REGGAE legend Yellowman might be surprised to find masses of teenage boys clamouring for tickets to see him when he goes on tour next month. If they can tear themselves away from the Xbox that is.
For Jamaica's finest export since Bob Marley is currently running around the heads of addled gaming fanatics worldwide.
This is thanks to the inclusion of his 1984 earworm, Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt, on the recently released GTA V. The track features on a fantasy radio show hosted By Lee Scratch Perry.
In this instance, fantasy radio airplay is much better than real radio airplay: so far GTA V has sold 29 million copies - not a bad royalty cheque for the dancehall king.
Yellowman, backed by the Sagittarius Band, comes to Liverpool on March 1, to the District, in a UK tour promoted by our very own Oye Touring and Trading.
Speaking of stuff running around the head, he is joined by another superstar, Dillinger, whose song Cocaine In My Brain is considered an all-time reggae classic.
Dillinger
Dillinger was part of the second wave of DJ Toasters who sprung up around Jamaica during the mid 1970s. Inspired by Big Youth, U Roy, and Dennis Alcapone, Dillinger was known for his quick wit and humorous lyrics. Growing up in Kingston, Dillinger would hang around Dennis Alcapone’s El Paso Setup. This exposure would eventually lead to a full time gig at Jackie’s sound system. Just as Alcapone took his performing name from a famous American gangster, Dillinger took his own name from John Dillinger.
Yellowman, born Christian Winston Foster, meanwhile, has an incredible history in reggae music and has been a major influence on hip hop. Brought up in an orphanage, an albino in Jamaica, he overcame these obstacles and signed to Columbia Records in the 1970s and was the big man of his era who fitted none of the usual images of a swaggering pop phenomenon. This gave him instant novelty appeal, but it was his immense natural skill that actually put him over the top. An early review of his music stated that Yellowman’s voice was “like watching Michael Jordan play basketball. He knows he's got it, you know he's got it, and it's a trip just experiencing him perform”.
Notorious B.I.G, Tupac and KRS have sampled his most memorable hit, Zungguzungguguzungguzeng, it says here.
Why wouldn't they? It's a Scrabble player's jackpot.
*Yellowman and Dillinger Saturday March 1, District, New Bird St, Liverpool. 8pm-Midnight. Advance tickets, £12.50 here Also, Saturday March 8, Band On The Wall, Manchester.
