U.S Reggae Fans Brace For The Return Of King Yellow Man

by reggaewire | September 4, 2008 at 04:41 am

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P reparing for a bout of sexiness, the original "King of the Dancehall" — Yellowman — returns to South Florida's shores with his slack lyrics and wry sense of humor. Known as Jamaica's first dancehall superstar, Yellowman helped turn the artform of toasting (like American rap) into a trademark of his own.

By bringing explicit humor into his sets, Yellowman (who gets his name for his high albino skin color and yellow hair) rose to popularity in the early '80s based around high-energy songs like "Zungguzungguguzungguzeng" and "Wreck a Pum Pum." Many of these tunes are nasty enough to make Luther Campbell blush, and Yellowman is likewise known for boasting about his own sexual prowess.

It's all part of a stage show that, on many nights, is as funny as a standup comedy routine, with reggae music running as a mere backdrop. And like most comics, Yellowman laughs to keep himself from crying. He was orphaned by his family as a baby due to his skin condition and grew up institutionalized in Kingston for most of his young life. But he overcame that obstacle, and by the time he started winning toasting competitions in the late '70s and early '80s, his music was good enough to help him become a sex symbol despite his not-so-attractive looks.

An arduous battle with oral cancer in the '90s changed his musical direction to a thoughtful, socially conscious one; however, he is still best remembered as the man dubbed "Mr. Sexy."

It happens this Saturday with the Resolvers. Saturday, September 6, at City Limits, 19 NE Third Ave., Delray Beach. 8 p.m. $15.Call 561-279-8222, or visit www.citylimitsdelray.com.

The Reggae News Agency

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