Ranking Toyan

In the first ’80s, Ranking Toyan, often billed as just Toyan, documented with a few of Jamaica’s top dub producers, especially Henry “Junjo” Lawes, Scientist, and Jah Thomas, and generally did so at Channel One using the Roots Radics as his backing band. Though his achievement didn’t come before early ’80s, Toyan started his career within the middle-’70s, when he performed with the very best audio systems of Kingston. In 1978, he produced a name for himself with “Disco Slacks” and a year afterwards with “Nah Wipe out Nuh Guy,” both music released by Root base Custom as 7″ singles. Using companies Ernest Hookim and Scientist, Toyan produced the leap to full-length albums in 1981 along with his self-titled record. Afterwards that same calendar year came what’s generally arranged as Toyan’s masterpiece, The way the Western world Was Won, an record with staggering qualifications: released by Greensleeves, created and made by Henry “Junjo” Lawes, supported by the Root base Radics, documented at Route One, and combined by Scientist at Ruler Tubby’s studio room. In 1982, Toyan teamed with Lawes and Scientist once again for another amazing recording, Spar BESIDE ME, and remained occupied at the job on his several 1983 produces: two albums with maker Jah Thomas, Ghetto Guy Skank and Murder, the second option also offering Tipper Lee and Johnny Slaughter; two albums with Lawes, Every Posse Desire Me and DJ Clash, the previous also featuring maker Delroy Wright, the second option Nocodemus; and an recording with Tony Robinson as well as the Origins Radics, Nice Period. Following this tremendous year of produces, Toyan’s profession quieted considerably, eventually coming to a finish in 1991 when he was murdered.