U-Roy

Jamaica, 1961–2021

Jamaican deejay, born Ewart Beckford (1942-2021), called the Originator. In 1970 'Wake the Town' and 'Rule the Nation' took the sound-system practice of talking over a record onto the charts, and every deejay, toaster and rapper since works in the form he put on vinyl.

MusicRoots documents 2 artists who influenced U-Roy and 6 artists U-Roy influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced U-Roy?

• Count Machuki — U-Roy learned the job by listening to Machuki from his own house in Jones Town — including the part nobody else noticed, when not to speak.
• King Stitt — The other Downbeat deejay U-Roy came up behind, and the one who got the style onto record first.

Which artists did U-Roy influence?

• Yellowman — The toasting Yellowman learned from before he ever held a microphone at Gemini.
• Josey Wales — Josey Wales came up as U-Roy's apprentice on his King Sturgav sound system, and built his own slower, more commanding chat on top of it.
• The Slits — One of the deejays Ari Up named among what she was listening to while the Slits were finding the sound of Cut.
• Big Youth — Big Youth started performing directly behind U-Roy's run, and then took the voice somewhere else — hoarse and preaching where U-Roy was exuberant.
• Dennis Alcapone — The deejay Alcapone learned the record side of the job from, and then spent the early 1970s competing with for the top spot in Jamaica.
• I-Roy — He took his name from U-Roy and a good part of the style with it.