He was a massive crossover success in the U.S., thanks to an openly commercial hybrid of reggae and hip-hop, and also to prominent duet partners like
Maxi Priest,
Johnny Gill, and
KRS-One. All of this brought him several hit singles and albums on the R&B charts in the early '90s, and made him the first dancehall artist to win a Grammy.
Ranks' distinctive, booming growl of a voice earned him many imitators, and his sex-obsessed lyrics -- while drawing criticism for their unrelenting "slackness" -- made him one of dancehall's hottest sex symbols.
Ranks' early success also helped pave the way for even bigger crossovers by artists like
Shaggy and
Sean Paul.
Shabba Ranks was born Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon on January 17, 1966, in Sturgetown, Jamaica. When he was eight years old, his family moved to the Kingston ghetto of Trenchtown, where
Bob Marley had grown up. By age 12, he was fascinated by the sound system DJs who spun records in local clubs, and often chatted on the mic over the backing tracks. His early inspirations
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Rasta Order by EarthzMan |
included
Charlie Chaplin,
General Echo,
Brigadier Jerry,
Yellowman, and especially
Josey Wales. He soon tried his hand at performing as a toaster, and spent the early '80s working under
Admiral Bailey at the Roots Melody sound system. Paired with a record selector dubbed
the Navigator,
Ranks initially called himself Co-Pilot. Under that name, he cut his first single, "Heat Under Sufferer's Feet," in 1985. He soon changed his name to
Shabba Ranks, and caught the attention of his idol
Josey Wales, who took the young toaster under his wing.
Wales introduced
Ranks to some of the producers at
King Jammy's studio, and
Ranks soon began recording there, debuting with the single "Original Fresh." He collaborated with
Chaka Demus, and recorded a large quantity of singles, none of which gave him a breakout hit. The 1988 single "Needle Eye Punany" marked the beginning of his notorious sexual explicitness, which he would soon ride to tremendous popularity in Jamaica. More crucial, though, was his move to
King Jammy engineer/producer
Bobby Digital's new studio and label, Digital B, in 1989. Having known each other for some time, the duo's chemistry was immediate, and
Ranks quickly vaulted to stardom that year with a series of hit singles and an electrifying stage show (at one point,
Ranks arrived on-stage via helicopter).
From 1989-1991,
Ranks recorded some 50 singles, mainly with
Bobby Digital but also with producers
Gussie Clarke and
Steely & Clevie. He scored hit after hit, including the massive "Wicked Inna Bed," "Roots and Culture," "Live Blanket," "Mama Man," and "Peeny Penny," among others. His album
Rappin' With the Ladies featured covers of songs by female reggae artists, and gave him another big hit with a new version of
J.C. Lodge's smash "Telephone Love"; it was also one of his first successes overseas, proving quite popular in the U.K.
Gussie Clarke produced his 1989 LP
Holding On, which spawned major hits in "Pirates' Anthem" (a collaboration with
Cocoa Tea and
Home T), "Twice My Age" (a duet with
Krystal), and "Mr. Loverman" (a new version of Deborah Glasgow's "Champion Lover"). He also cut several other tracks with
Cocoa Tea and
Home T, including "Who She Love," "Stop Spreading Rumours," and "Your Body's Here With Me." A subsequent album,
Golden Touch, proved to be another U.K. success.
Ranks' burgeoning popularity led to a major-label deal with Epic in 1991, and it was clear from the start that he aspired to crossover stardom. His Epic debut,
As Raw as Ever, featured a high-profile duet with the then-hot
Maxi Priest, "Housecall." "Housecall" made the Top Five on the R&B charts, sending
As Raw as Ever all the way to number one on the R&B album listings. Another duet, "The Jam" -- this time with rap legend and reggae enthusiast
KRS-One -- topped the hip-hop singles chart in 1992.
As Raw as Ever was awarded a Grammy for Best Reggae Album, making
Ranks the first dancehall artist ever to notch a win. Later in 1992, "Mr. Loverman" was re-released as a single in the States, following its appearance in the film Deep Cover; it went all the way to number two on the R&B charts.
Ranks released his follow-up album,
X-Tra Naked, the same year, and notched yet another duet hit with the
Johnny Gill collaboration "Slow and Sexy," his third R&B Top Fiver.
X-Tra Naked also featured other minor hits: "Muscle Grip," "Ting-a-Ling," and a duet with
Queen Latifah, "What 'Cha Gonna Do?"; it also won
Ranks his second straight Best Reggae Album Grammy.
Ranks was so popular that two compilations of his earlier Jamaican hits,
Rough & Ready, Vol. 1 and
Mr. Maximum, both charted in the U.S. in 1992 as well.
1994 brought
Ranks another decent-sized hit in the
Addams Family Values soundtrack contribution "Family Affair," a rap/reggae version of the
Sly & the Family Stone hit. He completed his third Epic album,
A Mi Shabba, in 1995, and it produced several minor hits in "Ram Dancehall," "Let's Get It On," and "Shine Eye Gal." However, it didn't match the phenomenon of its predecessors, and
Ranks fell mostly silent afterwards. He did return to Jamaica to record some more material for
King Jammy during the late '90s, some of which was released on the hodgepodge album
Get Up Stand Up in 1998. However, no new major-label offerings appeared, and Sony issued several compilations around the turn of the millennium.
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