Half Pint (born 11 November 1961), and sometimes credited Lindon Andrew Roberts,Josephs, Karla (2012)
Big deal for Half Pint
", ''

Jamaica Observer ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The publication is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, ''The Gleaner''. Its founding editor i ...

'', 7 June 2012, retrieved 8 June 2012 is a Jamaican

dancehall 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.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...

ragga Raggamuffin music, usually abbreviated as ragga, is a subgenre of dancehall and reggae music. The instrumentals primarily consist of electronic music. Similar to hip hop, sampling often serves a prominent role in raggamuffin music. Wayne Sm ...

, and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

singer.

Biography

He originates from the West Kingston enclave of Rose Lane; a community which has produced reggae acts such as

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

Dennis Brown Dennis Emmanuel Brown CD (1 February 1957 – 1 July 1999) was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of l ...

Peter Tosh Winston Hubert McIntosh, OM (19 October 1944 – 11 September 1987), professionally known as Peter Tosh, was a Jamaican reggae musician. Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the band the Wailers (1963� ...

Lee "Scratch" Perry Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936 – 29 August 2021) was a Jamaican record producer, composer and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development o ...

, and

Toots Hibbert Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert, (8 December 1942 – 11 September 2020), better known as Toots Hibbert, was a Jamaican singer and songwriter who was the lead vocalist for the reggae and ska band Toots and the Maytals. A reggae pioneer, he perform ...

. Half Pint began singing in the school choir at All Saints' Primary School.Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , p. 127 After the completion of his secondary education in 1976, he sought work as a vocalist within the Jamaican music industry. Half Pint toured the island with various

sound systems In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

including

Black Scorpio Black Scorpio is a Jamaican sound system and record label run by Maurice "Jack Scorpio" Johnson. History Johnson had started to operate a single turntable and speaker sound system in 1968 and started the Special I sound system in 1972, changing ...

, Jammys, Gemini, Lee's Unlimited and Killimanjaro. He subsequently worked with record producers such as Errol (John) Marshall; Errol (Myrie) Lewis;

King Jammy Lloyd James (born 26 October 1947),Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter: "Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, better known as Prince Jammy or King Jammy, is a Jamaican dub mixer and record producer. He began his musical career as a dub ma ...

;

Sly and Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separa ...

;

George Phang George Phang (born 29 March 1956 in Saint Andrew, Kingston) is a Jamaican reggae record producer, famously known for owning the ''Powerhouse'' label. Phang started his reggae label Powerhouse in the early 1980s. His first hits were Little John's ...

; Jack Scorpio, Bobby "Digital" Dixon and Mass Hugh. He also collaborated with

Garnett Silk Garnett Silk (born Garnet Damion Smith; 2 April 1966 – 9 December 1994) was a Jamaican reggae musician and Rastafarian, known for his diverse, emotive, powerful and smooth voice. During the early 1990s he was hailed as a rising talent, howeve ...

Tony Rebel Patrick George Anthony Barrett (born 15 January 1962), better known by his stage name Tony Rebel, is a Jamaican reggae deejay. Career Born in Manchester Parish, Jamaica, Barrett was initially a singer, appearing as Papa Tony or Tony Ranking in ...

and

The Tamlins The Tamlins are a Jamaican reggae vocal group formed in the late 1960s, known for their hits such as "Baltimore", and their work with artists such as Peter Tosh. History The group originally comprised Carlton Smith, Junior Moore and Winston Mor ...

. His first single, "Sally", was released in 1983 and was a hit in Jamaica, followed later that year with "Winsome". He released ''Money Man Skank'', recorded in the early 1980s by

, which possessed energy, ebullience and style that epitomised the dancehall feel. In 1983, Pint's first single, "Sally," was released followed by the song "Winsome," and both tracks became reggae hits. He continued to release songs that became hits in the local and international reggae scenes, including "Mr. Landlord," "Level the Vibes," "Substitute Lover" and the

chart-topper A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include rec ...

, Half Pint's all-time greatest hit "Greetings" was released on Powerhouse in 1986 and was recorded in a single take. Besides these singles, Roberts has also released a number of albums. His largest fanbases are in Europe, Japan, Brazil, and the West Coast of the United States. Half Pint's 1983 Jamaican number-one song "Winsome" was covered by

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

in 1986, although it was renamed "Too Rude" for their '' Dirty Work album''. The dub-punk group Sublime released a cover of Half Pint's "Loving" in 1996. Half Pint maintained his public profile by frequent touring and guest appearances. He has performed at music festivals and rock concerts. Half Pint's track "Giving/Sharing" was featured on the soundtrack album for the film, '' The Mighty Quinn'' (1989). His music has also been used on the films ''Substitute 2'' (1998), and the French comedy ''Mookie'' (1998). In 1998, Half Pint was signed with the BMG Music Publishing Company. Despite being noticeably absent from the recording studios for most of this decade, Half Pint enjoyed relative success with ''Legal We Legal'' (his first studio album within a ten-year period). This was followed by a fifteen city US tour with

Anthony B Keith Blair (born 31 March 1976), better known by the stage name Anthony B, is a Jamaican DJ and member of the Rastafari movement.Moskowitz, David V (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Danceha ...

. Half Pint was presented with "The Key to The City of Lauderdale Lakes" by the Mayor of the Florida suburb in 2000. Half Pint was featured on

Sly & Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separat ...

's 25th Anniversary US Tour along with

and Heineken Startime appearances in December 2004 in Jamaica. Half Pint has worked with the California-based band, DubCat. The New York-based Sotti Records label released a Half Pint single in 2005, "Wha Ya Wan," an updated remake of his "Winsome", with R&B singer DIA. Half Pint was nominated and awarded the "Producer's Respect Award" at the 26th International Reggae and World Music Awards held in New York City at the Apollo Theater on 5 May 2007. Half Pint headlined at the Jamaica 360 festival in Ocho Rios, Jamaica in May, and a return performance at the 15th Annual

Reggae Sumfest Reggae Sumfest is the largest music festival in Jamaica and the Caribbean, taking place each year in mid-July in Montego Bay.Johnson, Richard (2014)All Set for Sumfest, ''Jamaica Observer'', 8 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014 Sumfest started in 19 ...

in Montego Bay, Jamaica in July. He also released ''No Stress Express'' that year. Sublime's 1996 hit, "

What I Got "What I Got" is a song from American band Sublime's self-titled third album (1996). It was the band's biggest radio hit, posthumously after singer Bradley Nowell's death in 1996 from a heroin overdose. It was the second single to be released b ...

", was based on the chorus of Half Pint's track "Loving". In 2012, Half Pint toured the United States with

Slightly Stoopid Slightly Stoopid is an American band based in the Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego, California, who describe their music as "a fusion of folk, rock, reggae and blues with hip-hop, funk, metal and punk." As a band, they have released thirt ...

on their 'Unity' tour.

Work with other musicians

Half Pint at Dennis Brown Tribute Show May 22, 2012

Half Pint has been featured as a guest on a number of songs by other artists including: * "Pass It On" by

Long Beach Dub Allstars The Long Beach Dub Allstars are an American dub/ska/rock band formed in 1997 and disbanded in 2002, but reformed 10 years later. History Initial career (1997–2001) Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh met in childhood (in 1979) and later started their ...

, from the album ''

Right Back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...

'' * "Life Goes On" by Long Beach Dub Allstars, from the album ''

Wonders of the World Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to the present day, in order to catalogue the world's most spectacular natural features and human-built structures. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the o ...

'' * "Sunday Afternoon" by

Lucky Boys Confusion Lucky Boys Confusion is an American rock band from the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Hailing from DuPage County, the band's music is a mix of rock, punk, ska and hip hop. The band consists of vocalist Kaustubh "Stubhy" ...

, from the album '' Commitment'' * On 2006's "Bongidae! Silverback Music Festival" version, Dubcat featured on tracks "Level the Vibes", "Cost of Living" and "Winsome". Also, Half Pint collaborated with

. * "Women of the Night" by Stick Figure, from the album ''Burial Ground'' released 12 June 2012

Discography

Albums

* ''In Fine Style'' (1984) Sunset Records * ''Money Man Skank'' (1984)

Jammys The Jammy Award (also known as the Jammys) is an awards show for bands typically referred to as jam bands and other artists associated with live, improvisational music, created by Dean Budnick and Peter Shapiro (concert promoter), Peter Shapiro. ...

* ''One in a Million'' (1984)

Greensleeves "Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song. A broadside ballad by the name "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves" was registered by Richard Jones at the London Stationer's Company in September 1580,Frank Kidson, ''English Fol ...

* ''Great Hits of All Times'' (1985)

Feel the Beat "Feel the Beat" is a song by Finnish DJ and record producer Darude. It was released as the second single from his debut studio album '' Before the Storm''. It shares many similar musical elements to the first single, " Sandstorm", and achieved s ...

* ''Greetings'' (1986) Power House * ''Joint Favourites'' (1986) Greensleeves * ''Level the Vibes'' (1987) Taxi Records * ''Victory'' (1988)

RAS Ras or RAS may refer to: Arts and media * RAS Records Real Authentic Sound, a reggae record label * Rundfunk Anstalt Südtirol, a south Tyrolese public broadcasting service * Rás 1, an Icelandic radio station * Rás 2, an Icelandic radio stati ...

* ''20 Super Hits'' (1990) Sonic Sounds * ''One Big Family'' (1990) Power House * ''Pick Your Choice'' (1993)

VP Records VP Records is an independent Caribbean-owned record label in Queens, New York (state), New York. The label is known for releasing music by notable artists in reggae, dancehall and Soca music, soca. VP Records has offices in New York City, Miami ...

* ''Classics'' (1994) Outa!/Hightone * ''Classics In Dub'' (1995) Outa!/Hightone * ''Collection'' (1997) Tachyon (Japan) * ''Half Pint'' (1997)

* ''Legal We Legal'' (1998) Artists Only! * ''Closer to You'' (1999) Half Pint Music * ''Recollection'' (2000) Cornerstone R.A.S./Skunk * ''Past to Present'' (2006) Ryff Music * ''No Stress Express (2008) Half Pint Music/Essential/Universal Music Group * ''Essential Roots Anthology'' (2008) Essential Media Group

Singles

*" Winsome" (1984)

References

External links

*
Official site for the International Reggae and World Music Awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Half Pint 1961 births Living people Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican reggae musicians VP Records artists Greensleeves Records artists