Gyptian
Encyclopedia
Gyptian Born on 25 October 1983, Jamaican reggae
singer. He often appears with roots reggae
songs within the reggae subgenre dancehall
.
Gyptian best known hits include Hold Yuh, Nah Let Go, Wine Slow, Serious Times, Mama, Beautiful Lady, I Can Feel Your Pain, Love Against The Wall and She's My Lady
mother
and Rastafarian
father
, Gyptian received his musical calling at the age of seven, when he began singing in the church. Recognizing his talent, his parents introduced him to Mr. Wong, a record producer
from Portmore
, St. Catherine
. "I did not take it seriously," said Gyptian "My family members have always been carrying me to Portmore to see him, but I usually disappear. One day, they dropped me off at his studio and left me and it all began there."
Under the guidance of Mr. Wong and Earl Chinna Smith, Gyptian honed his sound, winning the 2004 Star Search talent competition at Kens Wild Flower Lounge in Portmore, earning him a spot at Sting 2004, dubbed the 'greatest one night reggae show on earth'.
The singer earned his nickname from his habit of tying a shirt around his head and twisting his chin hair like an Egypt
ian pharaoh
.
In 2005 he scored two hits
, "Is There A Place" on the Seasons Riddim
and "Serious Times".
Nominated for Best New Entertainer at the 2006 International Reggae and World Music Awards, the singer has been dominating the Jamaician charts
with hits including "Is There a Place", "Beautiful Lady", and the chart-topping ballad
, "Mama, Don't Cry".
His style of reggae music is considered lovers rock
and roots reggae
, with songs about political issues and love. His musical and lyrical style has been compared to established Jamaican artists, such as Sizzla
, Luciano
and Beres Hammond
.
On 12 September 2006, Gyptian released his first album
on VP Records
. On 12 December 2007, Gyptian, while in New York
, shot the music video
for his new single
, "I Can Feel Your Pain" (Cloud Nine Riddim) Produced by Jon FX. The song was the first to be confirmed to appear on his album "I Can Feel Your Pain" which was released in 2008.
, number 33 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Chart
, number 6 on the Billboard Heatseekers Songs Chart and had been at the top of the Reggae Digital Songs chart for nine consecutive weeks.
In June, the song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually reached a new peak of 77 on that chart, number 3 on the Heatseekers Songs chart, 31 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Chart
, 63 on the Radio Songs chart and an astonishing peak of 28 on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40, capitalizing it crossover success. The song also peaked at number 1 on the Dancehall/Reggae fusion Charts of the Jamaica Weekly Music Charts for two consecutive weeks. In Canada it peaked at #69 on the Canadian Hot 100
. The official remix for the song features rapper Nicki Minaj
. It spent 29 weeks on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Chart
and 15 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.
Gyptian has been enjoying chart success with his new album, Hold Yuh, which continues to hold the #2 spot on Billboard’s Reggae Albums Chart. The title track, “Hold Yuh,” has become a multi-chart hit worldwide and deemed a “2010 Summer Anthem.” According to Billboard Magazine “not since Wayne Wonder's "No Letting Go
," has an underground reggae artist garnered as much attention in the United States as Jamaica's own Gyptian.”
The song also became popular in the UK, and was released there on November 7 by Ministry of Sound
Recordings, in an EP which will include remixes by Shy FX
, Major Lazer
and Toddla T
.
He is Rastafarian,and this is supported by lyrics in some of his songs, including Leave us alone, chants about Selassie I are heard.
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...
singer. He often appears with roots reggae
Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of the artists concerned, including the spiritual side of Rastafari and with the honoring of God, called Jah by rastafarians. It also is identified with the life of the ghetto sufferer, and the rural poor...
songs within the reggae subgenre dancehall
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. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
.
Gyptian best known hits include Hold Yuh, Nah Let Go, Wine Slow, Serious Times, Mama, Beautiful Lady, I Can Feel Your Pain, Love Against The Wall and She's My Lady
Biography
Born to a Seventh-day AdventistSeventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
mother
Mother
A mother, mum, mom, momma, or mama is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the ovum that grew into a child. Because of the complexity and differences of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to specify a universally...
and Rastafarian
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
father
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
, Gyptian received his musical calling at the age of seven, when he began singing in the church. Recognizing his talent, his parents introduced him to Mr. Wong, a record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
from Portmore
Portmore
Portmore is a coastal city in southern Jamaica in Saint Catherine, and a dormitory town for the neighbouring cities of Kingston and Spanish Town.-Geography:...
, St. Catherine
Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica
St Catherine is a parish located in the south east of Jamaica. It is located in the county of Middlesex, and is one of the island's largest and most economically valued parish because of its many resources. It includes the first capital of Jamaica, Spanish Town, originally known as San Jago de la...
. "I did not take it seriously," said Gyptian "My family members have always been carrying me to Portmore to see him, but I usually disappear. One day, they dropped me off at his studio and left me and it all began there."
Under the guidance of Mr. Wong and Earl Chinna Smith, Gyptian honed his sound, winning the 2004 Star Search talent competition at Kens Wild Flower Lounge in Portmore, earning him a spot at Sting 2004, dubbed the 'greatest one night reggae show on earth'.
The singer earned his nickname from his habit of tying a shirt around his head and twisting his chin hair like an Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
.
In 2005 he scored two hits
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
, "Is There A Place" on the Seasons Riddim
Riddim
Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm," but in dancehall/reggae parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. Thus, a dancehall song consists of the riddim plus the "voicing" sung by the deejay. The resulting song structure may be taken for...
and "Serious Times".
Nominated for Best New Entertainer at the 2006 International Reggae and World Music Awards, the singer has been dominating the Jamaician charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
with hits including "Is There a Place", "Beautiful Lady", and the chart-topping ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, "Mama, Don't Cry".
His style of reggae music is considered lovers rock
Lovers rock
Lovers rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid 1970s.-History:...
and roots reggae
Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of the artists concerned, including the spiritual side of Rastafari and with the honoring of God, called Jah by rastafarians. It also is identified with the life of the ghetto sufferer, and the rural poor...
, with songs about political issues and love. His musical and lyrical style has been compared to established Jamaican artists, such as Sizzla
Sizzla
Sizzla Kalonji, or simply Sizzla in are de reggae musician. He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is well-known for his above-average prolificacy...
, Luciano
Luciano (singer)
Luciano is a Jamaican second generation roots reggae artist and poet....
and Beres Hammond
Beres Hammond
Beres Hammond is a reggae singer known in particular for his romantic lovers rock and soulful voice...
.
On 12 September 2006, Gyptian released his first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
on VP Records
VP Records
VP Records is an independent reggae record label, located in Queens, New York. It is best known for producing Caribbean singers.-The foundation:...
. On 12 December 2007, Gyptian, while in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, shot the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for his new single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "I Can Feel Your Pain" (Cloud Nine Riddim) Produced by Jon FX. The song was the first to be confirmed to appear on his album "I Can Feel Your Pain" which was released in 2008.
2010 & Crossover success
As of the end of May 2010, his single "Hold Yuh" had peaked at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, number 33 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
, number 6 on the Billboard Heatseekers Songs Chart and had been at the top of the Reggae Digital Songs chart for nine consecutive weeks.
In June, the song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually reached a new peak of 77 on that chart, number 3 on the Heatseekers Songs chart, 31 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
, 63 on the Radio Songs chart and an astonishing peak of 28 on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40, capitalizing it crossover success. The song also peaked at number 1 on the Dancehall/Reggae fusion Charts of the Jamaica Weekly Music Charts for two consecutive weeks. In Canada it peaked at #69 on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
. The official remix for the song features rapper Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
. It spent 29 weeks on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
and 15 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.
Gyptian has been enjoying chart success with his new album, Hold Yuh, which continues to hold the #2 spot on Billboard’s Reggae Albums Chart. The title track, “Hold Yuh,” has become a multi-chart hit worldwide and deemed a “2010 Summer Anthem.” According to Billboard Magazine “not since Wayne Wonder's "No Letting Go
No Letting Go
"No Letting Go" is a reggae fusion song recorded by Jamaican singer Wayne Wonder. The song was written by Steven Marsden and V.W. Charles and produced by Marsden. It was included on Wonder's 2003 studio album No Holding Back and was released as the lead single from the album...
," has an underground reggae artist garnered as much attention in the United States as Jamaica's own Gyptian.”
The song also became popular in the UK, and was released there on November 7 by Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound London, commonly referred to as simply Ministry of Sound or MoS, is a nightclub based in London, United Kingdom and an associated record label. It was ranked fourth in the 2010 DJ Magazine top 100 clubs poll 2010. As well as the nightclub in London, there is another in Egypt and...
Recordings, in an EP which will include remixes by Shy FX
Shy FX
Shy FX is the pseudonym of Andre Williams, an English DJ and Producer from London. He specializes in Drum and Bass and Jungle music.-Biography:...
, Major Lazer
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is a collaborative musical project from DJ/Producers Diplo and Switch.-Background:Made up of DJs Diplo and Switch, the two were introduced after working with M.I.A.. The duo's first album Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do was released on June 16, 2009, on Downtown Records. It was...
and Toddla T
Toddla T
Toddla T is the stage name of Thomas Mackenzie Bell – a DJ, record producer, re-mixer and composer from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.- Biography :Toddla T, born 22 February 1985, was raised in Sheffield where he attended King Edward VII School...
.
Personal life
Gyptian is currently single and is living in Jamaica. On June 8, 2010, he crashed his motorbike and sustained minor head and shoulder injuries.He is Rastafarian,and this is supported by lyrics in some of his songs, including Leave us alone, chants about Selassie I are heard.
Discography
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
US Reggae |
||
| 2006 | My Name Is Gyptian
|
— | — | — | 13 |
| 2008 | I Can Feel Your Pain
VP Records VP Records is an independent reggae record label, located in Queens, New York. It is best known for producing Caribbean singers.-The foundation:... |
— | — | — | 4 |
| 2010 | Revelations
|
— | — | — | — |
| Hold You
VP Records VP Records is an independent reggae record label, located in Queens, New York. It is best known for producing Caribbean singers.-The foundation:... |
186 | 34 | 6 | 2 | |
Singles
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
CAN Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| 2010 | "Hold You Hold You (Gyptian song) "Hold You" or "Hold Yuh" is a single released by Jamaican reggae singer Gyptian from the album Hold You. It was released on July 24, 2010 in the United States and was released in the UK on the 7 November 2010... " |
77 | 69 | 31 | 16 | Hold You |
| 2011 | "Nah Let Go" | To be released | ||||