Ewart Beckford aka U-Roy has exited the stage — this time for good. In the last 12 months, Reggae Nation has suffered some serious losses: Toots Hibbert, Johnny Nash, Bob Andy, Bunny "Striker" Lee, Dobby Dobson, and now 78-year-old U-Roy.
U-Roy was not the first toaster but he became known as “the originator” for being the first to put his distinctive vocal style on record, birthing a phenomenon and inspiring the creation of hip-hop. “His rich-toned voice proclaimed sizzling, jive-saturated lyrics rather than simply inserting a few phrases,” wrote a critic for Reggae Vibes. “And besides that he rode the pared-down instrumental track all the way through, rather than interjecting at crucial points.”
U-Roy, the influential reggae artist who specialized in the art of toasting and whose style became a key precursor in the early development of hip-hop, has died at the age of 78. The singer and producer died in his native Jamaica Wednesday after a long illness, Loop Jamaica reported.
“We are very sad to announce that pioneering DJ who revolutionised the sound of Jamaican music in the early Seventies – Ewat Beckford aka U Roy has passed away at the age of 78 yesterday in Jamaica,” Trojan Records tweeted.
As a traveling sound system DJ in the 1960s and ’70s, alongside the legendary likes of King Tubby (for whom he rapped, famously), and Coxsone Dodd, U-Roy lent his often lovely and mellifluous conversational chatter — rapping with a flow and an intuitive feel for the rhythms — to sparsely arranged reggae, dancehall and dub tracks in a live setting. Not only did this make him one of dancehall’s toasting innovators, U-Roy crafted some of the earliest forms of rap, for which he won sobriquets such as ‘The King of Toasters’ and ‘The Originator’.
Ewart "U-Roy" Beckford, who transformed the Jamaican art of toasting, or deejaying, from a sound system phenomenon into a hit-making art form that deeply influenced generations of dancehall artists as well as the formation of early hip-hop, has died. U-Roy's partner, Marcia Smikle, told the Jamaica Gleaner that he'd been unwell for some time; the news was also confirmed by Trojan Records. He was 78.
Respectfully referred to as The Teacher, The Originator or simply Daddy, U-Roy wasn't the best-known name in Jamaican music among an international audience, yet exerted an incalculable influence on the development of reggae and dancehall and its offshoots, most notably hip-hop.
From Sir David Rodigan, the “Gentleman Rude Bwoy” of reggae:
RIP, Daddy Roy. Condolences to his family and to his millions of fans worldwide.
~~ Wake the town and tell the people! ~~
This is reggae music
Welcome to the sound
You need to look no further
The universe is found
Reggae music sound~ Zap Pow
Let's celebrate him.
Wake The Town
Wake the town and tell the people
'Bout the musical disc coming your way
Now, wake the town and tell the people
I've got a musical disc I can't afford to delay
I could play the musical disc well straight
It's crabbit, so crabbit, like an Alabama rabbit
Yeah!
Do it, baby, do it
You can wake it, baby, you can wake it up
Shake it up, baby, but don't break it up you know, girl
But never you be wrong
Gonna play it on strong
Strong, strong, strong!
Yeah!
I love you so
I say
Musical disc
Shake baby, shake that riddim on your feet
Shake what your mama gave you
Yeah!
Coming on strong as I would say
Strong, strong, strong
As you can see, U-Roy’s music was mainly about having a nice time. He does have a few message songs — I can think of “Queen Majesty” off the top of my head — but for the most part he wasn’t a militant artist...he wasn’t a Peter Tosh or a Bob Marley. He came to nice up the place and he did it beautifully. His legacy will live on. Thank you, sir.