DJ Collage
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Chatman, better known as DJ Collage or Mista Chatman, is a reggae
vocalist and electronic music producer. Raised in Chicago
, he moved to the Bay Area in the early 1990s, and now calls Seattle home. His style of music is referred to as reggae fusion
.
, Nicodemus
, and Super Cat
, Collage began his musical career performing weekly guest spots with live Jamaica
n reggae bands at the famed Wild Hare nightclub on Chicago's north side. After relocating to California he had the opportunity to perform and tour with established reggae artists such as U-Roy
, Ras Michael
, Barrington Levy
, Messenjah, Raskidus, The Heptones
, and Nicodemus. His vocals appeared two top ten hits in the year 1994, one with the reggae soundsystem/band The Positive Sound Massive titled "Unity" and another with local ambient/breakbeat group Dubtribe titled "Mother Earth".
In the year 2000, Collage self-released the CD Uptown/Downtown. This five track EP
featured Collage spitting dancehall lyrics over hip-hop and raggamuffin beats. The EP received radio airplay in the US and Europe and the track "New Type Sound" was licensed by BSI Records and appeared on the Docking Sequence compilation.
In 2002 Collage was a guest vocalist of Vienna's downtempo crew Sofa Surfers. His vocals appear on three tracks on their Encounters CD, and he was invited to go on a month long European tour with the band to support the release. (It was released in the US in 2004 as See the Light via ESL records.) Collage went on to work with other Viennese groups such as Stereotyp, I-Wolf, Megablast, Kung Fu Divas & Blockwerk. During this time Collage was also a frequent guest of the Viennese ragga/jungle night- "Wicked" run by the Wickedsquad. This led to him being a featured vocalist in their first vinyl release "Domo-Kun-Bogle" which is accompanied by a video which portrays Collage in animated form.
In 2003 Collage relocated to Seattle. But before he left the bay area, he linked up with Meat Beat Manifesto
to record vocals for their ...In Dub CD & DVD release.
In Seattle Collage has worked and recorded with locals like IQU & Truckasauras.
Due to confusions with his performance name because of the "DJ" prefix, Collage officially changed his recording artist name to Mista Chatman in May 2010. His guest appearance on Delhi 2 Dublin
's third album, Planet Electric, marked the debut of the name change.
Tracks Appear On:
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
vocalist and electronic music producer. Raised in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, he moved to the Bay Area in the early 1990s, and now calls Seattle home. His style of music is referred to as reggae fusion
Reggae fusion
Reggae fusion is a fusion genre of reggae that mixes reggae or dancehall with other genres, such as pop, rock, hip hop, R&B, house, jazz & drum and bass....
.
Biography
Trained in the old school tradition of "ram dance" DJ chatting made popular by artists such as YellowmanYellowman
Yellowman is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay, widely known as King Yellowman...
, Nicodemus
Nicodemus
Saint Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, who, according to the Gospel of John, showed favour to Jesus...
, and Super Cat
Super Cat
Super Cat is a deejay most popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s dancehall movement. Super Cat was born in Jamaica and was nicknamed Wild Apache. His nickname, the "Wild Apache" was given to him by his mentor Early B...
, Collage began his musical career performing weekly guest spots with live Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n reggae bands at the famed Wild Hare nightclub on Chicago's north side. After relocating to California he had the opportunity to perform and tour with established reggae artists such as U-Roy
U-Roy
U-Roy , OD, is a Jamaican musician, also known as The Originator. He is best known as a pioneer of toasting.-Biography:...
, Ras Michael
Ras Michael
Ras Michael is a Jamaican reggae singer and Nyabinghi specialist. He also performs under the name of Dadawah.-Biography:...
, Barrington Levy
Barrington Levy
Barrington Levy is a reggae and dancehall artist from Jamaica.-Career:In 1976, Levy formed a band with his cousin, Everton Dacres, called the Mighty Multitude; the pair released "My Black Girl" in 1977...
, Messenjah, Raskidus, The Heptones
The Heptones
The Heptones are a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae vocal trio most active in the 1960s and early 1970s. They were one of the more significant trios of that era, and played a major role in the gradual transition between ska and rocksteady with their three-part harmonies.-History:Leroy Sibbles, Earl...
, and Nicodemus. His vocals appeared two top ten hits in the year 1994, one with the reggae soundsystem/band The Positive Sound Massive titled "Unity" and another with local ambient/breakbeat group Dubtribe titled "Mother Earth".
In the year 2000, Collage self-released the CD Uptown/Downtown. This five track EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
featured Collage spitting dancehall lyrics over hip-hop and raggamuffin beats. The EP received radio airplay in the US and Europe and the track "New Type Sound" was licensed by BSI Records and appeared on the Docking Sequence compilation.
In 2002 Collage was a guest vocalist of Vienna's downtempo crew Sofa Surfers. His vocals appear on three tracks on their Encounters CD, and he was invited to go on a month long European tour with the band to support the release. (It was released in the US in 2004 as See the Light via ESL records.) Collage went on to work with other Viennese groups such as Stereotyp, I-Wolf, Megablast, Kung Fu Divas & Blockwerk. During this time Collage was also a frequent guest of the Viennese ragga/jungle night- "Wicked" run by the Wickedsquad. This led to him being a featured vocalist in their first vinyl release "Domo-Kun-Bogle" which is accompanied by a video which portrays Collage in animated form.
In 2003 Collage relocated to Seattle. But before he left the bay area, he linked up with Meat Beat Manifesto
Meat Beat Manifesto
Meat Beat Manifesto, often shortened to Meat Beat or MBM, is an electronic music group originally consisting of Jack Dangers and Jonny Stephens formed in 1987 in Swindon, UK...
to record vocals for their ...In Dub CD & DVD release.
In Seattle Collage has worked and recorded with locals like IQU & Truckasauras.
Due to confusions with his performance name because of the "DJ" prefix, Collage officially changed his recording artist name to Mista Chatman in May 2010. His guest appearance on Delhi 2 Dublin
Delhi 2 Dublin
Delhi 2 Dublin is a Canadian world music group whose style is primarily a fusion of Bhangra and Celtic music.-History:...
's third album, Planet Electric, marked the debut of the name change.
Selected discography
As vocalist:- Dubtribe Sound System, Mother Earth (12"), Mother Earth (Sunshine..., Organico, 1993
- Archive Volume One 1991-1993 (2xCD), Mother Earth (Ragga Ea..., Imperial Dub Recordings, 1999
- Sofa Surfers, Formula (12"), Babylon Thymes, Klein Records, 2002
- Encounters (CD), Babylon Tymes, Twisted..., Klein Records, 2002
- My Sound (CD), All Di Gal Com, G-Stone Recordings, 2002
- Wicked Vinyl 01 (12"), Domo-Kun-Bogle, Not On Label, 2002
- Babylon Is Ours - The USA In Dub (12"), Where You Gonna Run, Select Cuts, 2003
- Feel Alive (12"), Hard Tobacco, Stereo Deluxe, 2003
- Showgirlz (12"), El Ninjo (Luv Lite Mas..., Stereo Deluxe, 2003
- Soul Strata (CD), Inna Meditation, Klein Records, 2003
- Meat Beat ManifestoMeat Beat ManifestoMeat Beat Manifesto, often shortened to Meat Beat or MBM, is an electronic music group originally consisting of Jack Dangers and Jonny Stephens formed in 1987 in Swindon, UK...
, ...In Dub (CD), Echo In Space Dub, Fro..., Run Recordings, 2004 - Can I Get A Witness (12"), Babylon Times, Passin'..., Eighteenth Street Lounge Music, 2004
- Covert Movements (CD), Once Inna Life, Counte..., Supa Crucial Recordings, 2004
- IQU, Dirty Boy (12"), Dirty Boy (DJ Collage'..., Sonic Boom Recordings, 2004
- Meat Beat Manifesto, Echo In Space Dub / Retrograde Pt. 2, Dub We R 1 (12"), Tino Corp., 2004
- Meet The Babylonians (CD), Inter/Outernational, Klein Records, 2004
- I-Wolf, Munchies (12"), Munchies (I-Wolf Remix), Cosmic Sounds, 2004
- Phase Three (CD), Nu Styling, Klein Records, 2004
- Phase Two (12"), Nu Styling, Born, Klein Records, 2004
- See The Light (CD), Babylon Tymes, Twisted..., Eighteenth Street Lounge Music, 2004
- Shockout (CD), Rude Boy Talk, Shockout , 2004
- Ghislain Porier, Breakupdown (CD), Mic Diplomat, Chocolate Industries, 2005
- Chocolate Swim (MP3), Mic Diplomat, [adult swim], Chocolate Industries, 2006
- Fiplay ft Dj Collage & Aladin, Wickedsquad Dubplates Cd 1, Basstart Records,
Tracks Appear On:
- It's a Berlin Thing Vol. 3 (2xCD), Tyme Bomb, Dangerous Drums, 2004
- DJ Collage Presents the Parlor (CD), Masse-One, 2006