Energy God :: THE BEST OF ELEPHANT MAN

"If you saw me today you are never gonna forget me…my hair, my clothes, my style…I’m crazy man, I’m the Energy God…Father of the Dancehall…" Elephant Man

A true entertainer is versatile and makes music for the world,” says Elephant Man in his scruffy Jamaican baritone. His boisterous demeanor, quick chatting lyricism and unforgettable stage presence have all helped transform this Seaview Gardens local deejay into an internationally recognized reggae phenomenon. Elephant Man’s music has brought a new innovative flavor to the dancehall. His free-spirited vibration leaves you eager to do nothing less than let loose and party, making it blatantly evident that Ele’s mission...(Read more)

Energy God: The Best of Elephant Man: VP Records

Mavado :: SO SPECIAL

David Constantine Brooks December 25, 1981, better known by his stage name Mavado, aka Gully God, is a Jamaican dancehall artist. He was raised in an area known as "Cuba", a micro ghetto within the heart of Kingston, Jamaica's Cassava Piece community. The community was considered dangerous and Mavado was exposed to many different things in his youth. Mavado had two major influences in his life that made him want to pursue a career in music. His grandmother who raised him, brought him to church with her each Sunday, and this helped to ignite his love for music. What kept the flame burning was his second influence in his music; his idol, and current labelmate Bounty Killer.

Get: So Special + Unfinished Business, at VP Records

Busy Signal :: LOADED

Check out Busy Signal in the latest issue of Vibe Magazine online "Clashing and competition are an essential part of dancehall culture, but rather than letting drama and rivalry steal the show, Busy Signal has gotten back to basics. The rising Jamaican star’s second official album Loaded (VP) is easily one of the year’s hottest, showcasing..." -Rob Kenner, Vibe Magazine 11/10/2008

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Beres Hammond :: A MOMENT IN TIME

Born the ninth of ten children; Hammond grew up listening to his father's collection of American soul and jazz music; including Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. He was further influenced by the native musics of ska and rocksteady, in particular Alton Ellis.

Hammond began participating in local talent contests from 1972 to 1973, which led to his first recording, of Ellis' "Wanderer". In 1975 he joined the band, Zap Pow, as lead singer, leading to the hit 1978 single, "The System" under the Aquarius Records label.

Get the album at VP Records

Glen Washington :: DESTINY

Known for smooth lyrics and solid baritone delivery, Glen has thrilled listeners with hits like "Get Close To You," "Kindness For Weakness," and others. A solid stage performer, Glen has built a following in the core reggae community through constant touring in the Caribbean and South Eastern United States.

Hailing from the Jamaican parish of Clarendon, Glen was a drummer before singing his breakthrough hit, Rockers Nuh Crackers, for producer Joe Gibbs back in 1976. After leaving for Canada, he toured with artists like Shinehead before making his comeback as a solo act during the mid-nineties.

Get: Glen Washington :: DESTINY, at VP Records

Gyptian :: I CAN FEEL YOUR PAIN

Born to a Seventh-day Adventist mother and Rastafarian father, Gyptian received his musical calling at the age of seven, when he began singing in the church. Recognizing his talent, his parents introduced him to Mr. Wong, a record producer from Portmore, St. Catherine. "I did not take it seriously," said Gyptian "My family members have always been carrying me to Portmore to see him, but I usually disappear. One day, they dropped me off at his studio and left me and it all began there."

Get the album at VP Records

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Alton Ellis

Alton Ellis OD (born Alton Nehemiah Ellis) (September 1, 1938 - October 10, 2008) was a musician best known as one of the innovators of rocksteady music, and was often referred to as the "Godfather of Rocksteady". In 2006, he was inducted into the International Reggae And World Music Awards Hall Of Fame.

Alton Ellis
Alton Ellis performing live in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Alton Nehemiah Ellis
Also known as	The Godfather of Rocksteady
Born	September 1, 1938(1938-09-01)
Origin	Kingston, Jamaica
Died	October 10, 2008 (aged 70) London, England
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals
Years active	1959–2008
Label(s)	Studio One, Treasure Isle, Trojan

Biography

Ellis was born in 1938 and grew up in Kingston's Trench Town district. Born into a musical family, he learned to play piano at a young age. He initially sought fame as a dancer, competing on Vere Johns' Opportunity Hour. After winning a couple of competitions, he switched to singing, starting his career in 1959 as part of the duo Alton & Eddy with Eddy Perkins. Ellis and Perkins recorded for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One, initially in the R&B style, having a massive hit with "Muriel" (from Dodd's first commercially-oriented recording session at Federal studios), recording a follow-up, "My Heaven", before Perkins moved to the United States. Ellis continued to work for Dodd and also recorded for his arch-rival, Duke Reid on his Treasure Isle label. By the mid 1960s, ska was moving on and the beat was slowing down to rocksteady and becoming associated with the violent rude boy subculture in Jamaican dancehalls.

Many artists made records referring to the rude boys, including Ellis, although his records were consistently anti-rudie, including "Don't Trouble People", "Dance Crasher", and "Cry Tough", in contrast to artists such as Bob Marley, who Ellis blamed for glorifiying the rudies. Recording with a backing trio, The Flames (the varying line-up of which included his brother Leslie Ellis, David "Baby G" Gordon and Winston Jarrett), Ellis scored big with the hits "Girl I've Got a Date", "Cry Tough" and "Get Ready - Rock Steady", which was the first song to refer to the name of the newer genre. As rocksteady dominated the Jamaican airwaves for the next two years, Ellis continued to score hits for Treasure Isle, working with artists such as Lloyd Charmers, Phyllis Dillon and The Heptones. His Mr. Soul of Jamaica album is regarded as one of the definitive rocksteady albums.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Ellis recorded for some of Jamaica's top producers, having two huge hits with Lloyd Daley in "Deliver Us" and "Back to Africa", and recording for Bunny Lee, Keith Hudson, and Herman Chin Loy. Ellis had toured the United Kingdom in the 1960s with Studio One band the Soul Vendors, and from 1972 he based himself in the UK. Ellis continued to record and perform regularly, recording in the early 1980s for emerging producers including Henry "Junjo" Lawes, Sugar Minott, and King Jammy. He also opened up the Alltone record shop in South London, and started a record label of the same name.

The "Mad Mad" riddim, first recorded by Ellis in 1967 would later be recycled in more than one hundred other songs. The instantly recognizable three-note descending horn line was reinterpreted by Henry "Junjo" Lawes and eventually became known widely as the "Diseases" reggae riddim. "Diseases" is notably utilized in Yellowman's hit song ""Zungguzungguguzungguzeng", which has in turn has been sampled and reinterpreted by a long list of popular hip hop artists including KRS One, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur and Blackstar. This constant reinterpretation and referencing has made Ellis a major but little-known influence in the trajectory of dancehall, reggae and hip hop.

Ellis continued to be active on the reggae scene until his health began to deteriorate. In December 2007, he was admitted to hospital in London for treatment of cancer of the lymph glands, but he returned to live performance after receiving chemotherapy.

He was the older brother of the late Hortense Ellis, and the father of more than twenty children including Noel Ellis and Christopher Ellis, who are both reggae singers.

Ellis died on 10 October 2008 at Hammersmith Hospital, West London, of cancer.

source: Wikipedia.org