Yellowman
Encyclopedia
Yellowman is a Jamaican reggae
(rub-a-dub) and dancehall
deejay
, widely known as King Yellowman. He was popular in Jamaica in the 1980s, coming to prominence with a series of singles that established his reputation.
in Kingston, and was shunned due to having albinism
, which was usually not socially accepted in Jamaica. Alpha Boys School was known for its musical alumni. In the late 1970s Yellowman first gained wide attention when he won a contest event in Kingston, Jamaica
called "The Tastee Talent Contest" where deejays would perform toasting. Like many Jamaican deejays, he honed his talents by frequently performing at outdoor sound-system dances. In 1981, after becoming significantly popular throughout Jamaica, Yellowman became the first dancehall artist to be signed to a major American label (CBS Records
). One reviewer of Yellowman was quoted as saying "Listening to Yellowman sing is like watching Michael Jordan play basketball. He knows he's got it, you know he's got it, and it's a trip just experiencing him perform."
His first album release was in 1982 entitled Mister Yellowman followed by Zungguzungguguzungguzeng in 1983 earning instant success. Yellowman's sexually explicit lyrics in popular songs such as "Them a Mad Over Me" boasted of his sexual prowess, like those of other reggae singers/deejays, earned Yellowman criticism in the mid-1980s. Yellowman appeared in Jamaican Dancehall Volcano Hi-power 1983 which featured other major dancehall musicians such as Massive Dread
, Josey Wales
, Burro Banton
and Eek-A-Mouse
.
Yellowman has had a substantial influence on the world of hip hop. He is widely credited for leading the way for the succession of reggae artists that were embraced by the growing hip-hop community in America during the 1980s. Eazy-E used a sample of his voice from his recording "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt", which also became a major hit by Eazy-E with the same title. The basic riddim
of his hit "Zungguzungguguzungguzeng" can be traced throughout the hip hop scene as it was reused by such hip hop giants as KRS-One
, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur
, and Blackstar
, formed by Mos Def
and Talib Kweli
. This riddim introduced by Yellowman in this song was referred to by him as "mad mad", as the rhythm was originally cut by Alton Ellis in 1967 at Studio One as "Mad Mad Mad". There has been a constant renaming of this signature rhythm (or riddim), such as "Diseases" (after the popular version of the tune by Papa Michigan and General Smiley). Yellowman changed the melodic phrasing of this riddim from AA to AB, when he began ending the second line in the chorus on a higher note. Many of the previously mentioned artists composing songs based on Yellowman's original riddim differed in their choice of using either the AA or AB pattern. However, this riddim has little to do with Yellowman's talent, as it was most likely written by the Roots Radics band, also responsible for countless other reggae riddims recorded at the time. Where Yellowman's real talent can be shown is in his ability to ride a riddim like no other DJ at that time. He was the undisputed King of the Dancehall – the top-selling artist in JA and abroad, and also of a new ruler of a nastier, ruder form of DJ style of lyrics knows as "slackness". As Shabba Ranks later chat in one of his hit songs: "Where does Slackness come from, some blame slackness 'pon Yellowman..."
By the mid-1990s however, Yellowman released socially-conscious material, rising to international fame along with singers such as Buju Banton
. Yellowman became the island's most popular deejay despite being albino. During the early 1980s, Yellowman had over 40 singles and produced up to five albums per year.
In 1982, Yellowman was diagnosed with with skin cancer
and was initially told that he only had three more years to live. However, this diagnosis proved to be inaccurate, and after several surgeries Yellowman was able to continue his career. The cancer went into apparent remission during this time. It wasn't until 1986 that it was diagnosed that the cancer had spread to his jaw. Yellowman was forced to undergo a very invasive jaw surgery to remove the malignant tumor that had formed. This surgery permanently disfigured Yellowman's face, as a large portion of the left side of his lower jaw had to be removed to successfully extract the tumor. He re-invented himself with his 1994 album Prayer, which stepped away from the slackness that gave him his initial fame. His latest albums are New York (2003) and Round 1 (2005). Yellowman was also a featured guest vocalist on the Run-DMC track "Roots Rap Reggae". Yellowman continues to perform internationally with his Sagittarius Band, and has toured through places such as Nigeria
where he retains a following of fans, as well as Spain, Peru, Sweden, Italy, Germany, England, France, Kenya and the United States. He also featured on OPM
's 2004 album Forthemasses
had already released two dub cuts, "Talking Dub" and "Lusaka", plus a 1980 cut by Jennifer Lara, "Hurt So Good", while Sly and Robbie
's "Johnny Dollar" by Roland Burrell was also voiced by Yellowman as "Soldier Take Over".
Timeline:
Compilations:
Various Artists:
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
(rub-a-dub) and dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
deejay
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
, widely known as King Yellowman. He was popular in Jamaica in the 1980s, coming to prominence with a series of singles that established his reputation.
Career
Winston Foster grew up in a Catholic orphanage called Alpha Boys SchoolAlpha Boys School
Alpha Cottage School is a school on South Camp Road in Kingston, Jamaica, run by Roman Catholic nuns...
in Kingston, and was shunned due to having albinism
Albinism
Albinism is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes due to absence or defect of an enzyme involved in the production of melanin...
, which was usually not socially accepted in Jamaica. Alpha Boys School was known for its musical alumni. In the late 1970s Yellowman first gained wide attention when he won a contest event in Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
called "The Tastee Talent Contest" where deejays would perform toasting. Like many Jamaican deejays, he honed his talents by frequently performing at outdoor sound-system dances. In 1981, after becoming significantly popular throughout Jamaica, Yellowman became the first dancehall artist to be signed to a major American label (CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
). One reviewer of Yellowman was quoted as saying "Listening to Yellowman sing is like watching Michael Jordan play basketball. He knows he's got it, you know he's got it, and it's a trip just experiencing him perform."
His first album release was in 1982 entitled Mister Yellowman followed by Zungguzungguguzungguzeng in 1983 earning instant success. Yellowman's sexually explicit lyrics in popular songs such as "Them a Mad Over Me" boasted of his sexual prowess, like those of other reggae singers/deejays, earned Yellowman criticism in the mid-1980s. Yellowman appeared in Jamaican Dancehall Volcano Hi-power 1983 which featured other major dancehall musicians such as Massive Dread
Massive Dread
Massive Dread is a reggae deejay who first recorded in the late 1970s for Tapper Zukie, and came to prominence in the early 1980s, touring with Byron Lee and The Dragonaires...
, Josey Wales
Josey Wales
Josey Wales, born Joseph Winston Sterling in St. Mary, Jamaica is an influential Jamaican dancehall deejay. He was considered, along with Brigadier Jerry, Yellowman and sound system partner Charlie Chaplin, one of the best deejays of the 1980s....
, Burro Banton
Burro Banton
Burro Banton is a dancehall reggae deejay popular in the mid-1980s and 1990s....
and Eek-A-Mouse
Eek-a-Mouse
Eek-A-Mouse is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is one of the early artists to be described as a "singjay".-Biography:...
.
Yellowman has had a substantial influence on the world of hip hop. He is widely credited for leading the way for the succession of reggae artists that were embraced by the growing hip-hop community in America during the 1980s. Eazy-E used a sample of his voice from his recording "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt", which also became a major hit by Eazy-E with the same title. The basic riddim
Riddim
Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm," but in dancehall/reggae parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. Thus, a dancehall song consists of the riddim plus the "voicing" sung by the deejay. The resulting song structure may be taken for...
of his hit "Zungguzungguguzungguzeng" can be traced throughout the hip hop scene as it was reused by such hip hop giants as KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
, and Blackstar
BlackStar
Blackstar is an American animated television series, a science fantasy story sometimes reported as being inspired by Thundarr the Barbarian. It was produced in 1981 by Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott for Filmation. The series was Filmation's second fantasy epic, the first being tucked in as a...
, formed by Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
and Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
. This riddim introduced by Yellowman in this song was referred to by him as "mad mad", as the rhythm was originally cut by Alton Ellis in 1967 at Studio One as "Mad Mad Mad". There has been a constant renaming of this signature rhythm (or riddim), such as "Diseases" (after the popular version of the tune by Papa Michigan and General Smiley). Yellowman changed the melodic phrasing of this riddim from AA to AB, when he began ending the second line in the chorus on a higher note. Many of the previously mentioned artists composing songs based on Yellowman's original riddim differed in their choice of using either the AA or AB pattern. However, this riddim has little to do with Yellowman's talent, as it was most likely written by the Roots Radics band, also responsible for countless other reggae riddims recorded at the time. Where Yellowman's real talent can be shown is in his ability to ride a riddim like no other DJ at that time. He was the undisputed King of the Dancehall – the top-selling artist in JA and abroad, and also of a new ruler of a nastier, ruder form of DJ style of lyrics knows as "slackness". As Shabba Ranks later chat in one of his hit songs: "Where does Slackness come from, some blame slackness 'pon Yellowman..."
By the mid-1990s however, Yellowman released socially-conscious material, rising to international fame along with singers such as Buju Banton
Buju Banton
Buju Banton is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician.Banton has recorded pop and dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics....
. Yellowman became the island's most popular deejay despite being albino. During the early 1980s, Yellowman had over 40 singles and produced up to five albums per year.
In 1982, Yellowman was diagnosed with with skin cancer
Skin cancer
Skin neoplasms are skin growths with differing causes and varying degrees of malignancy. The three most common malignant skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and melanoma, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises...
and was initially told that he only had three more years to live. However, this diagnosis proved to be inaccurate, and after several surgeries Yellowman was able to continue his career. The cancer went into apparent remission during this time. It wasn't until 1986 that it was diagnosed that the cancer had spread to his jaw. Yellowman was forced to undergo a very invasive jaw surgery to remove the malignant tumor that had formed. This surgery permanently disfigured Yellowman's face, as a large portion of the left side of his lower jaw had to be removed to successfully extract the tumor. He re-invented himself with his 1994 album Prayer, which stepped away from the slackness that gave him his initial fame. His latest albums are New York (2003) and Round 1 (2005). Yellowman was also a featured guest vocalist on the Run-DMC track "Roots Rap Reggae". Yellowman continues to perform internationally with his Sagittarius Band, and has toured through places such as Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
where he retains a following of fans, as well as Spain, Peru, Sweden, Italy, Germany, England, France, Kenya and the United States. He also featured on OPM
OPM (band)
OPM is a Southern California based ska punk band. OPM has a distinctive sound, combining hip hop, rock music, and pop with laid-back reggae.-Band history:...
's 2004 album Forthemasses
ForThemAsses
ForThemAsses is the second album by California band OPM, released on June 1, 2004.-Track listing:# "Intro" – 0:34# "Bump" - 3:38# "Rollin" - 3:49# "Luffly" - 3:15# "Interlude: Dave Grohl" - 0:11# "Kali Kings" - 4:42...
Zungguzungguguzungguzeng
The melody for Yellowman's 1982 "Zungguzungguguzungguzeng", the "Diseases" riddim by "Junjo" Lawes, has been sampled and imitated repeatedly since its original release in 1967. Coxsone DoddCoxsone Dodd
Clement Seymour "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, CD was a Jamaican record producer who was influential in the development of ska and reggae in the 1950s, 1960s and beyond...
had already released two dub cuts, "Talking Dub" and "Lusaka", plus a 1980 cut by Jennifer Lara, "Hurt So Good", while Sly and Robbie
Sly and Robbie
Sly and Robbie is the prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production team of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare who joined in the mid 1970s after having established themselves separately in Jamaica as professional musicians...
's "Johnny Dollar" by Roland Burrell was also voiced by Yellowman as "Soldier Take Over".
Timeline:
- bonehead, "Zungguzungguguzungguzeng" (see also, Live at Aces version, w/ Fathead) (1982)
- Sister NancySister NancySister Nancy, aka Muma Nancy, real name Ophlin Russell-Myers, is a dancehall DJ and singer. She is known to the world as the first female dancehall DJ and was described as being a "dominating female voice for over two decades" on the dancehall scene...
, "Coward of the Country" (1982) - Frankie PaulFrankie PaulPaul Blake , better known as Frankie Paul, is one of Jamaica's best-loved and popular dancehall reggae artists. Born blind, he has been dubbed by some 'The Jamaican Stevie Wonder'.-Biography:...
, "Alesha" (1984) - ToyanToyanToyan aka Ranking Toyan was a Jamaican reggae deejay active since the mid-1970s and best known for his early 1980s recordings.-Biography:...
, "Hot Bubble Gum" (1984) - Super CatSuper CatSuper Cat is a deejay most popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s dancehall movement. Super Cat was born in Jamaica and was nicknamed Wild Apache. His nickname, the "Wild Apache" was given to him by his mentor Early B...
, "Boops" (1985) - BDPBDPBDP may refer to:* Bank Deposit Program* Bandwidth-delay product* Beclometasone dipropionate* Blu-ray Disc Player* Boogie Down Productions, hip hop group* Brain Dead Psycho * Building Design Partnership, UK architects....
, "Remix For P Is Free" (1987) - SublimeSublime (band)Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
, "Greatest hits" (1994) - BDP, "Tcha Tcha" (1988)
- Nice & SmoothNice & SmoothNice & Smooth was an East Coast hip hop duo from New York that consists of Greg Nice and Smooth B . The duo released four albums from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s...
, "Nice & Smooth" (1989) - Nice & Smooth, "Dope on a Rope" (1989)
- K7K7K7, K07 or K-7 may refer to:* K-7 , a state highway in Kansas* Bluebird K7, a high speed hydroplane raced by Donald Campbell* Daewoo Precision Industries K7, a submachine gun with an integrated suppressor...
, "Zunga Zeng" (1993) - KRS-OneKRS-OneLawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
, "P Is Still Free" (1993) - Us3US3Us3 is a jazz-rap group founded in London in 1991. Their name was inspired by a Horace Parlan recording produced by Alfred Lion, the founder of Blue Note Records. On their debut album, Hand on the Torch, Us3 used samples from the Blue Note Records catalogue, all originally produced by...
, "I Got It Goin' On" (1993) - Buju BantonBuju BantonBuju Banton is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician.Banton has recorded pop and dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics....
, "Big It Up" (1993) - NinjamanNinjamanNinjaman, alias Don Gorgon, is a popular dancehall deejay / Actor, known for his controversial and pro-gun lyrics and his stuttering and melodramatic style...
, "Funeral Again" (1994) - Bounty KillerBounty KillerBounty Killer is a Grammy nominated Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. He is the founder of a dancehall collective known as The Alliance.-Early life and career:...
, "Kill Or Be Killed" (1994) - Buju Banton, "Man a Look Yu" (1995)
- Junior M.A.F.I.A.Junior M.A.F.I.A.Junior M.A.F.I.A. is an American hip hop group from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. The acronym M.A.F.I.A. stands for Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes. They were formed and mentored by New York rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., in the early 1990s and released their debut album,...
(feat. Biggie Smalls), "Player's Anthem" (1995) - 2pac, "Hit 'Em Up" (1996)
- Black StarBlack Star-In astronomy:*Dark star , a theoretical star that has a surface escape velocity that equals or exceeds the speed of light*Dark star , a theoretical star heated by dark matter annihilation in the early universe...
, "Definition" (1998) - Mr. Notty, "Sentencia de Muerte" (1998)
- Dead PrezDead PrezDead Prez stylized as dead prez is a hip hop duo from the United States, composed of stic.man and M-1, formed in 1996 in New York City, New York. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with socialist lyrics focused on both militant social justice and Pan-Africanism...
, "It's Bigger than Hip-Hop" (2000) - Beenie ManBeenie ManAnthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...
, featuring Wyclef JeanWyclef JeanWyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
, "Love Me Now" (2000) - Nejo, track 14 (DJ Joe's Fatal Fantassy 1)(2001)
- Joe BuddenJoe Budden-Early life:Budden was born in Spanish Harlem, but lived in Queens until he was 12 and from there moved to Jersey City, New Jersey. He is one of five boys...
, "Pump It Up" (2003) - Tego CalderónTego CalderónTegui Calderón Rosario is a Puerto Rican rapper and actor.-Early life:Calderón was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, the son of Pilar Rosario Parrilla, a schoolteacher, and Esteban Calderón Ilarraza, a government worker for Puerto Rico's Department of Health. Moving at a young age from his native...
, "Bonsai" (2003) - JinJin (rapper)Jin Au-Yeung , who performs under the stage name MC Jin, is a Hong Kong hip hop rapper, songwriter, and actor. Growing up in the Miami, Florida area, and later living in New York City, he decided to reside permanently in his motherland, Hong Kong...
, "Learn Chinese" (2004) - Vybz KartelVybz KartelAdidja Palmer , better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He has many nicknames, including Addi Teacher and Gaza Emperor.-Biography:...
, "Tight Pussy Gyal" (2004) - P.O.D.P.O.D.Payable on Death is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Sonny Sandoval, drummer Wuv Bernardo, guitarist Marcos Curiel, and bassist Traa Daniels. Their Christian faith is an important part of their music.They have released seven studio albums and...
, featuring MatisyahuMatisyahuMatthew Paul Miller , better known by his Hebrew name and stage name Matisyahu, is an American Hasidic Jewish reggae and alternative rock musician....
, "Roots in Stereo" (2006) - White Rappers, "One Night Stand" (2007)
Albums
- Mister Yellowman (1982) Greensleeves RecordsGreensleeves RecordsGreensleeves Records & Publishing is a record label specialising in dancehall and reggae music. The company was founded by Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick and started as a small record store in West Ealing, London, in November 1975 and is based in Britain....
- King Mellow Yellow Meets Yellowman (1982) Jam Rock (with King mellow yellowKing Mellow YellowKing Mellow Yellow was a Jamaican Dancehall DJ. Being one of three popular albino DJs in the 1980s , in song, he often referred to himself as "The Yellow Hands".-Career:...
) - Superstar Yellowman Has Arrived With Toyan (1982) Joe Gibbs (with ToyanToyanToyan aka Ranking Toyan was a Jamaican reggae deejay active since the mid-1970s and best known for his early 1980s recordings.-Biography:...
and Johnny RingoJohnny Ringo (musician)Johnny Ringo was a reggae/dancehall deejay active from the late 1970s to the early 1990s.-Biography:...
) - Duppy Or Gunman (1982) Volcano
- Jack Sprat (1982) GG's
- Just Cool (1982) Jah Guidance
- Live At Reggae Sunsplash (1982) Sunsplash
- Them A Mad Over Me (1982) J&L
- Bad Boy Skanking (1982) Greensleeves (with FatheadFathead (musician)Fathead , was a dancehall deejay best known for his collaborations with Yellowman in the early 1980s.-Biography:...
) - For Your Eyes Only (1982) Arrival (with Fathead)
- Live At Aces (1982) VPVP RecordsVP Records is an independent reggae record label, located in Queens, New York. It is best known for producing Caribbean singers.-The foundation:...
(with Fathead) - One Yellowman (1982) Hitbound (with Fathead)
- Supermix (1982) Volcano (with Fathead)
- The Yellow, The Purple & The NancyThe Yellow, The Purple & The NancyThe Yellow, The Purple & The Nancy is a 1982 album by Sister Nancy.- Track listing :#Purpleman - Feeling Irie#Yellowman & Fathead - Mr Wong#Sister Nancy - No Any Man Can Test Sister Nancy#Purpleman - Get Ready#Yellowman & Fathead - Baby Father...
(1982) Greensleeves (with PurplemanPurplemanPurpleman, aka Peter Yellow was a Jamaican Dancehall dj. being one of three albino djs in the 80s , he often called himself Yellowman, and even released an album as him.-Biography:Purpleman deejayed with King Jammy's sound system, including performing at 'clashes' with other systems...
and Sister NancySister NancySister Nancy, aka Muma Nancy, real name Ophlin Russell-Myers, is a dancehall DJ and singer. She is known to the world as the first female dancehall DJ and was described as being a "dominating female voice for over two decades" on the dancehall scene...
) - Zungguzungguguzungguzeng (1983) Greensleeves/Blue Moon/Arrival
- Live At Kilamanjaro (1983) Hawkeye
- Live In London (1983) Thunder Bolt
- Live At Ranny Williams Entertainment Center (1983) Roots Rockers (with Lord Sassafrass & Peter MetroPeter MetroPeter Metro is a reggae deejay, who released five albums in the 1980s.-Biography:Initially performing under the name Peter Ranking, he changed his name when he discovered that another deejay was using that name, and since he was resident deejay on the Metromedia sound system, he chose the name...
) - Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt (1984) Greensleeves
- King Yellowman (1984) ColumbiaColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
- One In a Million (1984) Joe Gibbs
- Operation Radication (1984) Top 1000
- Showdown Vol 5 (1984) Hitbound (with Fathead and Purpleman)
- Two Giants Clash (1984) Greensleeves (with Josey WalesJosey WalesJosey Wales, born Joseph Winston Sterling in St. Mary, Jamaica is an influential Jamaican dancehall deejay. He was considered, along with Brigadier Jerry, Yellowman and sound system partner Charlie Chaplin, one of the best deejays of the 1980s....
) - Galong Galong Galong (1985) Greensleeves/Blue Moon
- Walking Jewellery Store (1985) Power House
- Girls Them Pet (1986) Taxi
- Going To The Chapel (1986) ShanachieShanachie RecordsShanachie Records was founded in 1976 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins. According to Harvey Pekar , it is one of the largest independent record labels in the world, and is currently distributed by E1 Music. Starting as a label that specialized in fiddle music, they began releasing work by Celtic...
/Greensleeves - Yellow Like Cheese (1987)
- Yellowman Rides Again (1988)
- Yellowman Sings The Blues (1988) Rohit
- Yellow Man Meets Charlie Chaplin (1989) Power House (with Charlie ChaplinCharlie Chaplin (singer)Charlie Chaplin is a Jamaican dancehall and ragga deejay and singer. It was common for Jamaican deejays of the era to name themselves after film stars or characters. Bennett, however, had been nicknamed after the comedian since his youth. His career began in 1980 when he began working with...
) - A Feast of Yellow Dub (1990)
- Party (1991)
- Mi Hot (1991) Pow Wow
- Reggae on the Move (1992)
- Live in England (1992) Sonic Sounds
- Prayer (1994) RASRAS RecordsRAS Records, also known as Real Authentic Sound, is a reggae record label.-History:RAS Records was founded in 1979 by Doctor Dread. In his travels to Jamaica he created a network within the reggae artist community there. By the early to mid 1980s RAS had signed artists such as Black Uhuru, Inner...
- Blueberry Hill (1994) JA
- Message to the World (1995)
- Divorced! (For Your Eyes Only) (1983) Burning Sounds (with Fathead)
- Freedom of Speech (1997) Black Scorpio
- Yellowman Rides Again (1997) RAS
- Ram Dance Master (1997) Nyam Up
- A Very, Very, Yellow Christmas (1998)
- Stone Wall Rambo (1998) Jamaican Vibes (Sly & Robbie and Yellowman)
- One in a Million (1999) Shanachie
- Chronic (1999) X-Ploit (with Fathead)
- Yellow Like Cheese (1999) RAS
- In Bed With Yellowman (2000) Greensleeves
- Good Sex Guide (2000) Greensleeves
- New York (2003) RAS
- Round 1 (2005) Nuff (Yellowman vs. NinjamanNinjamanNinjaman, alias Don Gorgon, is a popular dancehall deejay / Actor, known for his controversial and pro-gun lyrics and his stuttering and melodramatic style...
)
Compilations:
- 20 Super Hits (1991) Sonic Sounds
- The Best of Yellowman (1996) Melodie
- RAS Portraits – Yellowman (1997) RAS
- Reggae Anthology – Look How Me Sexy (2001) VP
- Just Cool (2004) CharlyCharly RecordsCharly Records is a British record label which specialises in reissued material.-History:Among the labels whose original releases are reissued by Charly are Vee-Jay, Sun, Immediate, BYG, Tomato, and Fania. Charly Records was founded in France in 1974 by Jean-Luc Young, who had been a promoter of...
- Yellow Fever (2004) TrojanTrojan RecordsTrojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name Trojan comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck that was used as Duke Reid's sound system in Jamaica...
- Reggae Chronicles (2006) HallmarkHallmark RecordsHallmark Records is a British record label. It was founded in the 1960s and recently revived. The revived company has since become a major publisher of budget CDs in the UK, issuing both public domain and copyrighted material. The company has also re-issued some of its albums from the 1960s and...
- Most Wanted (2007) Greensleeves
- Gold (Yellowman and The ParagonsThe ParagonsThe Paragons were a rocksteady band from Kingston, Jamaica, active in the 1960s. Their most famous track was "The Tide Is High", written by band member, John Holt.-Career:...
)
Video releases
- Yellowman Peace Tour CRS (VHS)
- Live in San Francisco (2003) Music Video Distributors/2B1 (DVD)
- Yellowman/Chaka Demus and Pliers: Living Legends in Concert (2007) Funhouse (DVD)
Various Artists:
- Kingston Signals Vol.1 (2004) Music Video Distributors
- Stars in Action, Part 2 (2007) Island Entertainment