One of the most popular deejays to ever come out of Jamaica is probably one that you would least expect; a six foot tall albino. After growing up in an orphanage and steadily building a reputation in the underground dancehall scene, Yellowman quickly rose to popularity in Jamaica with a string of hit singles in the early 80s, eventually becoming the first Jamaican recording artist to be signed to a major US label. Mister Yellowman, his first studio album, arguably remains his best, thanks in large part to the influential Roots Radics band and production by famous dancehall producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes. Yellowman effortlessly rides the riddims laid down by the Radics, which have been further finessed and infused with dub by Lawes. The end result is a far cry from your typical folk-driven roots reggae.Lyrically, the album perfectly showcases Yellowman's exuberant personality and keen sense of humor. "Mr. Chin" features Yellowman complaining about the local Chinese grocer (all the while seducing his two daughters), while "Yellowman Getting Married" endorses Yellowman as the perfect husband. There's also the politically-conscious "Duppy or Gunman," but most of the album's lyrics revolve around the minutiae of everyday life, which has helped the album resonate with so many different people over the years.
Although Yellowman has now largely been overshadowed by many of his contemporaries, his influence on music as a whole is unmistakable. Not only did he help bridge the gap between roots reggae and the electronic sound of the next generation, but he also had a less direct influence on the evolution of hip-hop, and has been quoted and/or sampled by a number of popular artists such as Eazy-E, Tupac, Biggie, Mos Def, and Ice Cube. "King Yellowman" indeed.
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