Bounty Killer was one of the most aggressive dancehall stars of the '90s, a street-tough rude boy with an unrepentant flair for gun talk. There were many other facets to his music -- condemnations of corrupt authority, collaborations with hardcore hip-hop artists, tributes to his mother, an ongoing DJ rivalry with Beenie Man -- but his main... [+] Read More

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More influential through his live performances than his scant recordings, Brigadier Jerry was one of Jamaica's top DJs at the dawn of the dancehall era. A brilliant lyrical improviser, Briggy -- as he was affectionately known -- elevated the standards for speed and fluidity in DJ chatting technique, laying the groundwork for much of what... [+] Read More

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Along with Buju Banton and Sizzla, Capleton spearheaded dancehall's return to reggae tradition, tackling Rastafarian spiritual themes and using classic roots reggae as a musical foundation. Capleton was born Clifton George Bailey III on April 13, 1967, in the rural town of Islington, in Jamaica's St. Mary parish. Capleton's namesake was a... [+] Read More

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Charlie Chaplin rose to prominence in the early '80s during the first years of the dancehall era. In contrast to the '70s roots reggae period, with its decidedly spiritual and cultural world view, dancehall music reflected the secular world of clubs and sound system dances -- the earlier cultural bent remained, but decidedly secular and slack... [+] Read More

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Along with U-Roy, Dennis Alcapone, and Big Youth, I-Roy was one of a quartet of DJs that reigned supreme over the Jamaican music scene during the early to mid-'70s. Of the four, I-Roy was the most eloquent, and his toasts were littered with references to pop culture, from movies to historical figures. He was also one of the most prolific,... [+] Read More

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Born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1965, Mikey Spice began singing in his father's church at age seven. He then became a dazzling multi-instrumentalist, learning guitar, bass, drums, trumpet, piano, saxophone, flute, harp and clarinet before age 13. Seven years later, he decided on a reggae career. After working with several bands, Spice (whose voice... [+] Read More

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