Ranking Toyan

In the early '80s, Ranking Toyan, often billed as just Toyan, recorded with some of Jamaica's top dub producers, most notably Henry "Junjo" Lawes, <a href="spotify:artist:1edl5fzpdS471TaQ8Bgs3w">Scientist</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:6HlApAOH4X51mkur3KeMGr">Jah Thomas</a>, and generally did so at Channel One with <a href="spotify:artist:2tm55XgrmiuDC0RBTE9AQT">the Roots Radics</a> as his backing band. Though his success didn't come until the early '80s, Toyan began his career in the mid-'70s, when he performed with the top sound systems of Kingston. In 1978, he made a name for himself with "Disco Pants" and then a year later with "Nah Kill Nuh Man," both songs released by Roots Tradition as 7" singles. With the aid of producers Ernest Hookim and <a href="spotify:artist:1edl5fzpdS471TaQ8Bgs3w">Scientist</a>, Toyan made the jump to full-length albums in 1981 with his self-titled album. Later that same year came what is generally agreed upon as Toyan's masterpiece, How the West Was Won, an album with staggering credentials: released by Greensleeves, written and produced by Henry "Junjo" Lawes, backed by <a href="spotify:artist:2tm55XgrmiuDC0RBTE9AQT">the Roots Radics</a>, recorded at Channel One, and mixed by <a href="spotify:artist:1edl5fzpdS471TaQ8Bgs3w">Scientist</a> at <a href="spotify:artist:1AMMMSq3rJdZtFGnBXEkz7">King Tubby</a>'s studio. In 1982, Toyan teamed with Lawes and <a href="spotify:artist:1edl5fzpdS471TaQ8Bgs3w">Scientist</a> again for another impressive album, Spar With Me, and remained busy at work on his numerous 1983 releases: two albums with producer <a href="spotify:artist:6HlApAOH4X51mkur3KeMGr">Jah Thomas</a>, Ghetto Man Skank and Murder, the latter also featuring Tipper Lee and Johnny Slaughter; two albums with Lawes, Every Posse Want Me and DJ Clash, the former also featuring producer Delroy Wright, the latter Nocodemus; and an album with Tony Robinson and <a href="spotify:artist:2tm55XgrmiuDC0RBTE9AQT">the Roots Radics</a>, Nice Time. Following this enormous year of releases, Toyan's career quieted considerably, ultimately coming to an end in 1991 when he was murdered. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi