Prince Jazzbo / Sept 3, 1951 - Sept 11, 2013

The underrated roots reggae toaster Prince Jazzbo was born on this day in 1951 with the given name Linval Roy Carter. Like every other Kingston youth, he started off working the sound systems before starting his recording career in the early '70s with Studio 1, Upsetter and others for producers Lee "Scratch" Perry, Bunny Lee, Glen Brown as well as for his own Ujama label, which he created in '77.

He hit with "Crabwalking" (an update on Horace Andy's "Skylarking") in '72. He is the dude on "Croaking Lizard" on the Super Ape album by Perry. And he and I-Roy staged a beef, complete with diss tracks ("Straight To I-Roy's Head"). His 1976 Perry-produced album Ital Corner (also known as Natty Passing Thru) remains a classic.

In the '80s his Ujama label's roster featured Frankie Paul, U-Roy, I-Roy, Big Youth, Zebra, Eric Donaldson and more. He never quite got as successful or well-known as other deejays but his Perry-produced material is top-ranking.




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