The Alliance is a group of
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 ...
deejays. Founded by
Bounty Killer
Rodney Basil Price (born 12 June 1972), known as Bounty Killer, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. AllMusic describes him as "one of the most aggressive dancehall stars of the '90s, a street-tough rude boy with an unrepentant flair ...
, the Alliance includes long-time collaborators like Angel Doolas and protégés like
Elephant Man
Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890), often erroneously called John Merrick, was an English man known for having severe deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "the Elephant Man" and then wen ...
. Because of their high profile, some worried that the Alliance was established to "rule" the dancehall business by choosing which
riddim
Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm". In the context of reggae and dancehall, it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the ...
to voice. These worries led to the war between
Vybz Kartel
Adidja Azim Palmer (born 7 January 1976), better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall recording artist, composer, record producer, and entrepreneur. Among his various nicknames, he is referred to as "Worl' Boss". As summarize ...
and
Ninja Man.
History
The Alliance was formed in 2003 by dancehall artist Bounty Killer and close friends as 'the heavyweights'. These included
Busy Signal
Reanno Devon Gordon (born 24 January 1979), better known by his stage name Busy Signal, is a Jamaican dancehall reggae artist.
Biography
Reanno Devon Gordon p/k/a Busy Signal was born in Saint Ann Parish,Johnson, Carolyn (2006)A Very Busy Chi ...
,
Wayne Marshall,
Mavado and Vybz Kartel. Vybz Kartel later left after a heated dispute. The Alliance then comprised the core members and many
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
n dancehall artists.
Serani
Craig Serani Marsh (born 7 June 1982), known professionally as Serani, is a Jamaican dancehall singer and producer who has a joint venture deal with Phase One Communications in NYC. He is best known for his involvement in Sean Paul's album ''T ...
and his production label DASECA is also part of the crew. Vybz Kartel now leads the Portmore empire known as the Gaza.
In 2011, The Alliance further expanded with the formation of The Alliance Next Generation.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alliance, The
Jamaican dancehall musicians