Cobra was a shortened alias occasionally used by dancehall star Mad Cobra. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

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Frankie Paul is often referred to as Jamaica's Stevie Wonder, and not just because of his visual impairment; like Wonder, he was a talented multi-instrumentalist with a tremendous vocal range. He was also extraordinarily prolific; part of the first wave of dancehall artists, he started his recording career in earnest during the early '80s, and... [+] Read More

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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... [+] Read More

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Christened the "King of Lovers Rock" by his fans, British reggae star Maxi Priest was one of the most internationally popular reggae singers since Bob Marley. Priest's pop and modern R&B influences didn't exactly endear him to reggae purists, but they gave him a strong crossover appeal that paid off in the trans-Atlantic chart-topper "Close to... [+] Read More

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Sanchez (born Kevin Anthony Jackson) is noted for doing reggae covers of pop songs ranging from "The Green Green Grass of Home" to "Let It Be Me" to reworkings of Tracy Chapman tunes. Known for his mellow voice, Sanchez got his start singing in church. He made his recording debut in the late 1980s with "Lady in Red." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Music... [+] Read More

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During his heyday, 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... [+] Read More

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The rhythm battery of keyboardist Wycliffe "Steely" Johnson and drummer Cleveland "Clevie" Browne emerged as the dominant production team of the contemporary dancehall reggae era, lending their skills to records from acts including Shabba Ranks, Maxi Priest and Gregory Isaacs. Steely first attracted attention during his tenure with Sugar... [+] Read More

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One of dancehall's most eccentric DJs, Tiger rose to fame during the latter half of the '80s with a distinctively offbeat toasting style, full of growls (true to his name), grunts, odd vocal effects, rapid-fire rhymes, and witty asides. Tiger was born Norman Washington Jackson in Kingston on June 6, 1960, and got his first taste of the music... [+] Read More

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Born to Jamaican parents in South London, Tippa Irie gained experience as a hard-hitting dancehall toaster on his father's Mobile Reggae Disco Sound system while still in high school. After graduating, he worked on Saxon International, Britain's best sound system. After a series of 12-inch singles on the Greensleeves label, he released his first... [+] Read More

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Jamaica's first dancehall superstar, Yellowman ushered in a new era in reggae music following Bob Marley's death. His early-'80s success brought the popularity of toasting -- the reggae equivalent of rapping -- to a whole new level, and helped establish dancehall as the wave of the future. For better or for worse, he also epitomized dancehall's... [+] Read More

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