Starkey Banton, also known as Starkey Super (born David Murray, 15 November 1962), is a British

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 ...

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 ...

known for his "cultural" lyrics, active since the mid-1970s.

Biography

Born in Hammersmith,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, in 1962, Murray began performing in the mid-1970s under the name Starkey Super on the London sound system circuit.Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , p.20 He changed his stage name to Starkey Banton ("Banton", meaning a deejay full of lyrics) in response to the popularity of several other performers using the Banton name. His debut single, "Lover Dread", was released in 1993, bucking the trend for

slackness Slackness refers to vulgarity in West Indian culture, behavior, and music. It also refers to a subgenre of dancehall music with straightforward sexual lyrics performed live or recorded. Its form and pronunciation varies throughout the Caribbean. ...

. This was followed by "Blackman Memories" and "Ganja Baby". In 1994 he worked with the One Love crew, who released his "Wicked Man" single, the popularity of which led to combination hits with

Sweetie Irie Dean Bent (born January 1971), better known as Sweetie Irie, is an English reggae singer and deejay. Early life Sweetie Irie began working on local sound systems as a teenager. Career He gained the attention of Angus Gaye of Aswad ...

and Horace Andy and an appearance at the 1995 '' Reggae Sunsplash'' festival. His 1995 retort to the

Jungle music Jungle is a genre of dance music that developed out of the UK rave scene and sound system culture in the 1990s. Emerging from breakbeat hardcore, the style is characterised by rapid breakbeats, heavily syncopated percussive loops, samples, and ...

phenomenon, "Jungle Bungle" ("One bag a noise and a whole heap a sample, That's something my ear holes can't handle!"), was hugely popular among Britain's urban audience.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) ''The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn.'',

Rough Guides Rough Guides Ltd is a British travel guide book and reference publisher, which has been owned by APA Publications since November 2017. In addition to publishing guidebooks, the company also provides a tailor-made trips service based on custome ...

, , p.421 He recorded for Fashion Records, releasing "Nah Wear Nuh Versace", coincidentally released on the day

Gianni Versace Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace (; 2 December 1946 – 15 July 1997) was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman. He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-u ...

was killed, followed by a string of cultural singles with "I Love King Selassie", "I & I Saw Them Coming", and "Weeping & Wailing", collected together along with the dub sides and new material on his debut album, ''Powers Youth'', in 1997.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (1999) ''Reggae: 100 Essential CDs - The Rough Guide'',

, , p.17-18 The album featured

Mykal Rose Michael Rose (born 11 July 1957) is a Grammy award-winning reggae singer from Jamaica. He is known for a successful tenure with Black Uhuru from 1977 to 1984, and he has worked regularly with Dennis Brown, Big Youth, The Wailers, Gregory Isaacs ...

, with whom Banton recorded combination tracks "Release Me" and "Another Day in Babywrong". His second album, ''Rasta Mystic'', was produced by

Mad Professor Mad Professor (born Neil Joseph Stephen Fraser, 1955, Georgetown, Guyana) is a Guyanese-born British dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub music ...

, with rhythms provided by

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

Black Steel Black Steel is an Australian heavy metal band, whose career highlights include supporting rock legends Deep Purple (2000), Judas Priest (2001, 2008'The West Australian' newspaper – 'Today' section 18 September 2008 – page 7), Zakk Wylde's Bl ...

, and released on

Ariwa Mad Professor (born Neil Joseph Stephen Fraser, 1955, Georgetown, Guyana) is a Guyanese-born British dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub musi ...

in 2000. Banton has remained popular, and headlined the '' Aldajah Reggae Festival'' in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

in 2005.Gentleman, Starkey Banton encabezan el Aldajah Reggae Festival
, ''Diariocrítico de la Communitat Valenciana'', 3 May 2005

Discography

Albums

*''Powers Youth'' (1997)

Fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion i ...

(Starkey Banton meets the Dub Organiser) *''Rasta Mystic'' (2000)

*'Joy Of The World (2005)

Jet Star / Bantonic Jet, Jets, or The Jet(s) may refer to: Aerospace * Jet aircraft, an aircraft propelled by jet engines ** Jet airliner ** Jet engine ** Jet fuel * Jet Airways, an Indian airline * Wind Jet (ICAO: JET), an Italian airline * Journey to Enceladus ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banton, Starkey 1962 births Living people British reggae musicians English Rastafarians People from Hammersmith