Artist

Wayne Smith

1985-1994·Kingston

A young singer out of Waterhouse, Smith was sixteen when he voiced the original "Under Mi Sleng Teng," a session that ended up triggering dancehall's digital revolution almost by accident. Working with his friend Noel Davey, he stumbled on the built-in "rock" preset on a Casio MT-40 keyboard and brought the idea to King Jammy on December 5, 1984.

The full story is in Jamaican Dancehall.

At a glance

Active
1985–1994
From
Kingston, Jamaica
Listening guide track
“Under Me Sleng Teng”

Listen

In the Jamaican Dancehall listening guide: “Under Me Sleng Teng”

Spotify

In the issues

  • Jamaican Dancehall
    Supporting cast · 1979-1995 · Members

    Jamaican Dancehall is a genre from Kingston, Jamaica, 1979–1995. Its principal artists include Yellowman, Shabba Ranks and King Jammy. This issue covers 8 essential albums and 14 dated events.

Terms

Dubplate
A one-off acetate disc cut for testing or exclusive play, used by sound systems to preview songs or gain material no rival could offer.
Riddim
A Jamaican term for an instrumental backing track, especially one reused by multiple singers or deejays to create different vocal versions over the same rhythm.