Rocksteady precursor

SKA

This lively Jamaican music style from the 1950s-60s blends Caribbean rhythms with American jazz and R&B, often featuring walking basslines and offbeat guitar accents.

"Rocksteady precursor" points to ska because ska was the upbeat, fast-paced Jamaican music style that directly evolved into the slower, smoother rocksteady genre in the 1960s. The clue plays on musical history, where ska’s energetic rhythms and offbeat guitar chops laid the foundation for rocksteady’s more relaxed groove. If you know Jamaican music, the connection is straightforward—ska came first, so it’s the "precursor."