Urban Rockers (2024)

08/05/2024

Official Reggae History: Papa San 🆚 Ninja Man - Creation Sound System 🆚 Killamanjaro Sound System 🆚 Gemini Sound System 1989

Performing for Creation: Papa San, Dirtsman R.I.P. (Papa San's brother), Johnny P, Gregory Peck, Ricky Stereo amongst others...

Performing for Jaro: Ninja Man, Little Twitch, Professor Nuts, Joe Lick Shot, Conroy Crystal, Daddy Shark (Josey Wales' brother), Ricky Trooper (deejaying not selecting) who used to dj on Creation before joining Jaro, Dominic, Little John, Hopeton James, Power Saw, Junior Cat amongst others...

One of the most popular dancehall DJs of the late '80s and early '90s, Ninjaman was also perhaps the most controversial, thanks to his often violent, progun lyrics. His bad-man image overshadowed the fact that he was a hugely talented freestyle lyricist, and the owner of a theatrical, stuttering delivery that made him a highly distinctive toaster. What was more, he did delve into social commentary at times, protesting war and the harsh realities of ghetto life rather than glamorizing their attendant violence. By the late '90s, Ninjaman was making far more headlines due to his turbulent personal life than his music, but even if his recording activities had tailed off, he remained a popular -- and still polarizing -- concert act.

Ninjaman was born Desmond John Ballentine on January 20, 1966, in Annotto Bay, in the Jamaican province of St. Mary. His family moved to Kingston when he was 11, and he started DJing a year later under the name Double Ugly. Initially performing for the Black Culture sound system, he moved over to the Kilimanjaro organization in the early '80s, and there got the chance to learn from Super Cat and Early B. He changed his name to Uglyman, then Ninjaman when another artist of the same name came forward. Kilimanjaro started its own label, and in 1987 Ninjaman got the chance to make -- and self-produce -- his first single, a duet with Courtney Melody called "Protection." It was a success, and led to further hit collaborations under producer Lloyd Dennis in 1988, most notably "Cover Me" with Tinga Stewart and "Zig It Up" with Flourgon.

Born in 1967 in Kingston, Jamaica, he was raised by his Rastafarian grandmother and began performing with sound systems (including Stereophonic the Bionic, Black Scorpio and Creation) in the late 1970s. He won the Tastee Talent contest in 1981. He went on to become one of the major dancehall artists of the late 1980s and 1990s, with hits such as "Animal Party, I will survive, style and fashion, Legal Rights & Round table talk feat. Lady G & Maddy Maddy Cry".

His brother and fellow deejay Dirtsman was murdered in 1993. In the three years that followed, his sister was killed in a motorcycle accident, his cousin was killed by police, and he himself had legal problems after being arrested on weapons charges.[5] He turned to Christianity in 1997. This is also reflected in his style, as he started off as a true dancehall deejay, later adopting traits of Gospel and Christian music.

Papa San sponsors a concert known as Papa San and Friends, to raise funds for orphanages in rural Jamaica. Since becoming a Christian, he has continued to produce his roots reggae sound, but with the message of Christ to the beat instead of his previously popular secular music.

He has six children and lives in Weston, Florida with five of them and his wife, Debbie Thompson. In 2011, Papa San and his wife, having been ordained ministers of the Gospel, were launched into pastoral ministry and started Our Fathers Kingdom International Ministries.

Official Reggae History: Papa San 🆚 Ninja Man Creation Sound System 🆚 Killamanjaro Sound System 🆚 Gemini Sound System 1989Performing for Creation: Papa Sa...

07/05/2024

Kangol Sound System ft Shabba Ranks, Pinchers, Professor Nuts, Lecturer, Major Mackerel 1987

Shabba Ranks was arguably the most popular dancehall toaster in the world. He was a massive crossover success in the U.S., thanks to an openly commercial hybrid of reggae and hip-hop, and also to prominent duet partners like Maxi Priest, Johnny Gill, and KRS-One. All of this brought him several hit singles and albums on the R&B charts in the early '90s, and made him the first dancehall artist to win a Grammy. Ranks' distinctive, booming growl of a voice earned him many imitators, and his s*x-obsessed lyrics -- while drawing criticism for their unrelenting "slackness" -- made him one of dancehall's hottest s*x symbols. Ranks' early success also helped pave the way for even bigger crossovers by artists like Shaggy and Sean Paul.

The Mackerel (born December 25, 1967) was a popular entertainer during the digital era of Jamaican dancehall music, most famous for his screeching sounds when he performed live or in studio. This style has also been adopted by female DJ Lady Mackerel, now known as Macka Diamond.
Major Mackerel has done his fair share of putting reggae on the map. He is known for hits such as "Pretty Looks Done", "Dutty Bungle", "Hot", "Inna Di Party" among other amazing songs.

Professor Nuts
Carl Wellington, c.1960, Portman, Jamaica, West Indies. Influenced by DJs including Yellowman and Nicodemus, Professor Nuts began his career as a DJ performing on the St. Catherine-based Love Child Sound System . In 1984 he held the position of top DJ in a national competition representing St. Catherine. In 1985 he earned kudos for his first professional stage show at the renowned Cinema Two located in Half Way Tree.

He gained a reputation for his comic approach to the dancehall, where he became known as Mr. Whobedeh and formed a partnership with the equally humorous Lecturer. In 1988, performing in his own right, he appeared alongside Josey Wales, Lieutenant Stitchie and Flourgon at the Reggae Sunsplash Festival dancehall night where his shenanigans were met with great approval. As a result he appeared alongside Tippa Lee, Rappa Robert and Pinchers. In 1990, he joined Papa San in a crucial showdown and survived the session to participate in a border clash with Louie Culture, Daddy Screw and the Ninja Kid.

His distinctive style led to a high profile in the reggae media although he was unable to build on his notoriety with a significant hit. In spite of his success, his recorded output was sporadic, although this situation was redressed with the release of Tan So Back and three singles in 1999, ‘Mama Have Her Own’, ‘Jamaican Girls’ and ‘Funny Guy’. His appeal is considered to be predominantly visual, and he has subsequently maintained a steady profile through dancehall videos. He has appeared alongside Jamaica’s top DJs including Beenie Man, Shabba Ranks, Ninjaman and singer Barrington Levy. In 1999, he teamed up with Dave ‘Rude Boy’ Kelly who employed him to perform in session on the ‘Bruk Out’ rhythm.

PINCHER
Born by the name of Delroy Thompson 12th of April 1965 in Jamaika Educated in the New Day-Primary- and Highschool in Kingston, it was in the age of 14 when he first got in contact with the music-scene listening to soundsystems from the local neighbourhood. He recorded his first single in 1986. Pinchers first came to England from Jamaicain 1985, he had already recorded an album for Blue Trac, alongside Peter Chemist. It was the release of "Abracadabra" that first won him significant attention. In 1987 he achieved a breakthrough with the compelling „Agony“, produced by King Jammy, as usual a album with the same titel followed.

After that he came up with minor hits for a variety of producers, including Philip "Fatis" Burrell and Red Man („Mass Out). The single to make the breakthrough, however, was "Agony". It quickly made him a minor celebrity in Jamaica, to the point where he was offered (and accepted) advertising endorsements from a local vineyard.

His other notable hits include "Bandolero' in the 90s, the wild west imagery of which neatly seduced the dancehall audience, whose preoccupation with guns and violence it echoed. The Album of the same name brought him back on top of the jamaican reggae-scene. However, Pinchers main source of fame continues to centre on sound system "specials", live appearances at which he excels, and on which he has built a considerable reputation as one of reggae's emerging stars.

https://youtu.be/Oa3agxsnnEI?si=1TqauexZAMY0zzth
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Kangol Sound System ft Shabba Ranks, Pinchers, Professor Nuts, Lecturer, Major Mackerel 1987Shabba Ranks was arguably the most popular dancehall toaster in t...

05/05/2024

Official Reggae History Sir Coxsone Sound System ft Sugar Minott Don Carlos, Mikey Dread & more 1983

Sir Coxsone
In its heyday of the 70s and 80s, Sir Coxsone Sound System retained an insurmountable edge, thanks to the unbeatable tag-team of proprietor Lloydie Coxsone and his star selector, Festus, and an ever-changing crew of supporting members that kept the sound perpetually fresh and innovative. With an endless supply of superior dubplates sourced from top producers in Jamaica, augmented by some of their own productions cut with high-ranking music makers in the UK, Sir Coxsone was undeniably top of Britain’s sound system circuit. Their superior selection and the manner in which they presented it to the public gave Coxsone the kind of credibility that most other sounds were never able to achieve, leading to longstanding residencies at nightclubs in the fashionable West End.

Sugar Minott
Lincoln Barrington Minott was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on May 25, 1956. He began his career in the sound systems while still a child, working as a selector for the Sound of Silence Keystone outfit, before launching his own Gathering of Youth sound system just as he hit his teens. There, too, he carried on merely as the selector. However, in 1969, Minott decided to take the mike himself, not as a DJ, but as a singer, one third of the African Brothers roots trio, alongside Tony Tuff and Derrick Howard. The group initially made its way around the amateur talent show circuit, but eventually linked up with the Micron label. African Brothers released a number of singles over the next few years, including "Party Night," "Gimme Gimme African Love," and "A Di System" cut with producer Jah Bunny. The trio also began self-producing (its first attempt was "Torturing"), and then launched its own Ital label. By this time, the trio's Abyssinians influence was becoming prominent, as can be heard on "Righteous Kingdom," "Youths of Today," and "Lead Us Father."

Don Carlos
Sweet-voiced vocalist and composer Don Carlos (born: Euvin Spencer) has had his greatest success singing with Black Uhuru, the reggae trio he formed in 1974 with two friends -- Rudolph Dennis and Derrick "Duckie" Simpson -- from the "Waterhouse" district in Kingston. Carlos recorded only one single with the group, leaving to pursue a solo career and to perform with a band, Don Carlos and Gold. Sixteen years later he returned and joined with Dennis and Simpson to resurrect the original trio. Their first album together, Now, released in 1990, helped Black Uhuru to recapture the popularity they enjoyed in the 1970s and '80s, though Carlos' involvement with the trio was brief. Shortly after helping Dennis and Simpson to record a second trio album, Iron Storm, Carlos resumed his solo career. While he's recorded some impressive albums, including his 1997 solo outing, Seven Days a Week, Carlos has yet to match the success he had with Black Uhuru.

Mikey Dread
Seminal radio DJ, artist, producer, and TV host Mikey Dread may be best-known in the U.S. for his work with old school punk heroes the Clash, but in his Jamaican and adopted British home, his legacy is seen as much more than that. Born in 1954, in Port Antonio, Jamaica, Michael Campbell came to national prominence in the '70s with a weekly radio show on JBC (Jamaican Broadcasting Company). Taking the name Mikey Dread, the DJ's four-hour spot, which he called Dread at the Controls, was a revelation. Jamaican radio had not revolved around local talent, but rather imported music mostly from the United States. Even as the Jamaican recording industry had flourished across the '60s, this aversion to local music had not diminished. Some of the labels had overcome this handicap through a pay-to-play system that wasn't exactly payola, but a system of advertising. Thus Studio One, Treasure Isle, and the island's other larger labels would buy blocks of advertising time, during which they would play their new releases. This led to advertising coming solely from those labels with adequate cash and with only two radio stations servicing the island, there were few alternatives to reaching national audiences. Dread's radio show changed that. He not only featured Jamaican music, but played the hottest new songs within days (and even hours) of their pressing. The DJ also knew his musical history, and one of his favorite tactics was to spin the original classic songs whose rhythms were currently mashing up the dancehalls.

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https://youtu.be/3iYb5tDFTdY?si=59iOyt08ivW1YEH6

Official Reggae History Sir Coxsone Sound System ft Sugar Minott Don Carlos, Mikey Dread & more 1983Sir Coxsone In its heyday of the 70s and 80s, Sir Coxsone...

04/05/2024

Official Reggae Sound Clash King Jammys vs Arrows Major Worries, Tullo T, Pampidoo, Little Twitch, Risto Benji, Shabba Ranks, Anthony Malvo, Little John & King Everald...

King Jammy, born Lloyd James in Montego Bay, Jamaica, was the undisputed king of computerized digital reggae music during the '80s, as well as a highly reputable producer of dub and roots reggae throughout his lengthy, monumental career. While he established his credentials during the '70s and early '80s (when he was known as Prince Jammy) through seminal production work for Black Uhuru and Sugar Minott as well as dub albums with genre pioneers King Tubby and Scientist, he singlehandedly changed the face of reggae with his all-electronic production of Wayne Smith's 1985 hit "Under Me Sleng Teng," ushering in the digital dancehall era. Following Tubby's untimely death in 1989, Jammy took the crown, and continued to be one of reggae's most prolific, innovative producers. He worked with dancehall stars such as Beenie Man and Bounty Killer during the '90s and 2000s, while making off-the-wall dub albums, including collaborations with Mad Professor and Dry & Heavy. He remained active into his seventies, working with roots and dancehall artists like Alborosie and U-Roy on 2016's New Sounds of Freedom, and continuing to push the limits of dub with 2017's Waterhouse Dub.

Lloyd James was born in 1947. Interested in little else but the sound system business from a very early age, James began by building amplifiers and repairing electrical equipment from his mother's house in the Waterhouse area of downtown Kingston, and was soon playing live with his own sound system. His prowess earned him a deserved local reputation, and as Prince Jammy he built equipment for many Waterhouse sounds. He was even acknowledged by the legendary King Tubby, another Waterhouse resident, with whom Jammy often worked.

In the early '70s Jammy left Jamaica to work in Canada, where his reputation had preceded him, and he was soon working in live stage shows and employed in various studio activities and sound system work. He stayed for a few years but returned to Kingston and set up his first studio (with extremely limited facilities) at his in-laws' home in Waterhouse. At the same time, Tubby's top engineer, Phillip Smart, left for New York and Jammy joined Tubby's team. It was during his time with Tubby that Jammy met the most influential people in reggae; he acknowledges, in particular, the inspiration provided by Bunny Lee and Yabby You. Jammy was continually expanding his own studio and sound system, and in the late '70s he began to release his own productions, including Black Uhuru's 1977 debut album, coming into contact with many rising dancehall artists such as Half Pint, Junior Reid, and Echo Minott. He also became a prolific producer of dub records, and was noted for his clear sound and creative usage of effects. His early albums include 1978's Jammies in Lion Dub Style (on his own Jammys Records) and 1979's Kamikazi Dub (on Trojan). He also recorded several albums with Scientist (beginning with 1980's Big Showdown, although Scientist has refuted Jammy's contributions to the album) and King Tubby.

Jammy's constant involvement with the grassroots side of the business gave him a keen sense of what was currently happening in reggae, and also allowed him to anticipate new trends. In 1985 he recorded a young singer named Wayne Smith with a tune called "Under Me Sleng Teng," which was to alter irrevocably the nature, and revolutionize the sound, of reggae music. The basis for "Sleng Teng" was a Casio "music box," and one of the "rock" rhythms from the box was adapted and slowed down to become a "reggae" rhythm. The shock waves were scarcely believable, and before long there were over 200 different versions of the rhythm available, as every producer and artist jumped onto the bandwagon. More than anything else, it opened the music to young independent producers and artists, since expensive studio time and "real" musicians were no longer a prerequisite for recording: digital reggae ruled, and Jammy, the originator, rode the crest of the wave. His records and sound system dominated and controlled reggae music for the remainder of the decade and on into the '90s.

Bobby Digital, now an established producer in his own right, was brought into Jammy's camp, and he soon became a right-hand man in the setup, with Steely & Clevie providing the rhythms.
Both were established musicians with a real feeling for the new sound, and a bewildering array of 7" and 12" singles and albums were released every month. Most were massive Jamaican hits, and with the help of longtime associate Count Shelly, the records were released simultaneously in New York and London while Jammy administered the business in Jamaica.

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https://youtu.be/YaWjaabAopM?si=9EBmfut_O0QAuRd1

Official Reggae Sound Clash King Jammys vs Arrows Major Worries, Tullo T, Pampidoo, Little Twitch, Risto Benji, Shabba Ranks, Anthony Malvo, Little John & Ki...

03/05/2024

Official: King Sturgav Sound System ft Josey Wales, Sugar Minott, Don Carlos 1983

King Sturgav, also known as simply Sturgav HiFi was U-Roys Sound System. It is also frequently referred to as (King) Sterograph. It started in the mid 70's some time after that King Tubbys sound system had been destroyed by the police.

The name was an abbrevation of U-Roys sons names and his own. St for Stewart, U-Roy and Gav from Gavin. The sound has also been called Sterograph. Sturgavs name doesn't have any relations with Sturmars that was the sound owned by Skeng Don.

Deejay on Sturgav, except for U-Roy himself, was Ranking Joe. Later on followed Brigadier Jerry, Charlie Chaplin and Josey Wales.
Sturgav featured on the first ever live dancehall record "Live At The Fish Club" released in 1983.

Josey Wales was one of dancehall's founding fathers, building on the innovative DJ chatting of his mentor U-Roy and creating a highly influential style of his own. Along with Brigadier Jerry and his sound-system partner Charlie Chaplin, Wales was widely regarded as one of the best DJs in Jamaica when dancehall took over the reggae scene in the early '80s. His gruff, gravelly voice and half-spoken, half-sung delivery were instantly recognizable, and were copied by many an up-and-coming DJ. Unlike his contemporary Yellowman -- perhaps the only DJ of the era who was more popular -- Wales pointedly refused to resort to slackness, keeping his lyrics purely conscious and Rastafarian. That meant he grew increasingly unfashionable over the course of the '80s, but he nonetheless continued to perform regularly, and remained a highly respected pioneer.

Josey Wales was born Joseph Winston Sterling in West Kingston, Jamaica, and took his stage name from the Clint Eastwood Western The Outlaw Josey Wales; naturally, "The Outlaw" became a standard nickname for him, along with "The Colonel." Wales first performed professionally as a DJ with the Roots Unlimited Sound System in 1977, and made his name as part of U-Roy's King SturGav Hi-Fi Sound System, where he spent three and a half years in the early '80s. There he teamed with DJ sparring partner Charlie Chaplin in one of the most potent one-two punches of the era, which in turn made King SturGav arguably the biggest sound system around.

Sugar Minott
Few artists had the impact on Jamaica's dancehall scene as Sugar Minott. His releases provided the blueprints for the rise of the contemporary dancehall style, he was also equally influential as a producer, and his extraordinarily popular sound system helped launch numerous new DJs into the limelight.

Lincoln Barrington Minott was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on May 25, 1956. He began his career in the sound systems while still a child, working as a selector for the Sound of Silence Keystone outfit, before launching his own Gathering of Youth sound system just as he hit his teens. There, too, he carried on merely as the selector. However, in 1969, Minott decided to take the mike himself, not as a DJ, but as a singer, one third of the African Brothers roots trio, alongside Tony Tuff and Derrick Howard. The group initially made its way around the amateur talent show circuit, but eventually linked up with the Micron label. African Brothers released a number of singles over the next few years, including "Party Night," "Gimme Gimme African Love," and "A Di System" cut with producer Jah Bunny. The trio also began self-producing (its first attempt was "Torturing"), and then launched its own Ital label. By this time, the trio's Abyssinians influence was becoming prominent, as can be heard on "Righteous Kingdom," "Youths of Today," and "Lead Us Father."

Don Carlos
Sweet-voiced vocalist and composer Don Carlos (born: Euvin Spencer) has had his greatest success singing with Black Uhuru, the reggae trio he formed in 1974 with two friends -- Rudolph Dennis and Derrick "Duckie" Simpson -- from the "Waterhouse" district in Kingston. Carlos recorded only one single with the group, leaving to pursue a solo career and to perform with a band, Don Carlos and Gold. Sixteen years later he returned and joined with Dennis and Simpson to resurrect the original trio. Their first album together, Now, released in 1990, helped Black Uhuru to recapture the popularity they enjoyed in the 1970s and '80s, though Carlos' involvement with the trio was brief. Shortly after helping Dennis and Simpson to record a second trio album, Iron Storm, Carlos resumed his solo career. While he's recorded some impressive albums, including his 1997 solo outing, Seven Days a Week, Carlos has yet to match the success he had with Black Uhuru.

Official: King Sturgav Sound System ft Josey Wales, Sugar Minott, Don Carlos 1983King Sturgav, also known as simply Sturgav HiFi was U-Roys Sound System. It ...

02/05/2024

Stereo One vs RedMan B***o Banton, Lt Stitchie, Wolfman, Ricky Metro, Ricky Stereo, Blue, C Melody 1986

Stereo One Sound System
Clifton Henry, the sound system owner assembled one of the most versatile entertainment crew of the 80s.

The line-up included Lt. Stitchie - the or Jonathan Wolfman - the Animal, Ricky Stereo - the Short man, Leroy the Hornsman. Wickerman - the old worm, Captain Barkey - the real soldier and
Michael Buckley - Jamaica's Lou Rawls.

In addition, there was Courtney Melody, Daddy Blue, Sugar Bobby, Bendilue, Dollyman and Malibu, and the selectors were Mumble and Mikey Dread. Compared to its peers, Stereo One was not one of the bigger sound systems in terms of physical size.
However both musically and lyrically, the entitled were equally or much more rated than the others..

Stereo One sound system came on the dancehall scene in the mid 80s. As the debate continues on about whether “champions are born or made ?” Whatever the answer is, that was Stereo One! This sound system came, it saw and it conquered.

Armed with an arsenal of dubplates and some of the era's most versatile deejays, many sound systems were literally afraid of this sound system and therefore refused to have face-off with the entertainment crew. Those who were brave enough for the challenge, had to survive the relentless "lyrical abuse" from its entertainers.

One sound really “screechied into the sound system world, and it did appear that as was most dancehall fans began hearing about it, it was already at the top of the charts and was one of the most sought after sound systems in Jamaica. Stereo O was a dominant rival in face-offs with other sound systems.

As mentioned before, most sound systems have a electronic piece called a "mixer” affixed to their amplifiers. The mixer is the controller of the entire sound system. One of its main feature as used in the dancehall is to facilitate the re-keying of the rhythm in order for it to match the lyric from the entertainers.

Stereo One had a small mobile mixer that could fit perfectly in the palm of one's hand! With a long cord attached, whoever was doing the re-mixing was then able to walk around while controlling the music. It was always such a pleasure watching Stereo One's top e tertainer Lt. Stitchie while he was re-mixing.

He would dangle the mixer between his legs, over his head, and behind his back. These gestures he did without miss a beat of the original riddim.

Stereo One vs RedMan B***o Banton, Lt Stitchie, Wolfman, Ricky Metro, Ricky Stereo, Blue, C Melody 1986Stereo One Sound SystemClifton Henry, the sound system...

01/05/2024

Official: Jack Ruby Sound System Live in Jamaica 1980

Lawrence "Jack Ruby" Lindo was born in Kingston. He operated the Jack Ruby Hi-Fi sound system in Greenwich Farm, Kingston, before relocating to Ocho Rios in the early 1970s. He passed away in 1989.

Lindo produced several artists, including The Gaylads, The Heptones, Big Youth, and Justin Hinds (Just in Time/Jezebel). He was responsible for producing Burning Spear's seminal Marcus Garvey album, which brought international attention to the roots reggae singer.

In the 1978 movie Rockers, Lawrence "Jack Ruby" Lindo played himself. Interestingly, he was also the grandfather of pop singer Sean Kingston.

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Official: Jack Ruby Sound System Live in Jamaica 1980Lawrence "Jack Ruby" Lindo was born in Kingston. He operated the Jack Ruby Hi-Fi sound system in Greenwi...

29/04/2024

Official Reggae History: Daddy U Roy - Exclusive Interview 2017

Ewart Beckford had no idea that the gleeful shouts, banter and jive he waxed at Duke Reid's Treasure Isle studios in early1970 would net him even a shirt, let alone influence a musical trend which has no end in sight. A dj on Dickie Wong's"Dickie's Atomic" sound system circa 1968, U Roy went over to dub-master-to be Osbourne Ruddock, aka King Tubby, and 'Tubbs'' sound system King Tubby's Hi-Fi, where he continued his selecting and djing prowess. In 1969 U Roy began to commithis voice to wax - for Lee Perry, where he rode Peter Tosh's English/Amharic "Rightful Ruler," for Matador records' LloydDaley, and label owners Bunny Lee and Keith Hudson.
In late 1969/early '70 Osbourne Ruddock, aka King Tubby, brought the talented young chatter over to kingpin Duke Reid and hisTreasure Isle studios.

By 1970, the Treasure Isle label had fallen out of the limelight of the local Hit Parade as a new cropof younger, rebel producers were changing the sound of the music from the sweet and nostalgic Rock Steady of 1967-68 (ofwhich the Duke had been a proven champion) to the Sound of Now - Reggae. U Roy's arrival on the scene, straight from thesound systems, the streets and the people, managed to pump new blood into the former cornerstone of Jamaican music whenTreasure Isle engineer Bryon Smith got out the master tapes to the Treasure Isle rocksteady hits of a few years prior and letthem roll, this time with U Roy at the microphone.

The results were explosive: the three songs U Roy cut, all toasts overprevious vocal hits: "Wake The Town," "Rule the Nation," and "Wear You The Ball," made the charts and sold well, with "Wakethe Town" reaching #1 and "Wear You To the Ball" making its way on JBC's "Top Tunes Time" TV show featuring future Wailersorganist Earl 'Wire' Lindo. The Jamaican public had loved U Roy's spontaneous outbursts and hip jive.

After U Roy's triumphant launch at Treasure Isle, he went on to voice hundreds of singles for virtually every Jamaicanproducer throughout the seventies. He had a good string of hits with Bunny Lee throughout 1975 and '76. In 1976, U Roy hookedup with Prince Tony Robinson and cut the famous "Dread Inna Babylon" album which saw release on Virgin records and finallyput U Roy on the international reggae map. Shortly afterwards, however, U Roy decided to step out of the recording arena,stay "a yard" and set up his own Sturgav sound system which played out all over Jamaica with U Roy selecting and the greatCharlie Chaplin and Josey Wales on the microphone. For many years now Sturgav has been inactive but U Roy has recentlyresurrected it in JA.

By the late 1970's deejays had practically become the order of the day and by 1985, when the modern "digi" era of Dancehallarrived, it seemed as if U Roy, the man who had started the dj trade on vinyl in the first place, had been forgotten. Indeedduring much of the 1980s he was inactive, but in the 90s U Roy began again, seemingly as if he had never stopped. Linking upwith the UK's avant-garde dub wiz the Mad Professor and Ariwa studios, U Roy versioned the fine "True Born African" album andmore recently, U Roy is back again, this time quite possibly one of the best and most inspired sets he's delivered yet: "TheOriginator" for the up and coming Tabou label, which is as inspired as anything he has ever done and shares his inspired djstylings with the vocals of Gregory, D. Brown, Beres, and many other greats.

With his delivery and stage presence as lively as ever, U Roy is sure to put on a great show. Don't miss an opportunity tosee another legend and cornerstone of Reggae - the DJ Godfather, Daddy U Roy.

Official Reggae History: Daddy U Roy - Exclusive Interview 2017Ewart Beckford had no idea that the gleeful shouts, banter and jive he waxed at Duke Reid's Tr...

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