Song Clearance Sheet
4 sources citedUnder Mi Sleng Teng
Dancehall1980s81BPM
UnconfirmedKey
Tempo/key via Deezer →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed creators of record (Wayne Smith, Noel Davey & King Jammy), no dispute found — the birth of digital reggae, the digital-era counterpart to Real Rock, Dem Bow and Armagideon Time in this catalogue.
Quick Facts
Released1985
GenreDancehall, Reggae
LabelJammy’s / Greensleeves Records
ProducerKing Jammy
Recorded atKingston, Jamaica
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The creators of record — Wayne Smith, Noel Davey & King Jammy
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — Jammy’s / Greensleeves; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Enormously — the riddim spawned 450+ documented versions. It’s the digital-era counterpart to the Real Rock, Dem Bow and Armagideon Time riddim traditions already in this catalogue.
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed creators of record and no dispute found.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
The analog riddim tradition this digitized (already in this catalogue)
A fellow foundational Jamaican riddim (already in this catalogue)
The Real Rock riddim cluster this counterpoints (already in this catalogue)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Ian “Wayne” Smith (vocals), Noel Davey (riddim) & Lloyd “King Jammy” James (producer)
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
A budget consolation prize that became a revolution
The riddim came from a preset on a cheap consumer Casio MT-40 keyboard — Noel Davey had hoped for a Yamaha DX7 but was given the far cheaper Casio by a friend back from touring the US. The specific “Rock 2” preset that became its foundation was designed by Casio engineer Hiroko Okuda in 1980, intended for rock/pop, not reggae. No lyrics reproduced.
Reggae Roast · read it →
Discovered by accident — then lost for two weeks
Legend has it Davey and Smith discovered the preset by accident, then lost it again, spending roughly two weeks trying to rediscover the same sound before finally finding it once more.
Reggae Roast · read it →
A musical earthquake
When first played at a Feb 23, 1985 sound clash between King Jammy’s sound system and rival Black Scorpio, it reportedly “caused a musical earthquake.”
The Reggae Museum · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
The riddim spawned 450+ versions — the birth of digital reggae
Covers
—
First flip
Who to Contact
ST
King Jammy / Greensleeves
The confirmed creators of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
Don't Want the Hassle?
Sample something pre-cleared insteadCheck Tracklib →
Find a similar sound that's 100% freeBrowse the catalog →
References
Every source cited on this page — 4 in total
Was this page helpful?
Page history · 3 updates
Jul 2026BPM set to 81 (feel tempo) — the two-source pass read the 162 double-time octave; halved to this song’s natural tempo. Key left Unconfirmed.
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 14)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass