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Desmond Dekker

Desmond Dekker (born Desmond Dacres in Kingston, Jamaica on July 16, 1941) is a ska and reggae singer and songwriter. Together with his backing group, The Aces (consisting of Wilson James and Easton Barrington Howard), he had the first international Jamaican hit with "Israelites". Other hits include "007 (Shanty Town)" (1967), "It Mek" (1968), "The Israelites" and "You Can Get It If You Really Want".

Before the ascent of Bob Marley, Desmond Dekker was the most well-known Jamaican musician outside of his country, and one of the most popular within it. He was born in Kingston in 1941, and became an orphan as a teenager. Dekker began working as a welder, singing around his workplace while his coworkers encouraged him. In 1961, he auditioned for Coxsone Dodd (Studio One) and Duke Reid (Treasure Isle). Neither were impressed by his talents, and the young man moved on to Leslie Kong's Beverley record label, where he auditioned before Derrick Morgan, then the label's biggest star. With Morgan's suport, Dekker was signed but did not record until 1963, because Leslie Kong wanted to wait for the perfect song. Dekker's "Honour Your Father and Mother" was to be that song.

"Honour Your Father and Mother" was a hit, and was followed by "Sinners Come Home" and "Labour for Learning", as well as a name change (from Desmond Dacres to Desmond Dekker). His fourth hit, however, made him into one of the island's biggest stars. It was "King of Ska", a rowdy and jubilant song on which Dekker was backed by The Cherrypies (also known as The Maytals). The song remains well-known among ska afficionados. Dekker then recruited four brothers, Carl, Patrick, Clive and Barry Howard, who became his backing band, known as The Four Aces.

Dekker and the Howards recorded a number of hits, including "Parents", "Get Up Edina", "This Woman" and "Mount Zion". Until 1967, Dekker's songs were polite and conveyed respectable, mainstream messages. In that year, however, he appeared on Derrick Morgan's "Tougher Than Tough", which helped begin a trend of popular songs glamourizing the violent rude boy culture. Dekker's own songs did not go to the extremes of many other popular tunes, though he did introduce lyrics which resonated with the rude boys, starting with one of his best-known songs, "007 (Shanty Town)". The song established Dekker as a rude boy icon, and also became an established hero in the United Kingdom's mod scene. "007 (Shanty Town)" was a Top 15 hit in the UK, and he toured the country with a posse of mods following him.

In 1968, Dekker's "The Israelites" was released, appearing on both the US and UK charts, eventually topping the latter and peaking in the Top Ten of the former. He was the first Jamaican performer to enter US markets with pure Jamaican music, though he never repeated the feat. That same year saw the release of "Beautiful and Dangerous", "Writing on the Wall", "Music Like Dirt", "Bongo Girl" and "Shing a Ling".

1969 saw the release of "It Mek", which first saw only lukewarm success but was re-recorded and became a hit both in Jamaica and the UK. He also released "Problems" and "Pickney Gal", both of which were popular in Jamaica, but saw only limited success elsewhere.

In the 1970s, Dekker spent most of his time touring and moved to the UK, where he continued to record. Among his best known releases of this period was "You Can Get It If You Really Want", written by Jimmy Cliff, which Dekker had not wanted to record but was convinced by Leslie Kong. Kong, whose production had been an instrumental part of both Dekker's and Cliff's careers, died in 1971, and both his protegé's were lost for a period before returning to music.

Dekker continued recording, but with only limited success, until he began working with the production duo Bruce Anthony in 1974. His first hit with the pair was 1975's "Sing a Little Song", which was a British Top Ten. He was unable to follow its success, however, and did not chart in the UK for some time, also finding only a limited audience in Jamaica.

At the end of the 1970s, Dekker signed with Stiff Records, a punk label linked with the Two-Tone movement, a fusion of punk and ska. He recorded an album called Black & Dekker, which featured his previous hits backed by The Rumour, Graham Parker's backing band. His first single was "Israelites", a Top Ten Belgian hit, and was followed by "Please Don't Bend", Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross" and "Book of Rules". His next album was Compass Point, produced by Robert Palmer. Though Compass Point did not sell well, Dekker was still a popular live performer, and he toured with The Rumour. In the early 80s, as the Two Tone movement died out, he saw his fortunes dwindle, and he declared bankruptcy in 1984.

Only a single live album was released in the late 80s, but a new version of "The Israelites" reawakened public interest in 1990, following its use in a Maxell ad. He re-recorded some old singles, and worked with The Specials for 1992's King of Kings's, which used hits from Dekker's musical heroes, including Derrick Morgan.

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He re-recorded some old singles, and worked with The Specials for 1992's King of Kings's, which used hits from Dekker's musical heroes, including Derrick Morgan. (*) radio-only single; did not have a music video. Only a single live album was released in the late 80s, but a new version of "The Israelites" reawakened public interest in 1990, following its use in a Maxell ad. Only included here are records Elliott did not write or produce on; singles upon which she did songwriting/production work in addiiton to providing guest vocals are notabed below in the Selected songwriting/production credits section. In the early 80s, as the Two Tone movement died out, he saw his fortunes dwindle, and he declared bankruptcy in 1984. Although she is not credited, Lil Mo sings guest leads and background vocals on the single, and appears in the video as well. Though Compass Point did not sell well, Dekker was still a popular live performer, and he toured with The Rumour. (***) Q-Tip appears on the radio version of the “Hot Boyz” remix, but not the video version.

His next album was Compass Point, produced by Robert Palmer. (**) "Lick Shots" had no unique music video, but a snippet of the song was included at the end of the "Get Ur Freak On" video; "4 My People" was similarly a "mini-video" at the end of the "Take Away" video. His first single was "Israelites", a Top Ten Belgian hit, and was followed by "Please Don't Bend", Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross" and "Book of Rules". (*) radio-only single; did not have a music video. He recorded an album called Black & Dekker, which featured his previous hits backed by The Rumour, Graham Parker's backing band. Over a decade after she first began offering songwriting and production services, Missy Elliott is still as widely recognized and respected by her peers as ever. At the end of the 1970s, Dekker signed with Stiff Records, a punk label linked with the Two-Tone movement, a fusion of punk and ska. The same year, Elliott was featured on Wyclef Jean's "Party To Damascus" and Ghostface Killah's "Tush, Tush, Tush" singles, and had a pivitol role in the motion picture Honey, starring Jessica Alba.

He was unable to follow its success, however, and did not chart in the UK for some time, also finding only a limited audience in Jamaica. However, neither caught on at pop radio as well as her previous efforts have. His first hit with the pair was 1975's "Sing a Little Song", which was a British Top Ten. Elliott's newest singles, "Pass The Dutch" and "I'm Really Hot", from her fifth album, This Is Not A Test! (released November 2003), both rose the urban charts. Dekker continued recording, but with only limited success, until he began working with the production duo Bruce Anthony in 1974. In the summer of 2003, Elliott was the featured rapper on Timbaland and Magoo's long-awaited return single, "Cop That Disc"; the song was a modest hit at urban radio. Among his best known releases of this period was "You Can Get It If You Really Want", written by Jimmy Cliff, which Dekker had not wanted to record but was convinced by Leslie Kong. Kong, whose production had been an instrumental part of both Dekker's and Cliff's careers, died in 1971, and both his protegé's were lost for a period before returning to music. Under Construction also included "Back in the Day (2002 song)", a nostalgic ode to old school hip hop music and fashion that featured Jay-Z and Tweet.

In the 1970s, Dekker spent most of his time touring and moved to the UK, where he continued to record. As the "Work It" video had done during 2002, "Gossip Folks" became one of the most-played music videos on MTV, MTV2, MTV Jams, and BET in 2003, and was also extremely successful on VH1 and VH1 Soul. He also released "Problems" and "Pickney Gal", both of which were popular in Jamaica, but saw only limited success elsewhere. Elliott's fourth album, 2002's Under Construction (see 2002 in music), included "Work It", arguably Elliott's biggest hit to date, and the successful duet with Ludacris, "Gossip Folks," which let Elliott's critics know what she thought of what they had to say about her, namely her amazingly rapid weight loss that had taken place during 2002. 1969 saw the release of "It Mek", which first saw only lukewarm success but was re-recorded and became a hit both in Jamaica and the UK. The single was a Top Ten hit, thanks partially to Elliott's songwriting and guest rap, and also Timbaland's funky production. That same year saw the release of "Beautiful and Dangerous", "Writing on the Wall", "Music Like Dirt", "Bongo Girl" and "Shing a Ling". Tweet's own debut single, "Oops (Oh My)", was written by Elliott and relased through Goldmind in February 2002.

He was the first Jamaican performer to enter US markets with pure Jamaican music, though he never repeated the feat. The remix performed just as successfully as the original and was the version which was heard both in the Tomb Raider movie that year and on its soundtrack. In 1968, Dekker's "The Israelites" was released, appearing on both the US and UK charts, eventually topping the latter and peaking in the Top Ten of the former. For "Get Ur Freak On", an usual remix was also released, which combined scat-singing from Nelly Furtado with Elliott's original rapping. Many of the hits from this era came from his debut album, 007 (Shanty Town). That album produced the massive singles, "One Minute Man," featuring Ludacris, Trina, and Jay-Z and "Get Ur Freak On," as well as the less successful single "Take Away," which featured soulful melodies from Ginuwine and a returning Tweet, and whose video was made into a loving tribute for their late friend, Aaliyah. His "Pretty Africa" is a long-standing favorite among his fans, and may be the earliest popular song promoting repatriation. So Addictive in (2001, see 2001 in music).

Dekker continued with songs along the same vein, such as "Rude Boy Train" and "Rudie Got Soul", as well as continuing with his previous themes of religion and morality in songs like "It's a Shame", "Wise Man", "Hey Grandma", "Unity", "It Pays", "Mother's Young Girl" and "Sabotage". Elliott next released Miss E.. "007 (Shanty Town)" was a Top 15 hit in the UK, and he toured the country with a posse of mods following him. Da Real World (1999, see 1999 in music) included the singles "All N My Grill," a collaboration with Nicole and Big Boi (from OutKast); "Hot Boyz;" and "She's A Bitch". The song established Dekker as a rude boy icon, and also became an established hero in the United Kingdom's mod scene. Elliott's second album was just as successful as the first. Dekker's own songs did not go to the extremes of many other popular tunes, though he did introduce lyrics which resonated with the rude boys, starting with one of his best-known songs, "007 (Shanty Town)". The same year, Elliott produced and contributed background vocals and some rhymes to former Spice Girl, Mel B's, debut single, "I Want You Back".

In that year, however, he appeared on Derrick Morgan's "Tougher Than Tough", which helped begin a trend of popular songs glamourizing the violent rude boy culture. In 1998, Elliott continued her successful music career by writing and producing Total's single "Trippin'", as well as working with several others in the hip-hop and R&B communities. Until 1967, Dekker's songs were polite and conveyed respectable, mainstream messages. 1997 also saw Elliott perform on Lil Kim's girl-power anthem, a hit remix of her song, "Not Tonite". The song's remix also featured Da Brat, Angie Martinez, and Left Eye, in addition to Kim and Elliott; and the five women performed it at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards show. Dekker and the Howards recorded a number of hits, including "Parents", "Get Up Edina", "This Woman" and "Mount Zion". The critical acceptance of Supa Dupa Fly was mixed, though generally positive; many critics commented that the album tracks, some of which sampled Elliott/ Mosley hits such as "Can We" and "One in a Million", were far inferior to the singles. Dekker then recruited four brothers, Carl, Patrick, Clive and Barry Howard, who became his backing band, known as The Four Aces. Other singles included "Beep Me 911," which featured 702, Timbaland, and Magoo; "Hit 'Em Wit Da Hee," featuring rapper Mocha and Timbaland; and "Sock It 2 Me," a decent-sized hit which featured rhymes from Da Brat and a cameos by her and Lil Kim in the Mega Man-inspired music video.

The song remains well-known among ska afficionados. Her debut album, released in mid-1997, was Supa Dupa Fly, which included "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)", a blockbuster hit that established Elliott as a major force in popular music. It was "King of Ska", a rowdy and jubilant song on which Dekker was backed by The Cherrypies (also known as The Maytals). Timbaland was again recruited as her production partner, a role he would hold for every Elliott solo release. His fourth hit, however, made him into one of the island's biggest stars. She instead signed a deal with Elektra Records in 1996 to create her own imprint, Goldmind, for which she would record as a solo artist. "Honour Your Father and Mother" was a hit, and was followed by "Sinners Come Home" and "Labour for Learning", as well as a name change (from Desmond Dacres to Desmond Dekker). Elliott also appeared as a guest rapper and background vocalist on MC Lyte's 1996 single "Cold Rock A Party", produced by Sean "Puffy" Combs, who hoped to sign her to Bad Boy Records.

Dekker's "Honour Your Father and Mother" was to be that song. Elliott and Timbaland would continue to work together for other artists, and later created hits for artists such as Total ("What About Us"), Nicole Wray ("Make it Hot"), and Destiny's Child ("Get On the Bus"), and one final hit for Aaliyah before her 2001 death ("I Care 4 U"). With Morgan's suport, Dekker was signed but did not record until 1963, because Leslie Kong wanted to wait for the perfect song. One in a Million went double-platinum and made stars out of the production duo. Neither were impressed by his talents, and the young man moved on to Leslie Kong's Beverley record label, where he auditioned before Derrick Morgan, then the label's biggest star. Elliott also contributing background vocals and/or guest raps to nearly all of the tracks she and Timbaland worked on. In 1961, he auditioned for Coxsone Dodd (Studio One) and Duke Reid (Treasure Isle). Elliott and Timbaland wrote and produced nine tracks for Aaliyah's second album, One In A Million (1996), among them the hit singles "If Your Girl Only Knew", "One in a Million", "Hot Like Fire", and "4-Page Letter".

Dekker began working as a welder, singing around his workplace while his coworkers encouraged him. Among these acts were SWV ("Can We?") and 702 ("Steelo" and its remix), but the most notable of them was Aaliyah. He was born in Kingston in 1941, and became an orphan as a teenager. After leaving Swing Mob, Elliott and Timbaland began working together as an independent songwriting/production team, and the two of them crafted hit singles for a number of artists between 1995 to 1997. Before the ascent of Bob Marley, Desmond Dekker was the most well-known Jamaican musician outside of his country, and one of the most popular within it. By 1995, Swing Mob had folded and many of its members dispersed; Elliott, Timbaland, Magoo, Ginuwine, and Playa remained together, and would collaborate on each others' records for the rest of the decade. Other hits include "007 (Shanty Town)" (1967), "It Mek" (1968), "The Israelites" and "You Can Get It If You Really Want". Timbaland and DeVante produced a Sista LP, 4 All the Sistas Around the World, which was completed in 1994, but shelved and never released.

Together with his backing group, The Aces (consisting of Wilson James and Easton Barrington Howard), he had the first international Jamaican hit with "Israelites". Elliott contributed songwriting duties, both credited and uncredited, to the final two Jodeci albums: 1993's Diary of a Mad Band and 1995's The Show, The After Party, The Hotel. Desmond Dekker (born Desmond Dacres in Kingston, Jamaica on July 16, 1941) is a ska and reggae singer and songwriter. All 20-plus members of the Swing Mob, among them future stars such as Ginuwine, Playa, and Tweet, all lived in a single two-story house in New York, and were often at work on material both for Jodeci and for their own projects. Elliott took along with her Mosley, whom DeVante re-christened Timbaland, and their friend Melvin "Magoo" Barcliff. In short order, Sista moved to New York City, now signed to Elektra Records through DeVante's Swing Mob imprint.

In 1991, Sista caught the attention of Jodeci member/producer DeVante Swing by performing Jodeci songs acapella for him backstage after one of his group's concerts. She recruited her neighborhood friend Timothy "DJ TImmy Tim" Mosley as the group's producer, and began making demo tracks. In the late-1980s, Elliott, LaShawn Shellman, Chonita Coleman, and Radiah Scott formed an R&B group called Sista, for which Elloitt served as a singer and songwriter. In addition, she has recieved recognition as one of the most successful songwriters of the modern music era, having crafted a number of hit records for artists such as Aaliyah, 702, Total, Nicole Wray, and Tweet, often with production partner and childhood friend Timbaland.

Elliott is the first female hip hop superstar, known for a long series of hits including "The Rain", "She's A Bitch", "Get Ur Freak On", and "Work It". Formerly known as Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Elliott dropped the "Misdemeanor" part of her name in 2003 and now goes by simply "Missy Elliott". Missy Elliott (born Melissa Arnette Elliott on July 1, 1971 in Portsmouth, Virginia) is an African_American singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. 2004: "1, 2, Step" by Ciara (also guested).

2003: ”(My Love is Like) Wo” by Mya. 2003: ”So Gone” by Monica (also guested). 2002: "Oops! (Oh My!)" by Tweet (also guested). 2002: ”I Care 4 U” by Aaliyah.

2001: "Bootylicious [Rockwilder Remix]" by Destiny's Child (also guested). 2001: ”Lady Marmalade” by Mya, Pink, Christina Aguilera, and Lil Kim. 2000: ”Take That” by Torrey Carter (also guested). 1999: "Heartbreaker [Remix]" by Mariah Carey featuring Da Brat (also guested).

(also guested). 1998: "I Want You Back" by Mel B. 1998: "Make It Hot" by Nicole Wray (also guested). 1998: "Trippin'" by Total (also guested).

1997: ”What About Us?” by Total. 1997: ”I’ll Do Anything/I’m Sorry” by Ginuwine. 1997: "Can We" by SWV (also guested). 1996: ”One in a Million” by Aaliyah.

1996: ”If Your Girl Only Knew” by Aaliyah. 1996: ”Steelo” by 702 (also guested). 2004: "Car Wash" by Christina Aguilera. 2003: "Tush, Tush, Tush" by Ghostface Killah.

2003: "Party To Damascus" by Wyclef Jean;. 2003: "Cop That Disc" by Timbaland & Magoo. 2003: "American Life" [remix] by Madonna *. 2002: "Son Of A Gun" [Original Flyte Time Remix] by Janet Jackson.

1997: "Not Tonite (Ladies Night)" [remix] with Lil' Kim, Da Brat, Angie Martinez, and Left Eye. 1997: "Can We" by SWV. 1996: "Cold Rock A Party" by MC Lyte. 2004: "I'm Really Hot".

2003: "Pass The Dutch". 2003: "Pussycat" *. 2003: "Work It" [remix] (featuring 50 Cent). 2002: "Gossip Folks" (featuring Ludacris).

2002: "Work It". 2002: "4 My People" (club single) **. 2001: "Take Away" (featuring Ginuwine and Tweet). 2001: "Lick Shots"**.

2001: "One Minute Man" [remix] (featuring Jay-Z) *. 2001: "One Minute Man" (featuring Ludacris and Trina). 2001: "Get Ur Freak On" [remix] (featuring Nelly Furtado) *. 2001: "Get Ur Freak On".

2000: "Hot Boyz" [remix] (featuring Nas, Eve, and Q-Tip)***. 1999: "All N My Grill" (featuring Nicole Wray and Big Boi of OutKast). 1999: "She's A Bitch". 1998: "Hit 'Em Wit Da Hee" (featuring Timbaland & Mocha).

1998: "Beep Me 911" (featuring 702 and Magoo). 1997: "Sock It 2 Me" (featuring Da Brat). 1997: "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)". 2003: This Is Not A Test!.

2002: Under Construction. 2001: Miss E...So Addictive. 1999: Da Real World. 1997: Supa Dupa Fly.