''Mister Yellowman'' is the debut studio album by the Jamaican

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 ...

and

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 ...

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 ...

Yellowman Winston Foster , better known by the stage name Yellowman, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay, also known as King Yellowman. He first became popular in Jamaica in the 1980s, rising to prominence with a series of singles that established ...

. In October 1982 it was released as ''Mister Yellowman'' in the United Kingdom by

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 ...

and as ''Duppy or Gunman'' in Jamaica by Jah Guidance /

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 ...

, also in 1982.

Critical reception

A 1982 review in ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' states "Yellowman strips reggae down to the minimum here. The vocals are rapped almost as much as sung, whilst the instrumentation is down to almost the rhythm track. This bare bones approach works a lot better than one would think, primarily because Yellowman, who is getting better known all the time, has the presence and innate sense of rhythm and song to make it work." Jo-Ann Greene in

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

wrote "Mister Yellowman was the DJ's first album with Lawes, and remains one of his best. Backed by the seminal Roots Radics and Earl "Chinna" Smith's Hi Times band, the deep roots that both created were further finessed by Lawes into a simmering stew of dancehall-inflected rhythms shot through with dub. Yellowman spoke directly to the lives of regular Jamaicans while effortlessly riding the rootsy rhythms. Today overshadowed by many of his contemporaries, Mister sets the record straight; a masterly DJ set that just can't be beat." Harry Hawks, from ReggaeCollector.com, wrote: "In 1982, at the height of his fame, he released more albums than Bob Marley had put out in his entire career and his plethora of albums, seven and twelve inch singles can prove very confusing to a newcomer to Yellowman's oeuvre. His most accomplished and consistent studio work was with Henry 'Junjo' Lawes and their 1982 album 'Mister Yellowman', released on Greensleeves in London, began to establish his reputation beyond the confines of Jamaica's dance halls." Pat Gilbert and the ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...

'' staff listed the album at number 45 of MOJO's 50 greatest reggae albums. They wrote: "Sometimes ridiculous, often very rude but always mesmerising dancehall classic from albino JA star." Bud Kliment and Amy Wachtel in

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...

state that "Mister Yellowman, the album that helped launch his international fame, remains among his best. Nearly every cut is strong, including "Mister Chin," "Two to Six Supermix" and the ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...

''-inspired "Yellowman Getting Married" (in the morning). While they often come close, none of his other records equal this consistency and easy versatility."

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

included the album as No. 170 in their 200 best albums of the 1980s, commenting that the album "illustrates his seismic impact". ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...

'' stated the album was "an entrancing and not all together lascivious collection that sways just as often as it shimmies."

Track listing

Mister Yellowman

Duppy or Gunman

In the album ''Duppy or Gunman'' the song "Yellowman Getting Married" features an extra verse before the end. In the album ''Mister Yellowman'' this verse was edited out.

References

{{Authority control 1982 debut albums Yellowman albums Greensleeves Records albums