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Brigadier Jerry | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Russell |
| Also known as | The General |
| Born | 28 September 1957 |
| Origin | Kingston, Jamaica |
| Genres | Reggae Dancehall |
| Occupation | Deejay |
| Years active | 1975 – present |
| Labels | Jwyanza, RAS |
Robert Russell (born 28 September 1957), [1] better known by the stage name Brigadier Jerry is a Jamaican dancehall reggae deejay known for his "cultural" lyrics.
Brigadier Jerry, often nicknamed "Briggy" and "The General", was born in the Papine area of eastern Kingston in 1957, and he became interested in music at an early age, initially linking with U Roy's King Stur-Gav Hi-Fi sound system. [2] Jerry's earliest stage appearances were as a young man performing stand-up comedy, but he soon switched to deejaying for local sound systems. He became a member of the Rastafarian organisation Twelve Tribes of Israel by 1978 [3] and spread their message on the Jah Love Muzik sound system. [2] By 1980, Brigadier Jerry was one of Jamaica's most sought-after performers by sound systems across the island, and a well-respected deejay among his peers. He recorded for Studio One in the early 1980s before having his first hits with "Pain" (on the Answer/Never Let Go riddim) and "Gwan a School" for producer Delroy Stansbury on the Jwyanza label in 1982. [1] [2] His first album was the live recording Live at the Controls in 1983, and his debut studio album, Jamaica Jamaica, was released in 1985. He often chats verses directly from the Bible, and preaches against the evils of slackness in dancehall music when performing. He attributes his unique pattern to melding together the styles of a few artists who came before him, including U-Roy, Prince Jazzbo, Big Youth, and Dennis Alcapone. [4]
Jerry has recorded five albums over the years, but the bulk of his career has been spent touring the world, as well as Jamaica, performing over countless sound systems. He still records the occasional single, most recently for the Ranking Joe label, but remains primarily a live performer (mostly for King Sturgav). He is considered by many to be U-Roy's greatest student; a stable which includes Ranking Joe, Josey Wales, Charlie Chaplin, U Brown on down to modern-day deejays such as Buju Banton.
He lived in New York with his wife and children Jermaine, and many more between 1988 and 1991 before returning to Jamaica and performing again on the Jah Love Muzik sound system. In the late 1990s, U-Roy revived his Stur-Gav sound and Jerry returned as a touring deejay. [5] He is now based in the United States. [6]
Jerry also nurtured the career of his sister Ophlin Russell, who performs and records as Sister Nancy. [2]
In November 2019 he was arrested in Connecticut on charges of first-degree robbery, first-degree reckless endangerment, illegal discharge of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, illegal transfer of a pistol and altering a serial number on a firearm, after a shooting incident at a restaurant. [7]
Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott was a Jamaican reggae and dancehall singer, record producer and sound-system operator.
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably, with digital dancehall becoming increasingly characterized by faster rhythms. Key elements of dancehall music include its extensive use of Jamaican Patois rather than Jamaican standard English and a focus on the track instrumentals.
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.
William Anthony Maragh, also known as Super Cat, is a Jamaican deejay who achieved widespread popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s dancehall movement. His nickname, "Wild Apache", was given to him by his mentor Early B. Super Cat is considered one of the greatest deejays in the history of the Jamaican dancehall scene.
Prince Malachi is an English roots reggae singer.
Christopher MacFarlane, better known as Macka B, is a British-born Jamaican reggae artist, performer and activist with a career spanning thirty years and one of Britain's most influential dancehall DJs.
Roy Samuel Reid, better known as I-Roy, was a Jamaican deejay who had a very prolific career during the 1970s.
Earlando Arrington Neil, better known by his stage name Early B, was an early dancehall and reggae deejay whose lyrics had a cultural bent, noted mainly in his hits Visit of King Selassie, History of Jamaica and Wheely Wheely, the latter an ode to bicycle-riding in Jamaica.
Nkrumah "Jah" Thomas is a reggae deejay and record producer who first came to prominence in the 1970s, later setting up his own Midnight Rock and Nura labels.
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Huford Brown, better known by the stage name U Brown, is a reggae deejay who released eleven albums between 1976 and 1984.
Ophlin Russell, better known as Sister Nancy, is a Jamaican dancehall DJ and singer. She is known as the first female dancehall DJ and was described as being a "dominating female voice for over two decades" on the dancehall scene.
Johnny Ringo was a reggae/dancehall deejay active from the late 1970s to the early 1990s.
Amos Edwards better known by his stage name General Trees, is a Jamaican dancehall deejay who was considered one of the most popular deejays of the 1980s, best known for his hits in the latter half of the decade.
Admiral Tibet, also known as "Mr. Reality" is a Jamaican dancehall singer known for his "cultural" lyrics.
Fitz Albert Cotterell, better known as Prezident Brown, is a Jamaican reggae/dancehall vocalist
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Norman Washington Jackson, better known as Tiger, is a Jamaican dancehall musician active since the late 1970s. He is known for his growling style of deejaying, often imitated by other dancehall deejays since his initial rise to fame.
Richard Patrick Bennett, better known by the stage name Charlie Chaplin, is a Jamaican dancehall and ragga singer and deejay. It was common for Jamaican deejays of the era to name themselves after film stars or characters. Bennett, however, had been nicknamed after the comedian since his youth. His career began in 1980 when he began working with U-Roy's Stur-Gav Hi-Fi collective. He became extremely popular throughout Jamaica, memorable for his focus on cultural and social themes instead of the "slack" lyrics that were popular at the time. His popularity as a live performer prompted Roy Cousins to produce some recording sessions with the young DJ. Chaplin's debut album was the Cousins-produced Presenting Charlie Chaplin in 1982, with several albums following for the producer over the next three years.
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