R.I.P., Cool Ruler

Gregory "Cool Ruler" Isaacs, the reggae giant who reputedly recorded over 500 albums, has died at the age of 59, reportedly of lung cancer. Night Nurse, Isaac's best known album, largely eschews the themes of rebellion and freedom that dominated the reggae of the '70s and '80s in favor of a set of lilting, approachable love songs.

Not that Isaacs wasn't capable of articulating the historic plight of Jamaica's slaves. Listen to "Slavemaster":


Isaac's classic "Night Nurse" expressed his Marvin Gaye-like conviction in the restorative powers of love and sex:

I don't wanna see no doc
I need attendance from my nurse around the clock
'Cause there's no prescription for me
She's the one, the only remedy