Ranking Dread
Encyclopedia
Ranking Dread was a Jamaica
n reggae
deejay
who grew up in the Kingston ghettos of Rema and Tivoli. He became famous for his work with the Ray Symbolic sound system in the 1970s. He later lived a life of crime and died in a Jamaican prison.
, where he worked with Lloyd Coxsone
's sound system. He released four albums starting with Girls Fiesta in 1978, produced by Linval Thompson
, and worked with producer Sugar Minott
on his third album, Lots of Loving. He had a minor UK hit in the early 1980s with "Fatty Boom Boom", but in the mid-1980s, he faded from the music scene but became notorious for his criminal activities, and was labelled "the most dangerous man in Britain and the number one Yardie Godfather". This was backed up by his appearance on a British television programme in the late 1980s entitled The Cook Report
. However, when interviewed by Ben Chin in 1990 for a Canadian TV documentary, he denied all allegations put to him.
He had been involved with Jamaican gang leader Claude Massop
, and was wanted by Jamaican police in connection with over thirty murders. He travelled to the United Kingdom
, where he lived under several aliases including Errol Codling, became the head of a Hackney
drug-dealing and armed robbery gang, and was wanted by the police there in connection with rape
, murder
, prostitution
, and dealing in crack cocaine
. He was arrested at an illegal drinking club in 1988 and found to be in possession of illegal drugs and deported later that year, officially for entering the country illegally, after being branded the most dangerous foreign national living in Britain. In 1990, after being deported from the United States, he was arrested in Canada
for allegedly slashing his girlfriend's face with a knife after entering the country illegally on a fake passport, and attempted to gain refugee status there, claiming that he feared for his life in Jamaica due to his political affiliations.
He was eventually extradited back to Jamaica where he died in prison in 1996.
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
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...
deejay
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
who grew up in the Kingston ghettos of Rema and Tivoli. He became famous for his work with the Ray Symbolic sound system in the 1970s. He later lived a life of crime and died in a Jamaican prison.
Biography
Ranking Dread first became known as a deejay on the Ray Symbolic sound system in Jamaica, but by the late 1970s he had moved to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he worked with Lloyd Coxsone
Lloyd Coxsone
Lloyd Coxsone is a Jamaican-born sound system operator and record producer, who has been resident in the United Kingdom since 1962.-Biography:...
's sound system. He released four albums starting with Girls Fiesta in 1978, produced by Linval Thompson
Linval Thompson
Linval Thompson is a Jamaican reggae and dub musician and record producer.-Biography:Thompson was raised in Kingston, Jamaica, but spent time with his mother in Queens, New York, and his recording career began around the age of 20 with the self-released "No Other Woman," recorded in Brooklyn, New...
, and worked with producer Sugar Minott
Sugar Minott
Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott was a Jamaican reggae singer, producer and sound-system operator.-Biography:...
on his third album, Lots of Loving. He had a minor UK hit in the early 1980s with "Fatty Boom Boom", but in the mid-1980s, he faded from the music scene but became notorious for his criminal activities, and was labelled "the most dangerous man in Britain and the number one Yardie Godfather". This was backed up by his appearance on a British television programme in the late 1980s entitled The Cook Report
The Cook Report
The Cook Report was a British current affairs television programme shown on ITV, produced for the network by Central Television from 1987 to 1998.-History:...
. However, when interviewed by Ben Chin in 1990 for a Canadian TV documentary, he denied all allegations put to him.
He had been involved with Jamaican gang leader Claude Massop
Claude Massop
-Early life: Famed gang leader and strongman of the Jamaica Labour Party political faction belonging to Tivoli Gardens, Wellington Street, Rema and surrounding areas of West Kingston, Jamaica. Massop was the leader or head of a group of which would later be known as the infamous Shower Posse...
, and was wanted by Jamaican police in connection with over thirty murders. He travelled to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where he lived under several aliases including Errol Codling, became the head of a Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
drug-dealing and armed robbery gang, and was wanted by the police there in connection with rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, and dealing in crack cocaine
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
. He was arrested at an illegal drinking club in 1988 and found to be in possession of illegal drugs and deported later that year, officially for entering the country illegally, after being branded the most dangerous foreign national living in Britain. In 1990, after being deported from the United States, he was arrested in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
for allegedly slashing his girlfriend's face with a knife after entering the country illegally on a fake passport, and attempted to gain refugee status there, claiming that he feared for his life in Jamaica due to his political affiliations.
He was eventually extradited back to Jamaica where he died in prison in 1996.
Albums
- Girls Fiesta (1978), Burning Sounds
- Kunta Kinte Roots (1979), Burning Sounds
- Lots of Loving (1980), Stand Firm
- Ranking Dread in Dub (1982), Silver Camel
- 2 Dread Inna Babylon (2006), Silver Kamel (with Massive DreadMassive DreadMassive Dread is a reggae deejay who first recorded in the late 1970s for Tapper Zukie, and came to prominence in the early 1980s, touring with Byron Lee and The Dragonaires...
) - Most Wanted (2007), GreensleevesGreensleeves RecordsGreensleeves Records & Publishing is a record label specialising in dancehall and reggae music. The company was founded by Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick and started as a small record store in West Ealing, London, in November 1975 and is based in Britain....
Singles
- Disco E.P. Showcase (EP) (1980), Art & Craft
- "I Don't Want To Be No General" (1980), D.E.B.
- "Fattie Boom Boom" (1981), Greensleeves
- "Poor Man Story" (1981), Live And Love
- "Wah We Do" (1981), Live And Love
- "My Mammy" (1982), Greensleeves
- "Shut Me Mouth" (1982), Greensleeves
- "Stylelily" (1998), High Power Music
- "Love A Dub" (2007), Greensleeves
External links
- Discography
- Ranking Dread at Roots Archives