Home / Arts and Entertainment / Jamaican Dancehall Icon Sister Nancy Reclaims Her Royalties After 32-Year Fight
Jamaican Dancehall Icon Sister Nancy Reclaims Her Royalties After 32-Year Fight
20 Oct
Summary
- Sister Nancy's 1982 hit "Bam Bam" is one of the most sampled dancehall songs
- She recently won a 90,000-pound royalty battle for unauthorized use of the track
- Sister Nancy has mentored many younger female dancehall artists
In 2025, Jamaican dancehall pioneer Sister Nancy, now 63 years old, is celebrating a major victory. After a 32-year fight, she has finally reclaimed unpaid royalties for her iconic 1982 hit "Bam Bam," one of the most sampled dancehall songs in history.
The song, built around a sample of Ansell Collins' "Stalag 17" riddim, has been featured in tracks by artists ranging from Jay-Z to Lizzo. However, Sister Nancy had not been properly compensated for these uses until recently. In 2014, she decided to take legal action, and in 2025, she received a 90,000-pound check, allowing her to retire from her accounting job and focus fully on her music.
Beyond her own success, Sister Nancy has also played a crucial role in mentoring younger female dancehall artists, including icons like Lady Saw and Spice. She sees it as her responsibility to ensure the genre's roots and culture remain at the center, even as the current dancehall scene evolves. With a new album, Armageddon, and an upcoming headline show at The Brooklyn Monarch in December 2025, Sister Nancy continues to cement her legacy as a trailblazing figure in Jamaican music.
