Song Clearance Sheet
5 sources citedPoco Man Jam
Dancehall1980s101BPM
UnconfirmedKey
Tempo/key via GetSongBPM →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed creators of record (Steely & Clevie) — the origin of the “Dem Bow” riddim, already in this catalog. A massive 2021 federal suit over the riddim (~160 defendants) is ACTIVE and UNRESOLVED (a judge declined summary judgment as recently as Dec 2025), flagged as ongoing litigation — deliberately NOT treated as settled.
Quick Facts
Released1989
GenreDancehall, Reggae
ProducerSteely & Clevie
Recorded atKingston, Jamaica
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The creators of record — Steely & Clevie (riddim) & Gregory Peck (vocal)
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The rights (contested — in active litigation) — Genuinely unresolved pending the 2021 federal case; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Courthousenews → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
This is the origin point of the “Dem Bow” riddim (already in this catalog) that seeded all of reggaeton — but note the active, unresolved 2021 litigation over the riddim (see Rights Status).
Do they allow reuse?
Genuinely unsettled — the originality and ownership of the underlying drum pattern are the subject of active federal litigation as of this research pass.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
The 1990 track that gave this riddim its lasting name (already in this catalog)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Steely & Clevie (the riddim) & Gregory Peck (vocal)
The recording (current administrator)Genuinely contested and unresolved, pending the litigation
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
The direct connection to Dem Bow, already in this catalog
This exact riddim was later used by producer Bobby “Digital” Dixon for Shabba Ranks’ 1990 “Dem Bow” — which became so influential that the riddim itself came to be known by that later song’s name rather than its original “Fish Market” title.
Wikipedia (Dem Bow) · read it →
An extraordinary cultural legacy
The riddim directly gave rise to the entire reggaeton genre — Panamanian artists made Spanish-language adaptations in the early 1990s (Nando Boom’s “Ellos Benia Dem Bow” openly acknowledged the Jamaican connection), which reached Puerto Rico via cassette tapes and seeded what became reggaeton. No lyrics reproduced.
Bass Culture · read it →
Direct quotes from artists on both sides of the dispute
Daddy Yankee has publicly called the riddim “creative and inspiring,” saying “this drum’s rhythm is what inspired us.” The defense argues the underlying beat is built from pre-existing, uncopyrightable elements, including the centuries-old habanera rhythm.
Bass Culture · read it →
The creators’ own account of originality
Cleveland “Clevie” Browne has described Steely arriving at the studio with the core rhythmic idea, which they digitized as a “revival of traditional beats” — their own original 1989 formulation, not a replication of any prior recording.
Grokipedia · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
The origin of the “Dem Bow” riddim — the foundation of reggaeton
Covers
—
First flip
Big names who used itShabba Ranks · Nando Boom
Who to Contact
PM
Steely & Clevie (in active litigation)
The creators of record — rights currently contested in federal court
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
Don't Want the Hassle?
Sample something pre-cleared insteadCheck Tracklib →
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References
Every source cited on this page — 5 in total
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Page history · 3 updates
Jul 2026BPM manually set to 101 — GetSongBPM reported 201 (double-time); halved to the true tempo of the Dem Bow/Fish Market riddim (~100–105 BPM). Key left Unconfirmed.
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 11)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass