Ward 21 are 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 ...

musicians and

producers Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

from Kingston,

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 ...

, named after the psychiatric ward at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston. Comprising Ward 21 are renowned producers and have created hit dancehall

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 ...

s like "Badda badda", "Da Joint", "Bellyas", and "Volume" as well as hit singles like "Haters" and "Judgement Day".

History

The group formed in the late 1990s and originally had four members — Kunley McCarthy, Andre "Suku" Gray, Mark "Meandawg" Henry, and Ranaldo "Rumblood" Evans.Morgan, Simone (2013)
Back on Ward 21
, ''

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 ...

'', 1 November 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2013 They were mentored by

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 ...

and acted as selectors for his sound system. After leaving Jammy they signed to New York label Natural Bridge. They had their first success with the "Bada Bada"

in 1998, which was the basis of tracks by

Beenie Man Anthony Moses Davis (born 22 August 1973), better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Jamaican Dancehall deejay. Biography Davis was born in the Waterhouse district of Kingston in 1973.Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Mus ...

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 ...

and

Chuck Fenda Leshorn Whitehead (born June 15, 1972), better known by his stage name Chuck Fenda, is a Jamaican American reggae musician and deejay born in Brooklyn, New York City.Campbell-Livingston, Cecelia (2012)Fenda's ordeal, '' Jamaica Observer'', Novembe ...

. As well as success as producers they had hits in their own right with tracks such as "Haters", "Judgement Day", and "Blood Stain". The group's first album, ''Mentally Disturbed'', was released in 2001.Aaron, Charles (2002)
Ward 21 ''Mentally Disturbed''
, ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'', February 2002, p. 36. Retrieved 2 November 2013 In 2005, the group went on a tour through Europe, playing shows in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

and

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 ...

. They also performed at Europe's second biggest reggae festival,

Summerjam Summerjam is a European reggae festival. It takes places annually in July at the ''Fühlinger See'', which is a lake located in Cologne, Germany. The event usually attracts an audience of between 25,000 and 30,000 people. Two stages and two tents ...

, later that year.23rd SUMMERJAM Festival 2008 04 - 06. Juli 08 , REGGAE News & Festival Info , Ward 21 , SUMMERJAM ARTISTS 2005
/ref> Evans left the group in 2008. Ward 21's productions include

Capleton Clifton George Bailey III (born 13 April 1967),Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , pp. 67–69 better known by his stage name Capleton, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician. He is also referred to as Kin ...

's "Slew Dem" and the Wayne Marshall/

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 ...

duet "When The Smoke Clears". In addition to countless singles (released mostly on

's label) and tracks on compilations, Ward 21 have released three albums on the reggae label

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 ...

. The band had participated in

311 311 may refer to: * 311 (number), a natural number * AD 311, a year of the Julian calendar, in the fourth century AD * 311 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 311 (band), an American band ** ''311'' (album), band 311's self-titled album ...

's remix of Amber song in Supa Dups Remix. They also appear on

Major Lazer Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. It originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and was founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after t ...

's second album ''

Free the Universe ''Free the Universe'' is the second full-length studio album released by Major Lazer, collaborative music group headed by record producer Diplo. The album was released on April 16, 2013, and features appearances by Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig, D ...

'', on the track "Mashup the Dance". On 22 January 2014 they released their fifth album, ''Still Disturbed'', featuring contributions from

Sean Paul Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques OD (born 9 January 1973) is a Jamaican rapper and singer who is regarded as one of dancehall's most prolific artists. Paul's singles "Get Busy" and "Temperature" topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in the ...

and

Konshens Garfield Delano Spence (born 11 January 1985), also known as Konshens, is a Jamaican dancehall recording artist. Biography Garfield Delano Spence was born on 11 January 1985. Prior to his solo career, he was a member of the duo SoJah with his ...

.Morgan, Simone (2014)
Ward 21 launches new project
, ''

'', 24 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014 The group played in Europe several times to promote the album. In February 2017, single "Mek It Bunx Up" by

DeeWunn DeeWunn (real name Damone Walker) is a Jamaican emcee, songwriter and performer. Introduced by Jamaican dancehall group Ward 21, he is known for his style of creating an exotic blend of hip-hop and Jamaican Patois. His viral single "Mek It Bun ...

and Marcy Chin (produced by Ward 21's member, Kunley McCarthy) reached over 25 Million views on Facebook. Ruhr Reggae Summer Mülheim 2014 Ward 21 17.jpg, Andre "Suku" Gray Ruhr Reggae Summer Mülheim 2014 Ward 21 04.jpg, Kunley McCarthy Ruhr Reggae Summer Mülheim 2014 Ward 21 05.jpg, Mark "Mean Dawg" Henry

Discography

Albums

* ''Mentally Disturbed'' (2001),

* ''U Know How We Roll'' (2003), Greensleeves * ''King of the World'' (2007), Jamdown * ''Genesis'' (2009), DHF * ''Still Disturbed'' (2014), Germaica Digital

References

External links

Ward 21 Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward 21 Dancehall groups Jamaican reggae musical groups Musical groups established in 1998