Walshy Fire, well-known in the dancehall scene, has expanded his passion for the genre with "Art of Dancehall: Flyer and Poster Designs of Jamaican Dancehall Culture," published by Penguin Random House in 2025. This book examines the significant role of fliers in promoting dancehall events, illustrating how these pieces of art vary globally while remaining rooted in Jamaican culture. With contributions from renowned graphic artists, the publication highlights the evolution of dancehall’s visual identity and its relevance in eras before digital communication and social media.
"You wouldn't know what was going on without cassettes because they used to put fliers in cassettes," Panton recalled, explaining that people would record dancehall nights on the tapes and distribute them.
The book establishes the actual dancehall venue as the crucial meeting place for those who wanted to hear the burgeoning genre.
As dancehall spread across the globe, the art created to promote the shows differed by country - from the hand-drawn, DIY nature of the Jamaican flier to the simple typography of the British.
Japan is a special place," Walsh said. "Anything that's in Japanese comes with a whole different kind of energy attached to it."
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