ENTITY · PERSON (ARTIST, SELECTOR, PRODUCER…)

Big Youth

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Big Youth (Manley Augustus Buchanan, born 19 April 1949) is a Jamaican deejay and toaster who became one of the most influential vocalists of 1970s roots reggae, known for a melodic, chanting, Rastafari-infused style. His 1973 debut album Screaming Target, produced by Gussie Clarke, set the benchmark for deejay albums and helped transform the deejay from party hype-man into a serious social and spiritual voice.

He ranks alongside U-Roy, I-Roy and Dennis Alcapone among the foundational toasters whose approach influenced later dancehall and hip-hop.

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At a glance

Type: Person (artist, selector, producer…) →
Era: Rocksteady, reggae and dub →
Confidence: Well supported
Sources: Wikipedia; AllMusic.

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Big Youth - Screaming Target (Official Audio)

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In stories

Story · Well supportedApprenticed to the sound: the deejay ladder

Every great Jamaican deejay of the 1960s and 70s served an apprenticeship on a named sound system.

Story · Well supportedFrom toasting to chatting: how the deejay took over

The Jamaican deejay grew from a hype-man behind the selector into the star of the record.

Story · ProbableQuiet names of the toasting era

Behind U-Roy, Big Youth and Dennis Alcapone stood toasters whose records shaped the style but whose names rarely make the standard histories.