Sizzla was born in August Town - Kingston, Jamaica as Miguel Collins. A humble and observant person, but is aggressive against black oppression. As a person from the ghetto he is conscious of the suffering of youths in the ghetto. Through his songs he teaches youths to uplift themselves and to respect women. In 1997, Sizzla recorded the number one album of the year "Black Woman & Child" for producer Bobby "Digital" Dixon. Before that he had previously recorded a album "Praise He Jah" for producer Phillip "Fattis" Burrel on the "Exterminator" label. Since then he has been recording hits after hits, Because his continuity and versatility he has gained recognition throughout the world. Presently, Sizzla is one of the hottest performers in the music industry.
Anthony B (born Keith Blair) is the living personification of Afrikan consciousness in Reggae. His single "Nah vote again" was a major factor in making the Jamaican elections of Thursday, December 18 1997, the most peaceful one since the insidious cancer of gun violence was introduced in West and Central Kingston, prior to the elections of 1967. Like his hero, Peter Tosh, the most revolutionary of the Wailing Wailers, he is an uncompromising Pan Afrikanist, in the tradition of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jamaica's first national hero and the founder and leader of the largest Afrikan organization ever, the Universal Negro Improvement Association and Afrikan Communities League, U.N.I.A. and A.C.L.
The traditional route of most Afrikan singers is via the church and Anthony B is no exception. Growing up in Clarks Town in the parish of Trelawny (a parish noted for the heroic Afrikan freedom fighters, the Maroons, who defeated the English military), his Revivalist grandmother and Seventh Day Adventist mother, immersed him in the singing, call and response and clapping mechanics of rural Jamaica. In this rural environment that Afrikan culture is best found and preserved in Jamaica, not Kingston nor urban St. Andrew. Like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, The Maytals, Justin Hinds & The Dominoes, Twinkle Brothers, the Clarendonians and countless other Jamaican Stars, Anthony B honed his vocal skills in the church and school choirs and then entered the secular world. His deejaying debut was on the local sound system Shaggy Hi-Power. Moving to Portmore in the parish of St. Catharine in 1988, the musically keen teen hooked up with other aspiring teenage deejays, Determine, Mega Banton, Ricky General and Terror Fabulous on Lovers Choice Sound. Other Portmore acts that he knew or flexed with were Little Devon, Agony Polish, Cobra, Baby Wayne, Grindsman, Ronnie Thwaites, Professor Nuts and others. He steadfastly refused to deejay girl lyrics when they were ruling the roost in the early nineties.
Patience is a virtue and good things come to those who wait. In combination with Little Devon (the Half Pint sound-a-like singer) he made his debut single "The living is hard" on the Wizard label in 1993. Anthony B tried King Jammys, Black Scorpio and other studio producers after but none saw fit to help plant musical corn of the budding genius. Undeterred he was looking for a break at Black Scorpio studio one day when Little Devon introduced him to Afrocentric producer of Garnett "Mama Africa" Silk fame, Richard "Bello" Bell of Star Trail Label fame. The rest is history or blackstory !
Recordings and releases followed quickly and his first hit was "Repentance time". The bigger hits "Fire pon Rome", "Rumour" and "Raid di barn" followed in quick pursuit and his landmark debut album Real Revolutionary was released to popular acclaim in 1996. Late 1997 his second worldwide album "Universal Struggle" was released and again excellence is consistent. The album is one of the best in Reggae for 1997 and 1998. Lyrically, thematically and rhythmically versatile, the album encapsulates Afrikan consciousness and the Peter Tosh-like deliveries and clarity of vocals are indelibly present throughout.
He was the most devastating deejay at Reggae Summits 1997, at Catherine Hall in Montage Bay, Jamaica - a consummate performer. Anthony B, indeed another Reggae king in full musical swing !! Y father use to make it up as a drink in Jamaica.
Source: "Jet Star Reggae News", Issue 4. (Jan. 1998) Writer: Mango
Lexxus immediately grabbed the attention of the dancehall public with songs like "Ring Mi Cellie," "Cook," and "Divine Reasoning." His style -- which combines the forceful edge of Bounty Killer with the fun, likeable side of Beenie Man and at times the funky, robotic flow of Ward 21 -- commands your attention and is hard to resist. And yet, listening to Mr. Lex, resisting is all I did.
Beyond the three tracks previously mentioned -- easily available elsewhere -- the rest is mostly as predictable as these hits were exhilarating. Part of it has to do with the fact that several of the songs have indeed been heard elsewhere many times over, and part of it has to do with the fact that many of the rhythms are recycled ("Look How Long," for instance, uses the beat from Professor Nuts' "Satan Strong," while "Get Wid It," while nice, rides the rhythm from Ward 21's "Haters.") and the songs just sound generic.
The major exception is "Di Message," an excellent throwback to the old school dancehall days, featuring Dean Fraser on a wicked sax. If you can find this song without buying the entire album, do it. As for the rest of the best on Mr. Lex, you can get "Ring Mi Cellie" and "Divine Reasoning" on Planet Reggae 2000, "Cook" and "Call U" are on Reggae Gold 2000, and "Let Those Monkeys Out" (not that you'd necessarily want that irritating song) is on Greensleeves Reggae Sampler 21.
Frisco Kid, born Steve Wray in West Kingston, he started deejaying at Kingston Secondary School as a teenager, but it was to take him years and much trial to get a break as a professional. First he thought of switching to horse racing and become a jockey at Caymanas Park, but after he witnessed a horse throw an apprentice, he didn't bother.
He went back to deejaying, working a number of small sound systems in the Portmore area without much success, and decided to move back to West Kingston. Back in the city, he decided to try making it as a motor vehicle mechanic with the help of a friend named Cartoon. He got a job of driving a Nissan pick-up, picking up staff and things for his boss. That's when he met father Romey, owner of Exodus Nuclear, the hot clash sound system from the city and decided to call himself Parro Kid.
He then began to call himself Frisco Kid, because nothing was going for him with Parro Kid, and went to Jammy's studios in Waterhouse to do some specials for Exodus.
Determine was born Rohan Alexander Bennett in 1972 in Annotto Bay, St. Mary, Jamaica. A bright student, he excelled in accounts and home economics but decided to follow his heart and pursue a musical career in Kingston.
He began performing on the Jamaican sound system circuit and he soon managed to reach such a popularity that he won the Rockers award for best new deejay in 1995. Then he began his recording career with his debut single "Lion in Zion" being released on the King Jammys label. He then followed that with local hits like "Dem No Know Love", "Burn Up" and "Selassie I". However, it was when Determine teamed up with Beenie Man to record "Kette Drum" for the Digital B label that he achieved his first major international dancehall smash hit - a tune that was number one in Jamaica and throughout the reggae world.
The following year (1996), this talented bobo-chanter reinforced his high profile as he continued to unleash a succession of tough dancehall 45s like "Live Wire", "Time Like This" "Who", "What Dem A Think", "Welcome Shaka Zulu", "I Shall Not", and "If A Nevah Jah". His first self-production "More And More", released on his own Zulu Productions label went to a number one position in Canada - and "Hands In The Air", was a number one tune in Bermuda. His debut album "Rock The World" was also released on Digital B Records in 1996.
Determine has continued to release a seemingly non-stop flow of popular singles over the last five years and has recorded for all the top producers in Jamaica. Of particular note are tracks like "Zion Hill", "Frustration", "Full a Hype". This has given him a deserved rating of one of the top bobo dread artists, alongside Capleton, Anthony B, Sizzla and Jah Mason. Determine's last album was the very successful "Freedom Chant" set which compiled many of his biggest hits and was released by Brickwall Records in 1999.
Determine visited the Third Eye Studio during his short visit to the UK in September 2001 and recorded one track produced by Rootsman entitled "Let's Be Friends". He then returned in December 2001 and recorded another anthem, this one entitled "Redemption Chant". "Let's Be Friends" is contained on Rootsman's "New Testament" album.
Egg Nogg got his big break in 2002 as a duo with Danny English on the Hit Single " Party Time", Egg Nogg is set to make name for himself in the Dancehall/Reggae music genre.
Egg Noggs' single "Bust Loose" off the Major Links Riddim driven Compilation:Charting and getting positive reviews.
Egg Nogg is set release a full album project in Spring of 2005, Egg Nogg will definetly be a major player in 2005 in Dancehall/Reggae music scene!
Bobby Crystal: Info coming soon!
Lisa Dainjah: Info coming soon!
Emanuel Stain: Info coming soon!
Power Man: Info coming soon!
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