“Culture Etch”
U-Roy
Ewart Beckford OD, known by the stage name U-Roy, was a Jamaican vocalist and pioneer of toasting. U-Roy was known for a melodic style of toasting applied with a highly developed sense of timing.
- Born: Sep 21, 1942 · Kingston, Jamaica
- Died: Feb 17, 2021 · Kingston, Jamaica
- Member of: U-Roy & John Holt · King Tubby & U Roy · Gilb’r vs. U-Roy
“Without him, there would be no dancehall, no hip-hop, no rap, no Afrobeat,” quoted by Producer Mad Professor.
“Born Ewart Beckford in Kingston, Jamaica, U-Roy — whose nickname came from a younger relative who struggled to saw “Ewart” — spent the Sixties under the tutelage of numerous veteran sound systems — Dickie Wong’s, Coxsone Dodd’s and King Tubby’s — before linking up with Paragons singer John Holt and producer Duke Reid in 1970.” Read about his tributes on RollingStone.com.
