U-Roy, Jamaican Vocalist Who Defined Dancehall And Presaged Hip-Hop, Dies At 78
Influenced by jazz, the Kingston-born vocalist revolutionized the art of occupying a space with his words. "Before U-Roy, no one was toasting," Grammy winner Sean Paul tells NPR.
Ewart "U-Roy" Beckford, who transformed the Jamaican art of toasting, or deejaying, from a sound system phenomenon into a hit-making art form that deeply influenced generations of dancehall artists as well as the formation of early hip-hop, has died. U-Roy's partner, Marcia Smikle, told the Jamaica Gleaner that he'd been unwell for some time; the news was also confirmed by Trojan Records. He was 78.
Respectfully referred to as The Teacher, The Originator or simply Daddy, U-Roy wasn't the best-known name in Jamaican
