophlin Russell) is the younger sister of fellow deejay Brigadier Jerry. She was an up-and-coming act when she recorded Bam Bam for Riley, whose Techniques record label was one of the most buzzed-about in dancehall music at the time.

The song was an instant dancehall hit and helped open doors for female deejays in Jamaica. Over the years, it enjoyed consistent rotation at diaspora dances in the United States and United Kingdom.

Since being part of the soundtrack for the 1998 movie Belly, Bam Bam has been used in commercials for brands like Reebok, and sampled by A-list acts such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lauryn Hill and Lizzo. The song can be heard in The Interview, a movie starring Seth Rogen and James Franco.

The New Jersey-based Sister Nancy gained even more fans in the skateboarding nation when Bam Bam was used in the video game Skate.

— Howard Campbell