Dennis Anthony Thomas (born 26 March 1962), better known as King Kong, is a Jamaican

deejay A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...

/singer best known for his work in the 1980s.

Biography

Born in Kingston, Thomas first recorded as a deejay at

Tuff Gong Tuff Gong is the brand name associated with a number of businesses started by Bob Marley and the Marley family. 'Tuff Gong' comes from Marley's nickname, which was in turn an echo of that given to founder of the Rastafari movement, Leonard " ...

studios in 1982, initially working under the name Junior Kong, named after his father.Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , p. 154 His debut single was "Pink Eye". He worked with GT and then his own Love Bunch sound system and then recorded for

King Tubby Osbourne Ruddock (28 January 1941 – 6 February 1989), better known as King Tubby, was a Jamaican sound engineer who greatly influenced the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s. Tubby's innovative studio work, which saw him elevate the ...

's Firehouse label, now singing in a similar style to

Tenor Saw Clive Bright (2 December 1966 – August 1988), better known as Tenor Saw, was a Jamaican dancehall singjay in the 1980s, considered one of the most influential singers of the early digital reggae era. His best-known song was the 1985 hit "Ring ...

. The early King Kong recordings for Tubby were over early digital rhythms, and included songs such as "AIDS" and "Babylon", and established him as a popular artist. His first album release was split with another of Tubby's singers, Anthony Red Rose, with ''Two Big Bull Inna One Pen'' issued on Firehouse. During 1986 and 1987, Kong recorded for several of Jamaica's top producers, including

Prince 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 ...

, with whom he enjoyed his biggest hits with "Trouble Again" (the title track from his Jammy-produced debut album proper) and "Legal We Legal",Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) ''The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn.'', Rough Guides, , p. 300

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 ...

Harry J Harry Zephaniah Johnson (6 July 1945 – 3 April 2013), known by the stage name Harry J, was a Jamaican reggae record producer. Biography Born in Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica, Johnson started to play music with the Virtues as a bass player bef ...

, Errol Thompson,

Ossie Hibbert Oswald "Ossie" Hibbert (16 January 1951 – 1 July 2012) was a Jamaican organist, keyboard player and record producer. Biography Hibbert began to be active in Jamaican music in the mid-1970s, working as a keyboard player as part of The Professi ...

Bunny Lee Edward O'Sullivan Lee OD (23 August 1941 – 6 October 2020), better known as Bunny "Striker" Lee, was a Jamaican record producer. He was known as a pioneer of the United Kingdom reggae market, licensing his productions to Trojan Records i ...

, and

Prince Jazzbo Linval Roy Carter (3 September 1951 – 11 September 2013), better known as Prince Jazzbo, was a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay and producer. Career Born in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, and raised in Kingston, Linval Roy Carter (who would ...

. While many of his songs were typical in content of the era, several of his songs had political and cultural themes.Foster, Chuck (1999) ''Roots Rock Reggae: an Oral History of Reggae Music from Ska to Dancehall'', Billboard Books, , p. 158 He released several albums during this period before relocating first to New York, and then to Canada in the late 1980s, where he released material occasionally on his Conscious Music label. The death of Tenor Saw in 1988 prompted King Kong to release "He Was a Friend" as a tribute, and in 1989 he relocated to England and recorded with

Mafia & Fluxy Mafia & Fluxy are a British reggae rhythm section and production team, consisting of the brothers Leroy (bass) and David Heywood (drums), whose careers began with London reggae band The Instigators in 1977. They backed Jamaican artists on UK to ...

and

Gussie P Gussie is a shortened version of the given names Augustus, Augusta, Gustave and others. Gussie or Gussy may refer to: People *Edward Augustus Bowles (1865–1954), British horticulturalist, botanist and writer *Gussie Busch (1899–1989), America ...

in the early 1990s. He began recording more regularly again in the 2000s.

Discography

Albums

*''Trouble Again'' (10 November 1986), Greensleeves *''Two Big Bull Inna One Pen'' (1986), Firehouse – with Anthony Red Rose *''Legal We Legal'' (1986), Jammy's – issued in the UK as ''Trouble Again'' on

Greensleeves Records Greensleeves Records & Publishing, shortened to ''Greensleeves Records'', is a record label specializing in dancehall and reggae music. The company was founded by Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick. Based in Britain, Greensleeves Records star ...

, reissued (2008), Greensleeves with bonus tracks *''Dancehall Session'' (1986), Striker Lee *''Musical Confrontation'' (1986), Jammy's – with

Nitty Gritty Glen Augustus Holness (1957–24 June 1991), otherwise known by his stage name Nitty Gritty, was a popular reggae singer. Born in the August Town section of Kingston, Jamaica, he was the second of eleven children born to religious parents. ...

*''Big Heavy Load'' (1987), Striker Lee *''Identify Me'' (1987), Black Solidarity *''Musical Terrorist'' (198?), Our Land Sound Productions *''Rumble Jumble Life'' (2005), Massive B *''Ethiopian Dream'' (2012), (King Shiloh)

Singles

*"You Pack up and gone" (1986), Jammy´s *"Can´t Ride Computer" (1986), Jammy´s – Riddim : Tempo *"Pink Eye" (1982), 56 Hope Road *"Sensimania Is Walking" (1985), R:E:M *"Ninja" (1985), Sunset *"AIDS" (1986), Firehouse *"Babylon" (1986), Firehouse *"Trouble Again" (1986), Greensleeves/Jammy's *"Mix Up" (1986) *"Legal We Legal" (1986), Greensleeves *"Paro Them Paro" (1986), Greensleeves *"Have Some Approach" (198?), Black Solidarity *"Niceness" (1986),

*"Identify Me" (198?), Black Scorpio *"Rich & Switch" (1986), Java *"Rip and Run Off" (1986), Big M *"Nice Christmas" (198?), Firehouse *"Step on My Corn" (198?), Firehouse *"No Call Me No Boops" (198?), Firehouse *"Don't Touch My Boops" (1986), Jammy's *"Big Boy" (1986), Oneness *"Rocky Road" (1986), Fresh Roses *"Good Fi Nuttin" (198?), Firehouse *"Girls Dem A Come" (198?), Ujama *"Raggamuffin A Pass" (1986), Ujama *"Can't Distress Me" (198?), Parish *"Toots Boops" (1987) *"Eden a Come" (1987), Black Scorpio *"Can't Tan It" (1987), Sunset *"Musical Terrorist" (1987), Sunset *"Time Is The Master" (1987), Upsetter Music *"Reggae Mylitis" (198?), Sunset *"No Touch De Gorilla" (1987) *"Over Cover Lover" (198?), Live & Love *"Dollars Strong" (198?), MCM *"Highest Grade" (198?), Black Scorpio *"Ragamuffin A Pass" (198?), Now Generation *"Predominent" (198?), Now Generation *"Du No Get High" (198?), Ottey's *"Song of Love" (198?), Pisces *"Don't Trouble Trouble" (198?), Striker Lee *"Glamour Boy in Mi Life" (198?), Striker Lee *"Must Work On Sunday" (198?), Striker Lee *"Moving On African Border" (198?), Striker Lee *"Four Year Old" (198?), Apple Tree *"Job" (198?), Apple Tree *"Here I Am" (19??), Bugu B *"Agony And Pain" (198?), Jah Life Time *"He Was a Friend" (1988), Conscious Music *"Magic Moment" (1989), Taurus *"Identify Me" (19??), Digikal *"Digital We Digital" (19??), Digikal *"Break Down The Walls" (????), Jammy's *"Jah Jah Rule" (19??), Thompson Sound *"Who Say" (19??), Thompson Sound *"Dem A Fake" (????), Jammy's *"Imagine" (????), Jammy's *"Seize All Guns" (????), Jammy's *"Try Not I" (19??) *"Once Upon A Time" (198?), King Kong – with Leroy Mafia *"Progress" (198?), Thunderbolt *"Not A Bwoy Caan Test We" (1991), Gussie P *"Trouble Again Pt. 2" (199?), Jammy's *"Unity Medley" (19??), Massive Sounds – 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 ...

and

Burro Banton Burro Banton (born Donovan Spalding; 27 December 1956 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a dancehall reggae deejay popular in the mid-1980s and 1990s. He is most famous for his anthem "Boom Wah Dis", which was recorded on the Steely & Clevie riddim cal ...

*"Unfortunate Children" (????), Ffrench *"Have A Little Sound" (????), Sinbad *"Bag Juice & Cheese Chips" (199?), Massive B *"Call Mr. Madden" (1995), Massive B *"Earth Is The Lord" (????), Massive B *"Ethiopia" (????), Massive B *"Free Speech" (????), Massive B *"Legalize It" (????), Massive B *"Troubles" (????), Massive B *"Unity" (????), Massive B *"Seem Dem There" (????), Reggae Explorer *"My Darling" (1998), Jammy's *"Works of Jah" (2001), Roots Foundation *"Jah Is My Best Friend" (2002), Massive B *"Big Money Pay" (200?), Badd *"Big Bad Sound" (200?), Sweet Beat *"Paradise Lost" (2004), Massive B *"Higher High" (2004), Conscious Music *"African Border" (2005), Flash *"Rumble Jumble Life" (2005), Massive B *"Free De Herb" (2005), Inkalink *"1922" (2005), Rashanco *"Who Say" (2005), Thompson Sound *"I Feel A Joy" (2005), Massive B *"Evolution" (2006), Jahspora *"Dem Nah Do Nuttun" (2006), Run Things *"This Train" (2006), Diop Side *"Jah is the Ruler" (200?), Koogah Sound *"Flirt" (2008), Phantom *"Not A Bwoy Caan Test We" (2008), Sip a Cup *"Mi Ave A Likkle Sound" (2008), Sip a Cup *"Missin Africa" (2009), Massive B *"Chosen One" (2009), Uplift – B-side of

Lutan Fyah Anthony Martin (born 4 December 1975), better known as Lutan Fyah, is a Jamaican musician, singer, and member of the Rastafari movement Bobo Shanti. Background Born in Spanish Town, Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica, Martin studied Architectur ...

's "Babylon a Fiss"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:King Kong Living people Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican reggae singers 1962 births Greensleeves Records artists Firehouse 12 Records artists