In the global village of reggae, only Bob Marley can claim to be more influential than the mighty Toots Hibbert. In a career spanning the length of Jamaica's independence, Toots began public life as the powerful lead of the Maytals, playing intense revival-inspired ska and rocksteady. He then followed up a stint in jail with an unbelievable string of inspired reggae standards, most notably "54-46," "Pressure Drop," and the oft-covered "Bam Bam." While his stunning cameo in the seminal film The Harder They Come most certainly solidifies Hibbert's all-time iconic status within the genre, it's his performance on the indomitable "Funky Kingston," an anthemic ode to his rugged island capital delivered with a funky slice of Wilson Pickett magic, that demonstrates the show-stopping capabilities and leonine electricity of this absolute living legend of Jamaican music. CHRIS SUTTON