| B i o g r a p h y |
Lloyd James (born 1947, Montego Bay, Jamaica), who is better known as Prince Jammy or King Jammy,
is a dub mixer and record producer. He began his musical career as a
dub master at King Tubby's recording studio. His dubs were known for
their clear sound and use of effects.
After earning money from building amplifiers and repairing electrical
equipment from his mother's house in Waterhouse in the late 1960s, he
started his own sound system. He also built equipment for other local
systems. After leaving Jamaica to work in Canada for a few years in the
early 1970s, he returned to Kingston in 1976 and set up his own studio
at his in-laws' home in Waterhouse, and released a couple of Yabby You
productions. When Phillip Smart left King Tubby's team to work in New
York City, Jammy replaced him, getting to work with Bunny Lee and Yabby
You.
In the late 1970s he began to release his own productions, including the
debut album from Black Uhuru in 1977. In the 1980s, he became one of
the most influential producers of dancehall music. His biggest hit was
1985's "Under Me Sleng teng" by Wayne Smith, with an entirely-digital
rhythm hook. Many credit this song as being the first "Digital rhythm"
in reggae, leading to the modern dancehall era. Jammy's productions and
sound system dominated reggae music for the remainder of the 1980s and
into the 1990s. He continues to work as a producer, working with some of
today's top Jamaican artists, including Sizzla.