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Some words, like ‘legend’, have been so overused that they have lost their true meaning. Yet, in his original form, dub-mixer, sound system and studio owner, and record producer Lloyd ‘King Jammy’ James can accurately be described as a legend. Born on October 26, 1947, King Jammy continues to demonstrate excellence in the field of music. He was inducted into the Order of Distinction in 2006 in the officer class, and on Monday, he will be elevated to an even higher rank at King’s House, where he will officially receive the instrument of the Order of Distinction in the commander class “for his significant contributions to Jamaican music, specifically his innovation in reggae and dancehall”.
It was as a dub master at the legendary King Tubby’s recording studio that James began what would blossom into an illustrious career, draped in royal accolades, seeing him rechristened Prince Jammy and later crowned ‘King’.
From his mother’s house in Waterhouse in the late 1960s, he started his own sound system, though his work was briefly paused when he moved to Canada for a few years in the early 1970s.
He returned to Kingston in 1976 and set up his own studio at his in-laws’ home in Waterhouse and began to release his own productions. Among them was the debut album from Black Uhuru in 1977.
In the 1980s, Jammy was recognised as one of the most influential producers of dancehall music and in 1985, he had his monster hit with the iconic Under Me Sleng Teng by Wayne Smith, which introduced an entirely digital rhythm hook. King Jammy is hailed for pioneering digital reggae, a landmark shift in Jamaican music, which led to the establishment of the modern dancehall era. We caught up with him in this week’s 5 Questions With... .
On Monday, National Heroes Day, you will receive the instrument of the Order of Distinction in the commander class from the Government of Jamaica. How does this upgrade make you feel?
I am feeling good, but not excited because I know I put in a lot of work. So, I am looking forward to all those things in life. But, it’s great to know that my own people are honouring me. I love that. I have gotten honours all over the world ... lifetime achievement and all of that ... but this one from Jamaica, mi love dah one yah more.
Six decades in the music and King Jammy is still a force to be reckoned with. Your latest album is currently on the list of 73 for Grammy consideration, what’s the secret?
Well, all four of my sons ... Baby G, John John, Jam2 and CJ follow me into the music business. Dem go ah street every day and they bring the street to me so that is how I keep relevant to this day. A my grandson Projexx is also in the music.
We know that music is dynamic and it changes. What do you think of the current state of dancehall music?
Well, ah tell yuh something ... I am [not] going to beat it down, because different generations, different things. But, it could uplift a likkle. Because if yuh hear some of the other old riddims from producers like myself ... riddims from 30, 40 years ago ... and even the Sleng Teng Riddim is 40 years old this year and is still relevant today in dancehall. But, some of these riddims that they’re making now, just mek last week and yuh nuh hear it this week.
What is your advice to young producers and artistes?
I would say to them, the producer especially, that they could study music some more to get it right, because that’s what we need. If you just study what we were doing and be patient. But everybody just want to get rich overnight. We weren’t doing it to get rich. I was doing it for the love of it and it’s still the love of it, study music and get it right.
What has been the impact of technology on the music?
Technology helps to uplift the music, definitely. Because things that we used to do with the analogue ... how we used to record the music, we were limited on that. Computers have a vast memory ... analogue has its time and its space. It’s still relevant now because when I do my thing I mix analogue and digital together and get that Jammy’s sound. That why my sound is so unique,” the legendary producer, sound system man and studio-owner stated, without bragging.
BRAWTA:
What is one of the best things to have happened to you recently?
Well, we went to Canada and stayed for three weeks. I went to play at a dance with Black Scorpio and because I have a lot of family in Canada ... so many grand and great-grandchildren ... I stayed over to know some of them. And some of them even came back to Jamaica with me, because now that they know me, they can’t leave Grandpa too far.
English (US) ·